King Bali

Bhai Gurdas Ji explains the sakhi of King Bali as follows:

bal raajaa ghar aapanai a(n)dhar bait(h)aa jag karaavai||

Bali, the king, was busy in performing a yajna in his palace.

baavan roopee aaeiaa chaar baedh mukh paat(h) sunaavai||

A low stature dwarf in the form of brahmin came there reciting all the four Vedas.

raajae a(n)dhar sadhiaa ma(n)g suaamee jo thudhh bhaavai||

The king after calling him in asked him to demand anything he liked.

ashhal shhalan thudhh aaeiaa shukr parohath kehi samajhaavai||

Immediately priest Sukracharya made the king (Bali) understand that he (the beggar) is undeceivable God and He had came to delude him.

kara adtaaee dhharath ma(n)g pishhahu(n) dhae thrihu loa n maavai||

The dwarf demanded two and half steps length of earth (which was granted by the king).

dhue karavaa kar thi(n)n loa baliraajaa lai magar minaavai||

Then the dwarf expanded his body so much that now the three worlds were insufficient for him.

bal shhal aap shhalaaeian hoe dhayaal milai gal laavai||

Even knowing this deception Bali allowed himself to be deceived so, and seeing this Vishnu embraced him.

dhithaa raaj pathaal dhaa hoe adhheen bhagath jas gaavai||

When he covered the three worlds in two steps, for third half-step king Bali offered his own back.

hoe dharavaan mehaa(n) sukh paavai ||a||

Bali was given the kingdom of the netherworld where surrendering to God he engaged himself in the loving devotion of the Lord. Vishnu was delighted to be the doorkeeper of Bali.

Lord Vishnu took birth as the son of Aditi in his incarnation of 'Vamana'. When he grew up, the sacred thread ceremony was performed. At that time Bali was busy performing his hundredth 'Ashwamedha Yagya'. Lord Vamana left for the site where the Yagya was being performed. When he reached there his radiance and his divine appearance spellbound everybody. Bali, impressed by him offered his throne and asked what he could do for him. Lord Vamana praised him and his whole clan for valiance and benevolence and demanded the earth measured by three steps.

Bali, looking at his dwarfish stature laughed aloud and asked him to demand some more land. But Lord Vamana told him that desires are unlimited and also unsuitable. He also told him that he would be very much satisfied if his only demand is met.

Bali agreed to fulfill his demand. His teacher Shukracharya had been able to recognize Lord Vishnu. He warned Bali against doing this. But Bali refused saying "that he was not fearful of the consequences." Shukracharya became angry and cursed him saying that he would lose his entire splendor. Bali remained unaffected even by his teacher's curse. Lord Vamana then transformed his body into a giant form. His first step covered the entire earth, the second step covered the heaven and there was no place to keep the third step. Bali helplessly offered his head for Lord Vishnu to keep his third step, so that he could measure it by his third step. Bali was satisfied that his reputation for benevolence remained intact, though he had lost his whole kingdom that consisted of all the 3 worlds. Lord Brahma feeling pity on Bali's condition requested Sri Vishnu to free him from bondage. Lord Vishnu told Brahma that he was testing the benevolence of Bali, the grandson of Prahlad. He also said that Bali pleased him.

At last Bali was given the kingdom of 'Sutala' which had even more splendours than the heaven. He also promised him that he (Lord Vishnu) would always remain with him as his protector by being a doorkeeper (dwaarpaala) of his kingdom in 'Sutala'.