Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 23

Rāhu, Eclipses, Antarikṣa, and the Seven Subterranean Heavens

Bila-svarga

Devanagari script

यत्तद्भ‍गवतानधिगतान्योपायेन याच्ञाच्छलेनापहृतस्वशरीरावशेषितलोकत्रयो वरुणपाशैश्च सम्प्रतिमुक्तो गिरिदर्यां चापविद्ध इति होवाच ॥ २३ ॥

Transliteration

yat tad bhagavatānadhigatānyopāyena yācñā-cchalenāpahṛta-sva-śarīrāvaśeṣita-loka-trayo varuṇa-pāśaiś ca sampratimukto giri-daryāṁ cāpaviddha iti hovāca.

Translation

至上人格神见再无他法可尽取巴利大王的一切，便以乞求布施之巧计夺走三界。虽只剩其身，主仍未满足；遂拘捕巴利，以伐楼那（Varuṇa）之绳索缚之，投于山中洞窟。尽管财物尽失且被掷入洞中，伟大的奉献者巴利仍开口如下。

Synonyms

• yat: because/that
• yat: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative particle: 'since/that')

• tat: that (fact)
• tat: Karma (कर्म/object of 'said'/topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); संदर्भसूचक (that matter)

• bhagavatā: by the Lord
• bhagavatā: Karana (करण/instrument/agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• anadhigatāni: not understood; not known
• anadhigatāni: Visheshana (विशेषण/modifier of 'upāyāḥ' implied)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an-adhigata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √gam with अधि + न-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), बहुवचन (Plural); भूतकृत्/कृत-प्रत्यय (past passive participle)

• upāyena: by a means; by a stratagem
• upāyena: Karana (करण/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• yācñā-chalena: by the trick of begging
• yācñā-chalena: Karana (करण/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yācñā (प्रातिपदिक) + chala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुषः (याच्ञायाः छलम्)

• apahṛta-sva-śarīra-avaśeṣita-loka-trayaḥ: he whose own body was taken away and who was left with the three worlds
• apahṛta-sva-śarīra-avaśeṣita-loka-trayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apahṛta (कृदन्त; apa√hṛ) + sva (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + śarīra (प्रातिपदिक) + avaśeṣita (कृदन्त; ava√śiṣ) + loka (प्रातिपदिक) + traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); बहुव्रीहिः (यस्य स्वशरीरम् अपहृतम्, लोकत्रयम् अवशेषितम् सः)

• varuṇa-pāśaiḥ: by Varuṇa's nooses
• varuṇa-pāśaiḥ: Karana (करण/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varuṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + pāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural); तत्पुरुषः (वरुणस्य पाशाः)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• sampratimuktaḥ: just released
• sampratimuktaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण/modifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samprati-mukta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √muc)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकृत् (past passive participle)

• giri-daryām: in a mountain cave
• giri-daryām: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: giri (प्रातिपदिक) + darī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुषः (गिरेः दर्याम्)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• apaviddhaḥ: cast away; thrown down
• apaviddhaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण/modifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apa√vidh (धातु; कृदन्त apaviddha)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकृत् (past passive participle)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: इति-शब्दः (quotative particle)

• ha: indeed (narrative)
• ha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ha (अव्यय)
• Form: स्मरण/वृत्तान्तसूचक-अव्यय (narrative particle)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

Characters & Entities

• Bali Mahārāja
• Vāmana (Trivikrama)
• Varuṇa

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Bali Maharaja being stripped of everything by Vamana?

This verse explains that the Lord used the pretext of begging to take everything from Bali—even his own body—yet Bali’s devotion made him spiritually accomplished, and the Lord ultimately protected him.

Why does Shukadeva Gosvami describe the Lord’s begging as a ‘stratagem’ (chalena)?

Because the Lord’s request for charity was a divine device to reclaim the three worlds and simultaneously reveal Bali Maharaja’s extraordinary surrender and devotion.

How can Bali Maharaja’s example be applied in modern spiritual life?

It teaches that real success is devotion and surrender to God’s will; even when material security is lost, bhakti remains one’s true wealth and protection.