Srimad Bhagavatam — Ashtama Skandha, Shloka 29
The Appearance of Vāmanadeva and His Arrival at Bali’s Sacrifice
श्रीबलिरुवाच स्वागतं ते नमस्तुभ्यं ब्रह्मन्किं करवाम ते । ब्रह्मर्षीणां तप: साक्षान्मन्ये त्वार्य वपुर्धरम् ॥ २९ ॥
śrī-balir uvāca svāgataṁ te namas tubhyaṁ brahman kiṁ karavāma te brahmarṣīṇāṁ tapaḥ sākṣān manye tvārya vapur-dharam
Bali Mahārāja then said to Lord Vāmanadeva: O brāhmaṇa, I offer You my hearty welcome and my respectful obeisances. Please let us know what we may do for You. We think of You as the personified austerity of the great brāhmaṇa-sages.
FAQs
In this verse, Bali respectfully welcomes the brāhmaṇa (Vāmana), offers obeisances, and treats him as the visible embodiment of the austerity of great sages—showing that saintly persons should be honored as carriers of spiritual power.
Vāmana arrived at Bali’s sacrificial arena as a brāhmaṇa guest. As a king trained in dharma, Bali received him with reverence and charity, not knowing fully that the visitor was Lord Viṣṇu in disguise.
Cultivate humility and hospitality—offer respect to genuinely spiritual people, serve guests sincerely, and approach giving (dāna) as a sacred act rather than a transaction.