Indra Finds Bali Reduced to a Donkey

Verse 1 (12.230.1)

यया बुद्ध्या महीपालो भ्रष्टश्रीर्विचरेन्महीम् । कालदण्डविनिष्पिष्टस्तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥

yayā buddhyā mahīpālo bhraṣṭaśrīrvicarenmahīm | kāladaṇḍaviniṣpiṣṭastanme brūhi pitāmaha

By what understanding should a king live in the world when he has lost his fortune and been crushed under the rod of Time? Tell me that, grandsire.

Verse 2 (12.230.2)

अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । वासवस्य च संवादं बलेर्वैरोचनस्य च ॥

atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam | vāsavasya ca saṃvādaṃ balervairocanasya ca

On this subject they recount an ancient tale: the conversation between Vasava (Indra) and Bali, the son of Virochana.

Verse 3 (12.230.3)

पितामहमुपागम्य प्रणिपत्य कृताञ्जलिः । सर्वानेवासुराञ्जित्वा बलिं पप्रच्छ वासवः ॥

pitāmahamupāgamya praṇipatya kṛtāñjaliḥ | sarvānevāsurāñjitvā baliṃ papraccha vāsavaḥ

Having conquered all the asuras, Vasava went to the Grandfather, bowed to him with joined palms, and asked him about Bali.

Verse 4 (12.230.4)

यस्य स्म ददतो वित्तं न कदाचन हीयते । तं बलिं नाधिगच्छामि ब्रह्मन्नाचक्ष्व मे बलिम् ॥

yasya sma dadato vittaṃ na kadācana hīyate | taṃ baliṃ nādhigacchāmi brahmannācakṣva me balim

Brahman, Bali was the one whose wealth never ran out however much he gave away. That Bali I cannot find. Tell me where Bali is.

Note on the text: Speaker changed from the carried-over भीष्म to शक्र: the page prints no heading here, but the verse is Indra's direct question to Brahma (verses 4-7).

Verse 5 (12.230.5)

स वायुर्वरुणश्चैव स रविः स च चन्द्रमाः । सोऽग्निस्तपति भूतानि जलं च स भवत्युत ॥

sa vāyurvaruṇaścaiva sa raviḥ sa ca candramāḥ | so'gnistapati bhūtāni jalaṃ ca sa bhavatyuta

He was the wind, Varuna, the sun and the moon; as fire he gave heat to all beings, and he became the waters too. That Bali I cannot find, Brahman. Tell me where Bali is.

Note on the text: Speaker changed from the carried-over भीष्म to शक्र (Indra's speech; no heading printed). Lines = CE 12.216.6a, 6c; Wikisource जलं च against CE पृथिवी च (pṛthivī ca) is kept as a variant. The CE refrain (12.216.6e) is printed by Wikisource as the first line of the next verse.

Verse 6 (12.230.6)

तं बलिं नाधिगच्छामि ब्रह्मन्नाचक्ष्व मे बलिम् । स एव ह्यस्तमयते स स्म विद्योतते दिशः ॥

taṃ baliṃ nādhigacchāmi brahmannācakṣva me balim | sa eva hyastamayate sa sma vidyotate diśaḥ

That Bali I cannot find, Brahman. Tell me where Bali is. It was he who set as the sun, and he who made the quarters shine.

Note on the text: Speaker changed from the carried-over भीष्म to शक्र (Indra's speech; no heading printed). Wikisource rearranges CE 12.216.5-6: line 1 is the CE refrain (12.216.5e / 6e) and line 2 is CE 12.216.5a.

Verse 7 (12.230.7)

स वर्षति स्म वर्षाणि यथाकालमतन्द्रितः । तं बलिं नाधिगच्छामि ब्रह्मन्नाचक्ष्व मे बलिम् ॥

sa varṣati sma varṣāṇi yathākālamatandritaḥ | taṃ baliṃ nādhigacchāmi brahmannācakṣva me balim

It was he who rained down showers in due season, untiring. That Bali I cannot find, Brahman. Tell me where Bali is.

Note on the text: Speaker changed from the carried-over भीष्म to शक्र (Indra's speech; no heading printed). Line 1 = CE 12.216.5c; line 2 is the CE refrain (12.216.5e).

