Shloka 14

Vamana's Three Steps — Vamana’s Three Steps and the Binding of Bali

Devanagari script

भवान् याचयिता विष्णो अहं दाता जगत्पतिः दातुर्याचयितुर्लज्जा कथं न स्यात् पदत्रये

Transliteration

bhavān yācayitā viṣṇo ahaṃ dātā jagatpatiḥ dāturyācayiturlajjā kathaṃ na syāt padatraye

Translation

ข้าแต่พระวิษณุ พระองค์เป็นผู้ขอ ส่วนเราคือผู้ให้ ข้าแต่เจ้าแห่งโลก ในทานที่มีเพียงสามก้าว จะไม่ให้เกิดความละอายแก่ผู้ให้หรือผู้ขอได้อย่างไร?

Speakers

• Bali speaking to Vāmana/Viṣṇu

Primary Deities

• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Dana (charity)
• Kshatriya honor and reputation
• Appropriateness of gifts
• Ritual/social etiquette of giving and asking
• Paradox of ‘small request’ with cosmic consequence

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "vira", "secondaryRasa": "hasya", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Whose ‘shame’ is Bali referring to—his own or Vāmana’s?

The compound ‘dātur yācayitur lajjā’ can be read distributively: shame may arise for the donor if he gives too little, and for the petitioner if he asks for too little (or in a way that seems unworthy of the occasion). Bali frames ‘three steps’ as socially disproportionate to a king’s capacity and a great guest’s worth.

Why does Bali call himself ‘jagatpatiḥ’ (Lord of the world) if Viṣṇu is also addressed as such?

In Purāṇic royal idiom, a universal monarch (cakravartin-like) may be styled ‘lord of the world’ in a political sense. Bali’s usage heightens the dramatic irony: the ‘world-lord’ donor is speaking to the true Jagatpati, who will soon encompass the worlds in three strides.

How does this verse support the broader dharma teaching of the episode?

It highlights the ethics of dāna: the gift should match the donor’s ability and the recipient’s stature. The narrative then subverts this norm—Vāmana’s ‘small’ request is the perfect instrument for restoring cosmic order, showing that dharma is not only social propriety but also alignment with divine purpose.