बलिरुवाच- धन्योऽस्मि कृतकृत्योस्मि सफलं मम जीवितम् । त्वामर्च्चयित्वा विप्रेंद्र किं करोमि तव प्रियम्
Bali said: I am blessed, my life has found its purpose, my existence is fulfilled; having worshipped you, O foremost of Brahmins, what can I do to please you?
आगतोऽसि यदर्थं त्वं मामुद्दिश्य द्विजोत्तमः । तत्प्रयच्छामि ते शीघ्रं ब्रूहि वेदविदां वर
You have come here for some purpose, addressing me, O best of twice-born; I will grant it to you quickly—speak, O foremost knower of the Vedas.
शंकर उवाच- ततः प्रहृष्टमनसा तमुवाच महीपतिम् । वामन उवाच- शृणु राजेंद्र वक्ष्यामि ममागमनकारणम्
Shankara said: Then, with a delighted heart, he spoke to the king; Vamana said: Hear, O king, I will tell you the reason for my coming.
अग्निकुण्डस्य पृथिवीं देहि दैत्यपते मम । मम त्रिविक्रमपदां नान्यदिच्छामि मानद
O lord of the Daityas, grant me the earth measured by three steps from the fire-altar; I desire nothing else, O bestower of honor.
सर्वेषामेव दानानां भूमिदानमनुत्तमम् । यो ददाति महीं राजा विप्रायाकिंचनाय वै
Among all gifts, the gift of land is supreme; a king who gives land to a Brahmin who owns nothing attains the highest merit.
अंगुष्ठमात्रामपि वा स भवेत्पृथिवीपतिः । न भूमिदानसदृशं पवित्रमिह विद्यते
Even if it is only the size of a thumb, he becomes a lord of the earth; nothing in this world is as pure as the gift of land.
भूमिं यः प्रतिगृह्णाति भूमिं यश्च प्रयच्छति । उभौ तौ पुण्यकर्म्माणौ निधने स्वर्गगामिनौ
He who receives land and he who gives land—both perform meritorious deeds and, at death, go to heaven.
तस्माद्भूमिं महाराज प्रयच्छ त्रिपदीं मम । एतदल्पां महीं दातुं मा विशंक महीपते । जगत्त्रयप्रदानं तन्नाम भूप भविष्यति
Therefore, O great king, grant me the three steps of land; do not hesitate to give this small piece of earth, O lord of the earth. The giving of this will be known as the gift of the three worlds.
शंकर उवाच- ततः प्रहृष्टवदनस्तथेत्याह महीपतिः । तस्मै महीप्रदानं तु कर्तुं मेने विधानतः
Shankara said: Then, with a joyful face, the king said, 'So be it'; he resolved to give the land to him according to the proper rite.
तं दृष्ट्वा दैत्यराजानं तदा तस्य पुरोहितः । उशना ह्यब्रवीद्वाक्यं मा राजन्दीयतां महीम्
Seeing the king of the Daityas thus, his priest at that time, Ushanas, spoke these words: 'O king, do not give the land.'
शुक्र उवाच- एष विष्णुः परेशोऽथ देवैः संप्रार्थितो नृप । वंचयित्वा महीं सर्वां त्वत्तः प्राप्तुमिहागतः
Shukra said: This is Vishnu, the supreme lord, implored by the gods, O king; he has come here to obtain all the earth from you by deception.
तस्मान्मही न दातव्या तस्मै राजन्महात्मने । अन्यमर्थं प्रयच्छस्व वचनान्मम भूपते
Therefore, O king, do not give land to this great soul; give something else instead, as I advise, O lord of the earth.
श्रीशंकर उवाच- ततः प्रहस्य राजासौ तं गुरुं प्राह धैर्य्यतः । बलिरुवाच- प्रीतये वासुदेवस्य सर्वं पुण्यं कृतं मया
Shri Shankara said: Then, laughing, the king calmly addressed his teacher; Bali said: For the pleasure of Vasudeva, I have performed all meritorious acts.
अद्य धन्योस्म्यहं विष्णुः स्वयमेवागतो यदि । तस्य प्रदेयमेवाद्य जीवितं च महत्सुखम्
Today I am blessed, for Vishnu himself has come; to him I must give, even my life and great happiness.
तस्मादस्मै प्रयच्छामि त्रिलोकीमपि मा चिरम् । श्रीशंकर उवाच- इत्युक्त्वा भूपतिस्तस्य पादौ प्रक्षाल्य भक्तितः
Therefore, I will give him even the three worlds without delay; Shri Shankara said: Having said this, the king devotedly washed his feet.
