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Raajaa Bali
[1/9/29]

Raajaa Bali was the grandson of Bhakt Prahlaad, because of whom Bhagavaan Vishnu incarnated as Narasinh Bhagavaan and killed Hiranyakashyap - Prahlaad's father and Maharshi Kashyap and Diti's son. Prahlaad had the son Virochan and Virochan's son was Raajaa Bali. Later Raajaa Bali was given the status of Indra for a future Manvantar.

Bali and Vaaman Avataar
Raajaa Bali was a very powerful Raakshas. Once he won Trilok, so all Devtaa went to Vishnu and told their sad story. Vishnu consoled and assured them to get their Swarg Lok back to them. Raajaa Bali had one weakness - he was a great donor. Whosoever came to his door did not go empty-handed.

After winning the Trilok, he was doing a Yagya conducted by Daitya Guru Shukraachaarya Jee. On the other side Aditi was very sad seeing her children (Devtaa) out of Swarg Lok. So she also prayed Kashyap Jee to help her children. Kashyap Jee said - "Don't you worry at all. Bhagavaan Vishnu will incarnate in our house and everything will be all right."

Bhagavaan Vishnu incarnated as Vaaman Bhagavaan - in a form of a short Braahman boy, only 52 finger tall (that is why He was called Baaman - a Hindi word for 52), and got ready to go to Raajaa Bali's Yagya. He wore Rudraaksh necklace, yellow Dhotee (loin cloth), took water pot in His one hand and a Dand (staff) in His other hand and started for the Yagya.

That day was the last day of Yagya, and many beggars were getting their desired things from Raajaa Bali and were blessing him. When the Yagya was to end Raajaa Bali was about to perform the concluding ceremonies to complete the Yagya. He asked his people - "Is there anybody else who wants anything?" People checked and said "No". So he started to performing the concluding ceremonies of that Yagya. The then a servant came and informed about a Braahman boy on the door. Bhagavaan Vaaman had arrived at his door and expressed His desire to get something from Raajaa Bali. 

The gatekeepers saw the valor of the Braahman boy and kept looking at Him. On the request of the boy, they went to Raajaa Bali and told that a boy wanted something from him. Raajaa Bali said "Let Him come in." The boy came inside. Every body got stunned to see Him. He was so graceful that people there were not able to look at Him properly. Raajaa Bali also kept looking at Him. He had never seen such a gracious Braahman boy before.

He respected Him, washed His feet, offered an Aasan to sit on, and asked Him - "O Braahman boy, Ask what do you want? You will get anything you wish for - money, clothes, gems, animals, anything." The Braahman boy said - "I don't need these things. I am a Brahmchaaree Sanyaasee Braahman boy, what I will do of these things. If you really want to give me anything I want only my three feet land for my worship."

Raajaa Bali laughed and said - "O Braahman boy, Do you know who are you asking this donation from? I am Raajaa Bali. I can give you so much that even your ten generations will not be able to finish it. And you are asking me only your three feet land? Ask something substantial so that I can also feel honor in giving it to you."

Vaaman Bhagavaan said - "I don't need all these things, and I don't need more than I need, I am satisfied only with my three feet land needed for my worship. I am a Brahmchaaree Braahman boy so I will not have ten generations also. So, please if you can give me, give me only my three feet land."

Raajaa Bali again laughed. He again tried to convince Him that He could ask more but Vaaman Bhagavaan was adamant only on His three feet land. Then Bali said - "All right boy, be happy with your three feet land. What is three feet land for me measured by your such small feet." Saying this he took water in his hand and read the Sankalp (vow) for this donation. After that he asked Shukraachaarya Jee to do the proper rites for this donation.

The then Shukraachaary came to know that He was not an ordinary Braahman boy. He was Vishnu Himself and he had cheated Raajaa Bali by asking only three feet land. So he immediately said to Bali - "Hey Raajan, He is not an ordinary Braahman, He is Vishnu Himself and He has come to help Devtaa and to get Tri-Lok back from you." 

Bali said - "Hey Guru, I have already read the Sankalp for this donation. I cannot take it back. Otherwise also, nobody goes empty-handed from my door, therefore this Braahamn boy can also not go empty-handed from my house. If He has cheated me, that is His conscious. I have nothing to do with that. Thirdly, If He is Vishnu, then I am highly honored that even Vishnu who gives everything to everybody, today has come to my house to ask for something from me and I am able to give it to Him. This will be an example to the world that Bhagavaan Vishnu Himself came to ask something from Raajaa Bali, and Raajaa Bali donated something to Bhagavaan Vishnu. So I cannot change my mind. You perform the rites for this donation."

When Raajaa Bali didn't listen to his Guru, he became furious. He gave Shaap to Bali that he would lose all his wealth soon, but Raajaa Bali didn't care for it. He could not disobey Raajaa Bali so he started the final rites for the donation; but when he was pouring water from the pot for the formal ceremony, he himself sat in the spout of that pot to stop water to come out so that the ceremony could not be completed. Vishnu noticed it and saying this "What is inside it which is stopping water to come out?" He took a blade of Kush grass and put it in that spout. It pierced Shukraachaarya's one eye. Shukraachaarya Jee had to let water go and the ceremony was completed.

Now Raajaa Bali stood in front of that Braahman boy folding his hands and prayed Him and requested Him to measure His desired three feet land. Now the Braahman boy expanded His body so much that His head touched the sky. Raajaa Bali got convinced that He was Vishnu in the form of the Braahman boy. He just stood admiring Bhagavaan still folding his hands.

Bhagavaan lifted His one foot and measured Swarg Lok in His first foot land, then He lifted His second foot and measured Bhoo Lok (Prithvi or Earth) in His second foot land and His body covered the sky. Thus He measured three Lok in His two feet land. Now He asked Bali - "Where should I put my third foot to measure my third foot land?"

Raajaa Bali Had already made up his mind, he immediately lay down on his stomach [see Note below] and said to Bhagavaan - "My body is there for you to measure your third foot land. Please measure your third foot land here." Bhagavaan measured His third foot land there on his body. [some scriptures say that he offered his head to Bhagavaan to put His third foot]

Bhagavaan blessed him and sent him to Sutal Lok to live because Bali lay down on the ground facing ownward. Bhagavaan gave him the Vardaan that His Chakra (Divine disc) will always guard him. Prahlaad Jee was also there. Bhagavaan asked him also to go to Sutal Lok and live there and said - "You will daily see me there with my Gadaa and thus you will also be freed from your Karm bondage."

(2) - Raajaa Bali was a great devotee of Shiv Jee. Pleased with his Tapasyaa, Shiv Jee agreed to be his doorkeeper for all his generations. That is why when Raavan came to Raajaa Bali with the desire of the fight, he could not win him. Who could win Raajaa Bali whose doorkeeper was Shiv Himself, otherwise also Raavan himself was a great devotee of Shiv Jee, how could he fight with Shiv Jee?

(3) - Raajaa Bali had 100 sons. Among them Baanaasur was his eldest son. He was also a great devotee of Shiv Jee and had 1,000 arms. One time when Shiv Jee was dancing His Taandav Dance, he played instruments with all his 1,000 hands. Shiv Jee got very pleased with his devotion and asked him to ask him any Var. He said - "You please live here to guard my city." Because of Shiv Jee all Devtaa etc used to serve him. 

Note
Why did he lie down on his stomach? - Because he could not face
Why could he not face Vishnu, because he could not give Him His third foot land of the donation which he was very proud of.
He was very embarrassed that he could not give even three such small feet land to a boy. But still he was proud that he was giving something to Vishnu. That is why he lay on his stomach.

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