Shloka 32
Vāmanadeva Praises Bali; the Measure of Three Steps; Śukrācārya Warns Against the Gift
एष ते स्थानमैश्वर्यं श्रियं तेजो यश: श्रुतम् । दास्यत्याच्छिद्य शक्राय मायामाणवको हरि: ॥ ३२ ॥
eṣa te sthānam aiśvaryaṁ śriyaṁ tejo yaśaḥ śrutam dāsyaty ācchidya śakrāya māyā-māṇavako hariḥ
This one who falsely appears as a brahmacārī is in truth Bhagavān Hari, the Supreme Lord. He will seize your land, wealth, beauty, power, fame, and learning, and after taking all, He will hand everything to Indra, your enemy.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains in this regard that the very word hariḥ means “one who takes away.” If one connects himself with Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Lord takes away all his miseries, and in the beginning the Lord also superficially appears to take away all his material possessions, reputation, education and beauty. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.88.8) , yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ. The Lord said to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, “The first installment of My mercy toward a devotee is that I take away all his possessions, especially his material opulence, his money.” This is the special favor of the Lord toward a sincere devotee. If a sincere devotee wants Kṛṣṇa above everything but at the same time is attached to material possessions, which hinder his advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by tactics the Lord takes away all his possessions. Here Śukrācārya says that this dwarf brahmacārī would take away everything. Thus he indicates that the Lord will take away all one’s material possessions and also one’s mind. If one delivers his mind to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa ( sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ ), one can naturally sacrifice everything to satisfy Him. Although Bali Mahārāja was a devotee, he was attached to material possessions, and therefore the Lord, being very kind to him, showed him special favor by appearing as Lord Vāmana to take away all his material possessions, and his mind as well.
FAQs
This verse states that Lord Hari, appearing as the dwarf brāhmaṇa Vāmana, will take away Bali’s position and opulences and return them to Indra.
Śakra is a well-known epithet of Indra, highlighting him as the powerful ruler of the devas; here it specifies that the seized dominion will be given back to Indra.
It reminds us that status, wealth, and fame are temporary and ultimately under the Lord’s control, encouraging humility and surrender rather than pride in achievements.