Verse 8 (12.230.8)

नैतत्ते साधु मघवन्यदेनमनुपृच्छसि । पृष्टस्तु नानृतं ब्रूयात्तस्माद्वक्ष्यामि ते बलिम् ॥

naitatte sādhu maghavanyadenamanupṛcchasi | pṛṣṭastu nānṛtaṃ brūyāttasmādvakṣyāmi te balim

Maghavan, it is not well that you ask about him in this way. But one who is asked should not speak falsely, so I will tell you of Bali.

Note on the text: Wikisource यदेनमनुपृच्छसि against CE yad etad anupṛcchasi is kept as a variant.

Verse 9 (12.230.9)

उष्ट्रेषु यदि वा गोषु खरेष्वश्वेषु वा पुनः । वरिष्ठो भविता जन्तुः शून्यागारे शचीपते ॥

uṣṭreṣu yadi vā goṣu khareṣvaśveṣu vā punaḥ | variṣṭho bhavitā jantuḥ śūnyāgāre śacīpate

Husband of Shachi, in an empty house, among camels or cows, donkeys or horses, he will be there as the foremost of those creatures.

Verse 10 (12.230.10)

यदि स्म बलिना ब्रह्मञ्शून्यागारे समेयिवान् । हन्यामेनं न वा हन्यां तद्ब्रह्मन्ननुशाधि माम् ॥

yadi sma balinā brahmañśūnyāgāre sameyivān | hanyāmenaṃ na vā hanyāṃ tadbrahmannanuśādhi mām

Brahman, if I meet Bali in an empty house, instruct me: should I strike him down or not?

Verse 11 (12.230.11)

मा स्म शक्र बलिं हिंसीर्न बलिर्वधमर्हति । न्यायस्तु शक्र प्रष्टव्यस्त्वया वासव काम्यया ॥

mā sma śakra baliṃ hiṃsīrna balirvadhamarhati | nyāyastu śakra praṣṭavyastvayā vāsava kāmyayā

Do not harm Bali, Shakra; Bali does not deserve to be killed. But, Vasava, you may put to him a question about what is right, if you wish.

Note on the text: Wikisource न्यायस्तु against CE nyāyāṃs tu is kept as a variant.

Verse 12 (12.230.12)

एवमुक्तो भगवता महेन्द्रः पृथिवीं तदा । चचारैरावतस्कन्धमधिरुह्य श्रिया वृतः ॥

evamukto bhagavatā mahendraḥ pṛthivīṃ tadā | cacārairāvataskandhamadhiruhya śriyā vṛtaḥ

Thus addressed by the Blessed One, Mahendra, wrapped in glory, travelled over the earth seated on the shoulders of Airavata.

Verse 13 (12.230.13)

ततो ददर्श स बलिं खरवेषेण संवृतम् । यथाख्यातं भगवता शून्यागारकृतालयम् ॥

tato dadarśa sa baliṃ kharaveṣeṇa saṃvṛtam | yathākhyātaṃ bhagavatā śūnyāgārakṛtālayam

Then he saw Bali, hidden in the form of a donkey, living in an empty house, just as the Blessed One had described.

Verse 14 (12.230.14)

खरयोनिमनुप्राप्तस्तुषभक्षोऽसि दानव । इयं ते योनिरधमा शोचस्याहो न शोचसि ॥

kharayonimanuprāptastuṣabhakṣo'si dānava | iyaṃ te yoniradhamā śocasyāho na śocasi

You have come to a donkey's birth, Danava, and you eat husks. This birth of yours is a lowly one. Do you grieve over it, or do you not?

Note on the text: Corrected तुपभक्षः → तुषभक्षः (misprint in Wikisource; प for ष, CE 12.216.13a tuṣabhakṣo). Corrected इदं ते योनिरसमा → इयं ते योनिरधमा (misprint in Wikisource; इदं does not agree with feminine योनिः, and the CE 12.216.13c reads iyaṃ te yonir adhamā).

Verse 15 (12.230.15)

अदृष्टं वत पश्यामि द्विषतां वशमागतम् । श्रिया विहीनं मित्रैश्च भ्रष्टैश्वर्यपराक्रमम् ॥

adṛṣṭaṃ vata paśyāmi dviṣatāṃ vaśamāgatam | śriyā vihīnaṃ mitraiśca bhraṣṭaiśvaryaparākramam

I see what I have never seen before: you have fallen into the power of your enemies, stripped of glory and friends, your lordship and prowess gone.

Note on the text: Wikisource भ्रष्टैश्वर्यपराक्रमम् against CE bhraṣṭavīryaparākramam is kept as a variant (the page's footnote records the CE-type reading as another manuscript's).

