कृताञ्जलिपुटो भूत्वा केनार्थित्वं तद् उच्यताम् वामनो ऽपि तदा प्राह पदत्रयमितां भुवम्
With hands joined in reverence, he asked, 'For what purpose have you come?' Vāmana then spoke: 'Give me land measuring three steps.'
देहि राजेन्द्र नान्येन कार्यम् अस्ति धनेन किम् तथेत्य् उक्त्वा तु कलशान् नानारत्नविभूषितात्
Give, O king, for there is no other purpose; what use is wealth? Having said 'so be it,' he brought vessels adorned with various jewels.
वारिधारां पुरस्कृत्य वामनाय भुवं ददौ पश्यत्सु ऋषिमुख्येषु शुक्रे चैव पुरोधसि
Pouring water as a preliminary rite, he gave land to Vāmana, as the chief among sages and Śukra, the priest, looked on.
पश्यत्सु लोकनाथेषु वामनाय भुवं ददौ पश्यत्सु दैत्यसंघेषु जयशब्दे प्रवर्तति
As the lords of the worlds watched, he gave land to Vāmana; as the assembly of demons looked on, shouts of victory arose.
शनैस् तु वामनः प्राह स्वस्ति राजन् सुखी भव देहि मे संमितां भूमिं त्रिपदाम् आशु गम्यते
Slowly, Vāmana spoke: 'Blessings, O king, be happy; give me the measured land of three steps, it will be quickly taken.'
तथेत्य् उवाच दैत्येशो यावत् पश्यति वामनम् यज्ञेशो यज्ञपुरुषश् चन्द्रादित्यौ स्तनान्तरे
The lord of demons replied, 'So be it,' as he looked at Vāmana, the lord of sacrifice, the sacrificial person, with the moon and sun at his chest.
यथा स्यातां सुरा मूर्ध्नि ववृधे विक्रमाकृतिः अनन्तश् चाच्युतो देवो विक्रान्तो विक्रमाकृतिः तं दृष्ट्वा दैत्यराट् प्राह सभार्यो विनयान्वितः
As the gods stood at the fore, the form of mighty stride grew; the endless and infallible Lord, the valiant one, took on the form of the stride. Seeing him, the king of the Daityas, together with his wife, spoke with humility.
क्रमस्व विष्णो लोकेश यावच्छक्त्या जगन्मय जितं मया सुरेशान सर्वभावेन विश्वकृत्
Stride forth, O Viṣṇu, Lord of the worlds, as much as your power allows, O embodiment of the universe. O Lord of the gods, O creator of all, I have given you all I possess.
तद्वाक्यसमकालं तु विष्णुः प्राह महाक्रतुः
At that very moment, the great sacrificer Viṣṇu replied to those words.
दैत्येश्वर महाबाहो क्रमिष्ये पश्य दैत्यराट्
O lord of the Daityas, mighty-armed one, I shall stride; watch, O king of the Daityas.
एवं वदन्तं स प्राह क्रम विष्णो पुनः पुनः
As he spoke thus, Bali said again and again, 'Stride, O Viṣṇu, stride!'
कूर्मपृष्ठे पदं न्यस्य बलियज्ञे पदं न्यसत् द्वितीयं तु पदं प्राप ब्रह्मलोकं सनातनम्
He placed one foot upon the back of the tortoise, and another at the place of the Bali sacrifice; the second step reached the eternal world of Brahmā.
तृतीयस्य पदस्यात्र स्थानं नास्त्य् असुरेश्वर क्व क्रमिष्ये भुवं देहि बलिं तं हरिर् अब्रवीत् विहस्य बलिर् अप्य् आह सभार्यः स कृताञ्जलिः
For the third step, O lord of the Asuras, there is no place here. Where shall I stride? Give me the earth, said Hari to Bali with a smile. Bali, together with his wife, with joined palms, replied:
त्वया सृष्टं जगत् सर्वं न स्रष्टाहं सुरेश्वर त्वद्दोषाद् अल्पम् अभवत् किं करोमि जगन्मय
The whole world was created by you; I am not the creator, O lord of the gods. Because of your power, mine became small—what can I do, O embodiment of the universe?
तथापि नानृतपूर्वं कदाचिद् वच्मि केशव सत्यवाक्यं च मां कुर्वन् मत्पृष्ठे हि पदं न्यस
Yet, I have never spoken falsehood before, O Keśava. Make my word true—place your foot upon my back.
