यज्ञे चैवाश्वमेधे वै बलिना यः समर्चितः । हृता वसुमती तस्य त्रिपदीकृतरोदसी
yajñe caivāśvamedhe vai balinā yaḥ samarcitaḥ | hṛtā vasumatī tasya tripadīkṛtarodasī
അശ്വമേധയാഗത്തിൽ ബലി യഥാവിധി ആരാധിച്ചവൻ തന്നേ—ബലിയുടെ ഭൂാധിപത്യം ഹരിച്ചു, സ്വർഗ്ഗവും ഭൂമിയും മൂന്നു പാദങ്ങളിൽ അളന്നു।
Unspecified (contextual narrator within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa; likely Sūta addressing sages)
Scene: Bali’s Aśvamedha arena with priests and fire; Vāmana receiving worship; then the awe-inspiring Trivikrama expanding, one foot spanning earth, another heaven, measuring the worlds in three strides.
Even when worship is offered, divine governance may restrict power to restore cosmic balance; true merit lies in surrender and dharma.
No tīrtha is named; the verse recalls the Trivikrama episode as theological mahatmya.
The Aśvamedha is referenced as context, but no instruction for performing it is given here.