ज्यायान्गुणैरवरजो ऽप्यदितेः सुतानां लोकान्विचक्रम इमान्यदथाधियज्ञः क्ष्मां वामनेन जगृहे त्रिपदच्छलेन याच्ञामृते पथि चरन्प्रभुभिर्न चाल्यः
jyāyān guṇair avarajo 'py aditeḥ sutānāṁ lokān vicakrama imān yad athādhiyajñaḥ kṣmāṁ vāmanena jagṛhe tripadacchalena yācñām ṛte pathi caran prabhubhir na cālyaḥ
Synonyms
jyāyān—the greatest; guṇaiḥ—by qualities; avarajaḥ—transcendental; api—although He is so; aditeḥ—of Aditi; sutānām—of all the sons known as Ādityas; lokān—all the planets; vicakrame—surpassed; imān—in this universe; yat—one who; atha—therefore; adhiyajñaḥ—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; kṣmām—all the lands; vāmanena—in the incarnation of Vāmana; jagṛhe—accepted; tri-pada—three steps; chalena—by pretention; yācñām—begging; ṛte—without; pathi caran—passing over the right path; prabhubhiḥ—by authorities; na—never to be; cālyaḥ—to be bereft of..
Translation
The Lord, although transcendental to all material modes, still surpassed all qualities of the sons of Aditi, known as the Ādityas. The Lord appeared as the youngest son of Aditi. And because He surpassed all the planets of the universe, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. On the pretense of asking for a measurement of three footsteps of land, He took away all the lands of Bali Mahārāja. He asked simply because without begging, no authority can take one's rightful possession.
Purport
The history of Bali Mahārāja and his charity to Vāmanadeva is described in the Eighth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bali Mahārāja conquered all the planets of the universe by rightful possession. A king can conquer other kings by strength, and such possession is considered to be rightful. So Bali Mahārāja possessed all the lands of the universe, and he happened to be charitably disposed toward the brāhmaṇas. The Lord therefore pretended to be a beggar brāhmaṇa, and He asked for a measurement of three footsteps of land from Bali Mahārāja. The Lord, as the proprietor of everything, could take from him all the lands that Bali Mahārāja possessed, but He did not do so because Bali Mahārāja possessed all those lands by king's rights. While Bali Mahārāja was asked by Lord Vāmana for such small charity, the spiritual master of Bali Mahārāja, namely Śukrācārya, objected to this proposal because he knew that Vāmanadeva was Viṣṇu Himself, pretending to be a beggar. Bali Mahārāja did not agree to abide by the order of his spiritual master when he understood that the beggar was Viṣṇu Himself, and he at once agreed to give Him in charity the land requested. By this agreement Lord Vāmana covered all the lands of the universe with His first two steps and then asked Bali Mahārāja where to place the third step. Bali Mahārāja was very glad to receive the Lord's remaining step upon his head, and thus Bali Mahārāja, instead of losing everything that he possessed, was blessed by the Lord's becoming his constant companion and doorman. So, by giving everything to the cause of the Lord, one does not lose anything, but he gains everything that he could never otherwise expect.