Vāmana’s Advent, Aditi’s Hymn, Bali’s Gift, and the Mahatmya of Bhū-dāna
विष्णवेऽस्मै जगद्धान्मे दत्त्वार्घ्यं विधिवद्कलिः । रोमाञ्चिततनुर्भूत्वा हर्षाश्रुनयनोऽब्रवीत् । बलिरुवाच ॥ ८ ॥
viṣṇave'smai jagaddhānme dattvārghyaṃ vidhivadkaliḥ | romāñcitatanurbhūtvā harṣāśrunayano'bravīt | baliruvāca || 8 ||
Sau khi đúng nghi thức dâng arghya lên đức Viṣṇu—Đấng là nơi nương tựa của vũ trụ—Kali toàn thân rùng mình nổi gai, mắt trào lệ hoan hỷ và cất lời. Khi ấy Bali nói:
Narrator (introducing Kali’s speech); transition to Bali’s speech
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: karuna
It highlights that true reverence to Viṣṇu combines correct ritual conduct (vidhivat arghya) with inner transformation—devotional ecstasy expressed as gooseflesh and joyful tears—showing that bhakti naturally arises when the Supreme is honored as jagaddhāma, the cosmic refuge.
Bhakti is shown as both action and experience: Kali performs a formal act of worship (arghya) and simultaneously undergoes heartfelt emotion (romāñca, harṣāśru). The verse implies that devotion matures when external worship aligns with sincere inner surrender.
The phrase “vidhivat” points to ritual correctness grounded in Kalpa (Vedāṅga dealing with procedure): honoring the deity with arghya in the prescribed manner, emphasizing disciplined worship rather than casual offering.