Verse 16 (12.230.16)

यत्तद्यानसहस्रैस्त्वं ज्ञातिभिः परिवारितः । लोकान्प्रतापयन्सर्वान्यास्यस्मानवितर्कयन् ॥

yattadyānasahasraistvaṃ jñātibhiḥ parivāritaḥ | lokānpratāpayansarvānyāsyasmānavitarkayan

You who once travelled on thousands of chariots, surrounded by your kinsmen, scorching all the worlds and giving no thought to us,

Note on the text: Wikisource यानसहस्रैस्त्वम् against CE yānasahasreṇa is kept as a variant.

Verse 17 (12.230.17)

त्वन्मुखाश्चैव दैतेय व्यतिष्ठंस्तव शासने । अकृष्टपच्या पृथिवी तवैश्वर्ये बभूव ह ॥

tvanmukhāścaiva daiteya vyatiṣṭhaṃstava śāsane | akṛṣṭapacyā pṛthivī tavaiśvarye babhūva ha

Daitya, the daityas stood with you at their head, obedient to your rule, and under your sovereignty the earth bore its harvests without being ploughed.

Note on the text: Lines = CE 12.216.16a, 16c. Wikisource दैतेय (vocative) against CE daiteyāḥ is kept as a variant.

Verse 18 (12.230.18)

इदं च तेऽद्य व्यसनं शोचस्याहो न शोचसि । यदाऽतिष्ठः समुद्रस्य पूर्वकूले विलेलिखन् ॥

idaṃ ca te'dya vyasanaṃ śocasyāho na śocasi | yadā'tiṣṭhaḥ samudrasya pūrvakūle vilelikhan

Do you grieve over this misfortune of yours now, or do you not? When you stood on the eastern shore of the ocean, marking out your wealth to share among your kinsmen, what was your mind like then?

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 12.216.16e; line 2 = CE 12.216.17a. Wikisource विलेलिखन् against CE vilelihan is kept as a variant (the page's footnote records विलेलिहन्).

Verse 19 (12.230.19)

ज्ञातिभ्यो विभजन्वित्तं तदासीत्ते मनः कथम् । यत्ते सहस्रसमिता ननृतुर्देवयोषितः ॥

jñātibhyo vibhajanvittaṃ tadāsītte manaḥ katham | yatte sahasrasamitā nanṛturdevayoṣitaḥ

When a thousand heavenly women danced for you, for many long years in your pleasure-grounds, as you shone with splendour,

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 12.216.17c; line 2 = CE 12.216.18a. Corrected ननुतुर्देवसोषितः → ननृतुर्देवयोषितः (misprint in Wikisource; CE 12.216.18a nanṛtur devayoṣitaḥ).

Verse 20 (12.230.20)

बहूनि वर्षपूगानि विहारे दीप्यतः श्रिया । सर्वाः पुष्करमालिन्यः सर्वाः काञ्चनसप्रभाः ॥

bahūni varṣapūgāni vihāre dīpyataḥ śriyā | sarvāḥ puṣkaramālinyaḥ sarvāḥ kāñcanasaprabhāḥ

all of them wearing lotus garlands, all of them gleaming like gold, how was your mind then?

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 12.216.18c; line 2 = CE 12.216.19a. The sentence runs on across verses 19-21 (the question "how was your mind then" is completed at the start of verse 21).

Verse 21 (12.230.21)

कथमद्य तदा चैव मनस्ते दानवेश्वर । छत्रं तवासीत्सुमहत्सौवर्णं रत्नभूषितम् ॥

kathamadya tadā caiva manaste dānaveśvara | chatraṃ tavāsītsumahatsauvarṇaṃ ratnabhūṣitam

How is your mind today, lord of the Danavas, and how was it then? You had a great golden parasol adorned with jewels,

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 12.216.19c; line 2 = CE 12.216.20a. Wikisource रत्नभूषितम् against CE maṇibhūṣitam is kept as a variant.

Verse 22 (12.230.22)

ननृतुस्तत्र गन्धर्वाः षट्सहस्राणि सप्तधा । यूपस्तवासीत्सुमहान्यजतः सर्वकाञ्चनः ॥

nanṛtustatra gandharvāḥ ṣaṭsahasrāṇi saptadhā | yūpastavāsītsumahānyajataḥ sarvakāñcanaḥ

under which six thousand Gandharvas danced, in sevenfold array; and when you sacrificed, you had a huge sacrificial post made wholly of gold.

