श्रीराजोवाच बले: पदत्रयं भूमे: कस्माद्धरिरयाचत । भूतेश्वर: कृपणवल्लब्धार्थोऽपि बबन्ध तम् ॥ १ ॥ एतद् वेदितुमिच्छामो महत्कौतूहलं हि न: । याच्ञेश्वरस्य पूर्णस्य बन्धनं चाप्यनागस: ॥ २ ॥
sri-rajovaca baleh pada-trayam bhumeh kasmad dharir ayacata bhutesvarah krpana-val labdhartho ’pi babandha tam etad veditum icchamo mahat kautuhalam hi nah yacnesvarasya purnasya bandhanam capy anagasah
- sri-raja uvaca
- the King said
- baleh
- of Bali Maharaja
- pada-trayam
- three steps
- bhumeh
- of land
- kasmat
- why
- harih
- the Supreme Personality of Godhead (in the form of Vamana)
- ayacata
- begged
- bhuta-isvarah
- the proprietor of all the universe
- krpana-vat
- like a poor man
- labdha-arthah
- He got the gift
- api
- although
- babandha
- arrested
- tam
- him (Bali)
- etat
- all this
- veditum
- to understand
- icchamah
- we desire
- mahat
- very great
- kautuhalam
- eagerness
- hi
- indeed
- nah
- our
- yacna
- begging
- isvarasya
- of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- purnasya
- who is full in everything
- bandhanam
- arresting
- ca
- also
- api
- although
- anagasah
- of he who was faultless
Maharaja Pariksit inquired: The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the proprietor of everything. Why did He beg three paces of land from Bali Maharaja like a poor man, and when He got the gift for which He had begged, why did He nonetheless arrest Bali Maharaja? I am very much anxious to know the mystery of these contradictions.