Shloka 82
धर्मस्य बहुद्वारत्वम् — Nārada’s Audience with Indra (Śānti-parva 340)
(जटी गत्वा यज्ञसद: स्तूयमानो द्विजोत्तम । यज्ञस्तवं करिष्यामि श्रुत्वा प्रीतो भवेद् बलि: ।।
jaṭī gatvā yajñasadaḥ stūyamāno dvijottama | yajñastavaṃ kariṣyāmi śrutvā prīto bhaved baliḥ || kim icchasi vaṭo brūhīty ukto yāce mahad varam | dīyatāṃ tripadīmātram iti yāce mahāsuram || sa dadyān mayi samprītaḥ pratiṣiddhaś ca mantribhiḥ | yāvaj jalaṃ hastagataṃ tribhir vikramaṇair vṛtam || tato rājyaṃ pradāsyāmi śakrāyāmitatejase | devatāḥ sthāpayiṣyāmi svasvasthāneṣu nārada ||
ພີສະມະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າຈະຮັບຮູບເປັນພຣະພິກຂຸບຣະຫມະຈາຣິນຜູ້ມີຜົມຈະຕາ, ໃຫ້ສະພາຊົນສັນລະເສີນ, ແລ້ວໄປຍັງສາລາຍັດຂອງ ບາລິ ແລະສັນລະເສີນຍັດຂອງເຂົາ; ບາລິໄດ້ຍິນແລ້ວຈະຍິນດີຢ່າງຍິ່ງ. ເມື່ອເຂົາຖາມວ່າ ‘ໂອ ວະຕຸ (ສາມະເນນ້ອຍ), ຈົ່ງບອກ—ເຈົ້າປາດຖະນາຫຍັງ?’ ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າຈະຂໍພອນອັນໃຫຍ່ຈາກມະຫາອະສຸຣະນັ້ນ: ‘ຂໍພຽງແຜ່ນດິນເທົ່າທີ່ຄຸ້ມໄດ້ດ້ວຍສາມກ້າວ.’ ແມ່ນແຕ່ມົນຕຣີຂອງເຂົາຈະຫ້າມປາມ, ແຕ່ໃນຄວາມຍິນດີເຂົາຈະຍອມ—ຈົນກວ່ານ້ຳແຫ່ງການບໍລິຈາກຈະຖືຢູ່ໃນມື—ແລ້ວດ້ວຍສາມກ້າວ ທຸກສິ່ງຈະຖືກຄຸ້ມຄອງ. ຫຼັງຈາກນັ້ນ ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າຈະຄືນອານາຈັກໃຫ້ແກ່ ອິນທຣະ ຜູ້ມີຣັດສະມີຫາທີ່ສຸດບໍ່ໄດ້, ແລະຈະສະຖາປະນາເທວະທັງຫຼາຍໃຫ້ຢູ່ໃນຖານະຂອງຕົນຄືນ, ໂອ ນາຣະດະ»។
(भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how dharma can operate through measured request and ritual commitment: Bali’s generosity becomes binding once the gift is ritually affirmed, and the outcome serves restoration of rightful order (the gods reinstated). It also warns that counsel and impulse contend at moments of ethical decision, yet a vowed gift carries moral weight.
A divine figure (alluding to the Vāmana/Trivikrama episode) plans to approach Bali at his sacrifice disguised as an ascetic, praise the rite, and ask for only ‘three steps’ of land. Once Bali agrees and the donation is sealed with water, the requester expands to cover everything in three strides, after which Indra’s sovereignty is restored and the gods return to their stations.