Shloka 39

Vamana's Three Steps — Binding of Bali

Devanagari script

या नैव शक्य भवता हि पूरितुं कथं वितन्याद् दितिजेश्वरो ऽसौ शक्तस्तु संपूजयितुं मुरारे प्रसीद मा बन्धनमादिशस्व

Transliteration

yā naiva śakya bhavatā hi pūrituṃ kathaṃ vitanyād ditijeśvaro 'sau śaktastu saṃpūjayituṃ murāre prasīda mā bandhanamādiśasva

Translation

“That (gift) which even You cannot possibly fill out in full—how could that lord of the Diti-born (Bali) extend it? Yet he is able to honor You, O slayer of Mura. Be gracious; do not command his bondage.”

Speakers

• Bāṇa addressing Viṣṇu (Vāmana)
• pleading on behalf of Bali.

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Vamana/Trivikrama)

Key Themes

• Compassion vs. punishment
• Devotional intercession
• Limits of human capacity before divine infinitude
• Honor (pūjā) as the true ‘payment’
• Bondage as consequence of vow-logic

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "karuna", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Why does Bāṇa say ‘even You cannot fill it’—isn’t Viṣṇu omnipotent?

The line is rhetorical: the ‘measure’ becomes infinite once Trivikrama expands. Bāṇa argues that the promise is structurally impossible for any finite donor, thus binding Bali appears unjust from a contractual standpoint.

What alternative fulfillment does Bāṇa propose?

He shifts the criterion from quantitative land to qualitative devotion: Bali can ‘saṃpūjayituṃ’—honor and worship the Lord—implying that sincere reverence should satisfy the spirit of dāna.

What does ‘bandhana’ signify in the Bali narrative?

It refers to Bali’s restraint/punishment for failing to complete the promised gift, a narrative device that simultaneously tests truthfulness, curbs royal pride, and elevates Bali as an exemplar of steadfast vow-keeping.