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 12.216.20c; line 2 = CE 12.216.21a. Corrected सप्तचा → सप्तधा (misprint in Wikisource; CE 12.216.20c saptadhā). Removed a stray zero-width non-joiner inside षट्सहस्राणि.

Verse 23 (12.230.23)

यत्राददः सहस्राणि अयुतानां गवां दश । अनन्तरं सहस्रेण तदाऽऽसीद्दैत्य का मतिः ॥

yatrādadaḥ sahasrāṇi ayutānāṃ gavāṃ daśa | anantaraṃ sahasreṇa tadā''sīddaitya kā matiḥ

There you gave away cows by the thousand, ten myriads of them, and a thousand more after that. What was in your mind then, Daitya?

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 12.216.21c (Wikisource सहस्राणि अयुतानां against CE sahasrāṇām ayutāni kept as a variant); line 2 is the CE star passage 12.216.21d*0636_01. Corrected दैत्या का → दैत्य का (misprint in Wikisource; CE star line reads daitya kā matiḥ).

Verse 24 (12.230.24)

यदा च पृथिवीं सर्वां यजमानोऽनुपर्यगाः । शम्याक्षेपेण विधिना तदाऽऽसीत्किंतु ते हृदि ॥

yadā ca pṛthivīṃ sarvāṃ yajamāno'nuparyagāḥ | śamyākṣepeṇa vidhinā tadā''sītkiṃtu te hṛdi

And when you, as sacrificer, went round the whole earth by the rite of casting the shamya, what was in your heart then?

Note on the text: Wikisource यदा च … अनुपर्यगाः against CE yadā tu … anuparyayāḥ is kept as a variant.

Verse 25 (12.230.25)

न ते पश्यामि भृङ्गारं न च्छत्रं व्यजनं न च । ब्रह्मदत्तां च ते मालां न पश्याम्यसुराधिप ॥

na te paśyāmi bhṛṅgāraṃ na cchatraṃ vyajanaṃ na ca | brahmadattāṃ ca te mālāṃ na paśyāmyasurādhipa

I do not see your water-pitcher, nor your parasol, nor your fan; and I do not see the garland that Brahma gave you, lord of the asuras.

Verse 26 (12.230.26)

ततः प्रहस्य स बलिर्वासवेन समीरितम् । निशम्य मानगम्भीरं सुरराजमथाब्रवीत् ॥

tataḥ prahasya sa balirvāsavena samīritam | niśamya mānagambhīraṃ surarājamathābravīt

Then Bali laughed, and having heard the proud and weighty words that Vasava had spoken, he answered the king of the gods.

Note on the text: The speaker heading "भीष्म उवाच" (printed on the page as a separate heading row, 12-230-26x, with a stray backtick) had slipped into the verse text; removed it and made it the speaker. Lines 1-2 are the CE star passage 12.216.23d*0637_01-02 (attached to 12.216.23; the CE prints it after the heading 0637_00 "bhīṣma uvāca"). Not in the CE's constituted text.

Verse 27 (12.230.27)

अहो हि तव बालिश्यमिह देवगणाधिप । अयुक्तं देवराजस्य तव कष्टमिदं वचः ॥

aho hi tava bāliśyamiha devagaṇādhipa | ayuktaṃ devarājasya tava kaṣṭamidaṃ vacaḥ

Ah, lord of the hosts of the gods, how childish you are! These words are unworthy of a king of the gods, and painful to hear.

Note on the text: Removed the closing quote mark and doubled daṇḍa (।।') printed after the verse. Lines 3-4 of the CE star passage 12.216.23d*0637_03-04 (not in the CE's constituted text). Speaker changed from the carried-over शक्र to बलि: the speech is Bali's reply (the CE has it before the heading "balir uvāca" at 12.216.24).

Verse 28 (12.230.28)

न त्वं पश्यसि भृङ्गारं न च्छत्रं व्यजनं न च । ब्रह्मदत्तां च मे मालां न त्वं द्रक्ष्यसि वासव ॥

na tvaṃ paśyasi bhṛṅgāraṃ na cchatraṃ vyajanaṃ na ca | brahmadattāṃ ca me mālāṃ na tvaṃ drakṣyasi vāsava

You do not see my water-pitcher, nor my parasol, nor my fan; and you will not see the garland Brahma gave me, Vasava.