ततः प्रसन्नो भगवांस् त्रयीमूर्तिः सुरार्चितः
Then the blessed Lord, the three-formed one, worshipped by the gods, was pleased.
वरं वृणीष्व भद्रं ते भक्त्या प्रीतो ऽस्मि दैत्यराट्
"Choose a boon, O fortunate one; I am pleased with your devotion, O king of the Daityas."
स तु प्राह जगन्नाथं न याचे त्वां त्रिविक्रमम् स तु प्रादात् स्वयं विष्णुः प्रीतः सन् मनसेप्सितम्
But he replied to the Lord of the universe, 'I do not ask you, O Trivikrama.' Yet Viṣṇu, pleased, granted him what he desired in his heart.
रसातलपतित्वं च भावि चेन्द्रपदं पुनः आत्माधिपत्यं च हरिर् अविनाशि यशो विभुः
Falling to Rasātala, and again attaining the position of Indra, and sovereignty over oneself—these, the imperishable Hari, the glorious one, granted.
एवं दत्त्वा बलेः सर्वं ससुतं भार्ययान्वितम् रसातले हरिः स्थाप्य बलिं त्व् अमरवैरिणम्
Thus, having given everything of Bali, along with his sons and wife, Hari established Bali, the foe of the immortals, in Rasātala.
शतक्रतोस् तथा प्रादात् सुरराज्यं यथाभवम् एतस्मिन्न् अन्तरे तत्र पदं प्रागात् सुरार्चितम्
Then Śatakratu restored the sovereignty of the gods as it was before; and in that moment, that worshipped foot reached there.
द्वितीयं तत् पदं विष्णोः पितुर् मम महामते यत् पदं समनुप्राप्तं गृहं दृष्ट्वाप्य् अचिन्तयम्
That second step of Viṣṇu, O wise one, which reached my father's abode—seeing that foot arrive at our house, I reflected.
किं कृत्यं यच् छुभं मे स्यात् पदे विष्णोः समागते सर्वस्वं च समालोक्य श्रेष्ठो मे स्यात् कमण्डलुः
What good deed should I do, now that Viṣṇu's foot has arrived? Considering all my possessions, I thought my water-pot would be best.
तद् वारि यत् पुण्यतमं दत्तं च त्रिपुरारिणा वरं वरेण्यं वरदं वरं शान्तिकरं परम्
That water, most holy, given by the enemy of Tripura, is the supreme boon, the best of boons, the giver of boons, the highest, and the bringer of peace.
शुभं च शुभदं नित्यं भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदायकम् मातृस्वरूपं लोकानाम् अमृतं भेषजं शुचि
It is auspicious, ever bestowing good, granting both enjoyment and liberation, the very form of the Mother of the worlds, immortal, a remedy, and pure.
पवित्रं पावनं पूज्यं ज्येष्ठं श्रेष्ठं गुणान्वितम् स्मरणाद् एव लोकानां पावनं किं नु दर्शनात्
It is holy, purifying, worthy of worship, eldest, best, endowed with virtues; by mere remembrance it purifies the worlds—how much more so by sight?
तादृग् वारि शुचिर् भूत्वा कल्पये ऽर्घाय मे पितुः इति संचिन्त्य तद् वारि गृहीत्वार्घाय कल्पितम्
Thinking thus, 'Let me, having become pure, prepare that water for the offering to my father,' he took that water and prepared it for the offering.
विष्णोः पादे तु पतितम् अर्घवारि सुमन्त्रितम् तद् वारि पतितं मेरौ चतुर्धा व्यगमद् भुवम्
That water, well-consecrated, which had fallen at the feet of Viṣṇu, then fell upon Mount Meru and divided into four upon the earth.
पूर्वे तु दक्षिणे चैव पश्चिमे चोत्तरे तथा दक्षिणे यत् तु पतितं जटाभिः शंकरो मुने
To the east, south, west, and north it fell; O sage, that which fell to the south was caught by Śaṅkara in his matted locks.
जग्राह पश्चिमे यत् तु पुनः प्रायात् कमण्डलुम् उत्तरे पतितं यत् तु विष्णुर् जग्राह तज् जलम्
That which fell to the west was again taken up into the water-pot, and that which fell to the north, Viṣṇu took up as water.