वांच्छितां प्रददौ भूमिं वारिपूर्वं विधानतः । परिणीय नमस्कृत्य दत्वा वै दक्षिणां वसु
He granted the desired land, first pouring water as prescribed; having circumambulated and bowed, he gave the fee and wealth as well.
प्रोवाच तं पुनर्विप्रं प्रहृष्टेनांतरात्मना । बलिरुवाच- धन्योस्मि कृतकृत्योस्मि तव दत्वा महीं द्विज
Bali, with a heart filled with joy, spoke again to the Brahmin: 'I am blessed, I have fulfilled my purpose by giving you the earth, O Brahmin.'
यथेष्टा तव विप्रेंद्र तद्गृहाण महीमिमाम् । श्रीशंकर उवाच- तमुवाच नृपं विष्णू राजंस्तव समीपतः
'As you wish, O best of Brahmins, take this earth,' said Bali. Śaṅkara said: Viṣṇu then spoke to the king, who was nearby.
मापयामि पदेनाद्य पृथिवीं तव पश्यतः । इत्युक्त्वा खर्वरूपं तद्विहाय परमेश्वरः
'Today, in your presence, I will measure the earth with my foot.' Having said this, the Supreme Lord abandoned his dwarf form.
त्रिविक्रमवपुर्भूत्वा जग्राह पृथिवीमिमाम् । पंचाशत्कोटिविस्तीर्ण ससमुद्र महीधराम्
Assuming the form of Trivikrama, he took possession of this earth, fifty crores in extent, along with its oceans and mountains.
ससागरां च सद्वीपां सदेवासुरमानुषाम् । पादेनैकेन वपुषो व्यक्रांत मधुसूदनः
With its seas, islands, and all beings—gods, asuras, and humans—Madhusūdana covered it all with a single stride of his form.
उवाच दैत्यराजेंद्र किं करोमीति शाश्वतः । तद्वै त्रिविक्रमं रूपमीश्वरस्य महौजसम्
The eternal one said to the king of the Daityas, 'What shall I do now?' That Trivikrama form of the Lord, of immense power,
हितार्थमपि देवानामृषीणां च महात्मनाम् । न दृष्टमपि शक्यं स्याद्ब्रह्मणः शंकरस्य च
Even for the benefit of the gods and the great sages, could not be seen, not even by Brahmā or Śaṅkara.
तत्पदं पृथिवीं सर्वामाक्रम्य गिरिजे शुभे । अतिरिक्तं समभवच्छतयोजनमायतम्
O beautiful Girijā, when that foot spanned the whole earth, it extended a hundred yojanas beyond.
दिव्यचक्षुर्ददौ तस्मै दैत्यराज्ञे सनातनः । तस्मै संदर्शयामास स्वकं रूपं जनार्दनम्
The eternal one gave divine sight to the king of the Daityas, and Janārdana revealed his own form to him.
तद्विश्वरूपं देवस्य दृष्ट्वा दैत्येश्वरो बलि । प्रहर्षमतुलं लेभे सानंदाश्रु परिप्लुतः
Seeing that universal form of the Lord, Bali, king of the Daityas, was filled with incomparable joy, his eyes brimming with tears of happiness.
दृष्ट्वा देवं नमस्कृत्य स्तुत्वा स्तुतिभिरेव च । प्राह गद्गदया वाचा प्रहृष्टेनांतरात्मना
Having seen the Lord, he bowed and praised him with hymns; with a voice choked with emotion and a heart full of joy, he spoke.
बलिरुवाच- धन्योस्मि कृतकृत्योस्मि त्वां दृष्ट्वा परमेश्वरम् । लोकत्रयं त्वमेवैतद्गृहाण परमेश्वर
Bali said: 'I am blessed, I have fulfilled my purpose, having seen you, O Supreme Lord. O Supreme Lord, you alone should take possession of these three worlds.'
श्रीशंकर उवाच- अथ सर्वेश्वरो विष्णुर्द्वितीयं पदमव्ययम् । ऊर्ध्वं प्रसारयामास ब्रह्मलोकांतमच्युतः
Śaṅkara said: Then Viṣṇu, Lord of all, extended his second, imperishable step upwards, reaching to the world of Brahmā, O faultless one.
सनक्षत्रग्रहोपेतं सर्वदेवसमावृतम् । पदेन परिपूर्णोऽभूदच्युतस्य शुभानने
Accompanied by stars, planets, and all the gods, that step of Acyuta filled everything completely, O beautiful one.