Shloka 53

Adhyāya 223: Nāradasya Guṇa-kathana

Catalogue of Nārada’s Virtues

Devanagari script

तं॑ बलिं नाधिगच्छामि ब्रद्याज्ञाचश्व मे बलिम्‌ । “वह राजा बलि ही वायु बनकर चलता

Transliteration

taṁ baliṁ nādhigacchāmi bradyājñā caśva me balim |

Translation

Bhishma dit : «Je ne parviens pas à trouver ce roi Bali. Ô brahmane, dis-moi où se trouve Bali. Il fut ce souverain qui se mouvait comme le vent, faisait pleuvoir comme Varuṇa, resplendissait comme le soleil et la lune, réchauffait tous les êtres comme le feu et étanchait la soif de tous comme l’eau ; et pourtant je ne le vois nulle part.»

Word by Word

• {'taṁ': 'that (him)', 'balim': 'Bali (name of the king)

• also ‘tribute/offering’ in other contexts', 'na': 'not', 'adhigacchāmi': 'I find

• I come upon', 'bradya': 'O Brahman (vocative

• addressing a brahmin sage)', 'ājñā': 'command

• authoritative direction', 'ca': 'and', 'śva': 'tell

• declare (imperative sense, as used here)', 'me': 'to me

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• King Bali
• Brahman (a brahmin sage addressed)
• Vayu
• Varuna
• Surya
• Chandra
• Agni
• Jala (water)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the most powerful and beneficent ruler—one who seems to embody cosmic functions—cannot escape disappearance and change; the passage prompts reflection on impermanence and the limits of worldly sovereignty, urging inquiry into the deeper order (dharma) behind visible power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma addresses a Brahman and expresses astonishment that he cannot locate King Bali, whom he describes through grand cosmic metaphors (wind, rain, sun/moon, fire, water). He asks the Brahman to reveal Bali’s whereabouts, setting up an explanation about Bali’s fate or condition.