Shloka 11
Vamana's Three Steps — Vamana’s Three Steps and the Binding of Bali
प्रयो विधाताल्पधियां नराणां बहिष्कृतानां च महानुभाग्यैः धनादिकं भूरि न वै ददाति यथेह विष्णोर्न बहुप्रयासः
prayo vidhātālpadhiyāṃ narāṇāṃ bahiṣkṛtānāṃ ca mahānubhāgyaiḥ dhanādikaṃ bhūri na vai dadāti yatheha viṣṇorna bahuprayāsaḥ
Generally, the Ordainer (Fate) does not grant abundant wealth and the like to men of little understanding, nor to those cast out (from good fortune); rather, great prosperity comes to the highly fortunate—just as, in this case, for Viṣṇu there is no great exertion (needed).
{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
FAQs
In Purāṇic idiom, vidhātā can denote providence shaped by karma (merit and demerit) and also the cosmic ordering principle. The verse uses it to explain differential outcomes—who receives ‘bhūri dhana’—as a function of ordained fortune.
It underscores divine sovereignty: the Lord accomplishes cosmic ends without strain. In the Vāmana episode, a simple request (three steps) suffices to reclaim the worlds—an effortless divine strategy.
It warns that apparent human calculations (wealth, power, ritual success) are subordinate to providence and the Lord’s will; thus Bali should recognize the extraordinary nature of the petitioner and the inevitability of the outcome.