Note on the text: Corrected च्छन्नम् → च्छत्रम् (misprint in Wikisource; न्न for त्र, CE 12.216.24a chatram; the parallel verse 25 of this page has छत्रम्). Speaker changed from the carried-over शक्र to बलि (CE heading "balir uvāca" at 12.216.24).

Verse 29 (12.230.29)

गुहायां निहितानि त्वं मम रत्नानि पृच्छसि । यदा मे भविता कालस्तदा त्वं तानि द्रक्ष्यसि ॥

guhāyāṃ nihitāni tvaṃ mama ratnāni pṛcchasi | yadā me bhavitā kālastadā tvaṃ tāni drakṣyasi

You ask me about the jewels I keep hidden in a cave. When my time comes, then you will see them.

Note on the text: Speaker changed from the carried-over शक्र to बलि (CE has "balir uvāca" at 12.216.24).

Verse 30 (12.230.30)

न जानीषे भवान्सिद्धिं शुभाङ्गस्वरूपरूपिणीम् । कालेन भविता सर्वो नात्र गच्छति वासव ॥

na jānīṣe bhavānsiddhiṃ śubhāṅgasvarūparūpiṇīm | kālena bhavitā sarvo nātra gacchati vāsava

You do not know, sir, the success that wears an auspicious body and form. Everything comes about in its time; nothing here goes beyond it, Vasava.

Note on the text: Removed the stray backtick and the closing quote mark with doubled daṇḍa printed around the verse. The verse is the CE star passage 12.216.25d*0638_01-02 (attached to 12.216.25; not in the CE's constituted text). Speaker changed from the carried-over शक्र to बलि.

Verse 31 (12.230.31)

न त्वेतदनुरूपं ते यशसो वा कुलस्य च । समृद्धार्थोऽसमृद्धार्थं यन्मां कत्थितुमिच्छसि ॥

na tvetadanurūpaṃ te yaśaso vā kulasya ca | samṛddhārtho'samṛddhārthaṃ yanmāṃ katthitumicchasi

It does not befit your fame or your family that you, whose aims are fulfilled, should wish to boast before me, whose aims have come to nothing.

Note on the text: Speaker changed from the carried-over शक्र to बलि.

Verse 32 (12.230.32)

न हि दुःखेषु शोचन्ते न प्रहृष्यन्ति चर्द्धिषु । कृतप्रज्ञाः ज्ञानतृप्ताः क्षान्ताः सन्तो मनीषिणः ॥

na hi duḥkheṣu śocante na prahṛṣyanti carddhiṣu | kṛtaprajñāḥ jñānatṛptāḥ kṣāntāḥ santo manīṣiṇaḥ

Wise men, steady in understanding, content with knowledge and patient, neither grieve in sorrows nor rejoice in prosperity.

Note on the text: Speaker changed from the carried-over शक्र to बलि.

Verse 33 (12.230.33)

त्वं तु प्राकृतया बुद्ध्या पुरंदर विकत्थसे । यदाऽहमिव भावी स्यास्तदा नैवं वदिष्यसि ॥

tvaṃ tu prākṛtayā buddhyā puraṃdara vikatthase | yadā'hamiva bhāvī syāstadā naivaṃ vadiṣyasi

But you, Purandara, boast out of a common understanding. When you come to be as I am now, you will not talk like this.

Note on the text: Speaker changed from the carried-over शक्र to बलि.

Verse 34 (12.230.34)

ऐश्वर्यमदमत्तो मां स त्वं किंचिन्न बुद्ध्यसे । राज्याद्विनिपतानेन सोऽहं न त्वपराजितः ॥

aiśvaryamadamatto māṃ sa tvaṃ kiṃcinna buddhyase | rājyādvinipatānena so'haṃ na tvaparājitaḥ

Intoxicated by the pride of lordship, you understand nothing about me. Brought down from my kingdom by this fall, I am indeed no longer unconquered.

Note on the text: Removed the stray backtick and the closing quote mark with doubled daṇḍa. Corrected सोहं → सोऽहं (missing avagraha). The verse is the page's version of the CE star passage 12.216.28d*0639_01-02 (attached to 12.216.28): line 1 is close to 0639_01 (aiśvaryamadamohena sa tvaṃ kiṃ nānubudhyase) and line 2 differs from 0639_02; kept as a vulgate reading. The word विनिपतानेन is kept as printed (the page's own footnote glosses it विनिपतनेन).