Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 35
Vibhūti-yoga in the Bhāgavata: The Lord’s Manifest Opulences and the Discipline of Control
ब्रह्मण्यानां बलिरहं वीराणामहमर्जुन: । भूतानां स्थितिरुत्पत्तिरहं वै प्रतिसङ्क्रम: ॥ ३५ ॥
brahmaṇyānāṁ balir ahaṁ vīrāṇām aham arjunaḥ bhūtānāṁ sthitir utpattir ahaṁ vai pratisaṅkramaḥ
Di antara para pemelihara budaya brahmana, Aku adalah Bali Mahārāja putra Virocana; dan di antara para pahlawan, Aku adalah Arjuna. Sesungguhnya penciptaan, pemeliharaan, dan peleburan semua makhluk pun adalah Aku.
FAQs
This verse identifies Bali Mahārāja as the foremost example among the brahmaṇya—those who honor and protect brāhmaṇas and brahminical principles—showing that such reverence is a divine quality recognized as the Lord’s own opulence.
Krishna cites Arjuna as His vibhūti among vīras because Arjuna embodies valor guided by dharma and devotion—heroism offered in service to the Lord rather than driven by ego.
Train the mind to see the Lord’s presence in key realities: in noble devotion (like Bali), in courageous duty (like Arjuna), and in life’s processes—birth, sustenance, and the inevitable transition—thus turning ordinary experience into remembrance of Krishna.