Shloka 14

The Future Manus and the Avatāras in Their Manvantaras

Devanagari script

योऽसौ भगवता बद्ध: प्रीतेन सुतले पुन: । निवेशितोऽधिके स्वर्गादधुनास्ते स्वराडिव ॥ १४ ॥

Transliteration

yo ’sau bhagavatā baddhaḥ prītena sutale punaḥ niveśito ’dhike svargād adhunāste sva-rāḍ iva

Translation

Bound by the Lord with affectionate favor, Bali was then installed in Sutala, a realm more opulent than the heavens. There Bali Mahārāja now dwells like a sovereign, more comfortably situated than Indra.

Synonyms

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• असौ: that (person), he
• असौ: कर्ता (Karta/Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; निर्देश-सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• भगवता: by the Lord
• भगवता: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument or Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन

• बद्धः: bound
• बद्धः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बन्ध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (Past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; (passive sense: “bound”)

• प्रीतेन: by (one) who was pleased
• प्रीतेन: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument/Agent qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्री (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying भगवता: “by the pleased one”)

• सुतले: in Sutala
• सुतले: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative); एकवचन; स्थानवाचक

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: “again/further”)

• निवेशितः: installed, settled
• निवेशितः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-विश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; (passive: “made to dwell/installed”)

• अधिके: in a superior (realm)
• अधिके: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying सुतले understood: “in a superior [place]”)

• स्वर्गात्: than heaven / from heaven
• स्वर्गात्: अपादान (Apādāna/Source-comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative); एकवचन

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: कालाधिकरण (Kāla-adhikaraṇa/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb: “now”)

• आस्ते: dwells, remains
• आस्ते: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• स्वराट्: a sovereign, independent ruler
• स्वराट्: उपमान (Upamāna/Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वराट् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; उपमान-प्रयोग (as predicate/apposition)

• इव: like
• इव: उपमा-सूचक (Upamā marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमावाचक निपात (particle of comparison)

Characters & Entities

• Bali Mahārāja
• Bhagavān (Vāmana/Trivikrama)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Bali Maharaja after Vamana bound him?

It says Bali was settled in Sutala—described as even more opulent than heaven—and he lives there like an independent ruler by the Lord’s favor.

Why did Vamana (the Supreme Lord) reward Bali Maharaja even after binding him?

Because Bali’s surrender and truthfulness pleased the Lord; the binding was part of the Lord’s līlā, while Sutala was granted as divine mercy to His devotee.

Practical application of Bali Maharaja’s lesson in modern life?

Keep integrity even under loss, and practice surrender to God’s will—Bhagavatam teaches that sincere devotion is never defeated, even when circumstances look like punishment.