Bali Mahārāja Conquers the Heavenly Planets

etad veditum icchāmo mahat kautūhalaṁ hi naḥ yācñeśvarasya pūrṇasya bandhanaṁ cāpy anāgasaḥ

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King! When Bali Mahārāja lost all his wealth and became unconscious, Śukrācārya, a descendant of Bhṛgu, brought him back to life. Because of this, the great soul Bali Mahārāja became a disciple of Śukrācārya and began to serve him with great faith, offering to him everything he had.

The brāhmaṇa descendants of Bhṛgu were very pleased with Bali Mahārāja, who desired to conquer the kingdom of Indra. Therefore, after purifying him and properly bathing him according to regulative principles, they engaged him in performing the Viśvajit sacrifice.

From the fire worshipped with oblations, there arose chariot covered with gold and silk. There also appeared yellow horses like those of Indra, and a flag marked with a lion.

A gilded bow, two infallible quivers, and celestial armor also appeared. Bali Mahārāja's grandfather Prahlāda Mahārāja offered Bali a garland of flowers that would never fade, and Śukrācārya gave him a conch.

When Mahārāja Bali had thus performed the special rites advised by the brāhmaṇas and had received, by their grace, the equipment for fighting, he circumambulated the brāhmaṇas and offered them obeisances. He also saluted Prahlāda Mahārāja and offered obeisances to him.

hemāḍgada-lasad-bāhuḥ sphuran-makara-kuṇòalaḥ rarāja ratham ārūòho dhiṣṇya-stha iva havyavāṭ

vṛto vikarṣan mahatīm āsurīṁ dhvajinīṁ vibhuḥ yayāv indra-purīṁ svṛddhāṁ kampayann iva rodasī

King Indra's city was attractive with pleasing forests and gardens, such as the Nandana garden, filled with deathless trees, whose branches were heavy with fruits, flowers and shoots, and endowed with intoxicated humming bees and couples of chirping birds.

In the gardens there were ponds full of swans, cranes, cakravākas and ducks in which the devatās’ women played.

The city was surrounded by canals full of Ākāśa-gaḍgā, which acted as a moat, and by high walls which were the color of fire with high watchtowers.

The city, built of Viśvakarma, was divided by broad roads and had crystal gates and entrances with golden doors.

The city was full of courtyards, smaller roads, resting areas, and not less than one hundred million airplanes. The jeweled crossroads had sitting places made of diamond and coral.

Everlastingly beautiful and youthful women known as śyāma, who were dressed with clean garments, shone in the city like fires with flames.

The breezes blowing in the streets of the city bore the fragrance of the flowers falling from the hair of the devatā women.

Apsarās passed on the streets, which were covered with the white, fragrant smoke of aguru incense emanating from windows with golden filigree.

The city was shaded by canopies decorated with pearls, and the turrets of the palaces had flags of jewels and gold. The city always resounded with the vibrations of peacocks, pigeons and bees, and above the city flew airplanes full of beautiful women who chanted auspicious songs.

The city was attractive with the sounds of mṛdaḍgas, conchs, kettledrums, with flutes keeping beat to stringed instruments and tambourines, with dancing along with instrumental music, and with Gandharvas’ singing. The beauty of Indrapurī defeated beauty personified.

No one who was sinful, envious, violent toward other living entities, cunning, falsely proud, lusty or greedy could enter that city. The people who lived there were all devoid of these faults.

Bali Mahārāja, the leader of the army, surrounded this abode of Indra on all sides with his troops. He created fear in the women of the city by loudly blowing the conch given by Śukrācārya.

Seeing Bali’s indefatigable endeavor, King Indra, along with the other devatās, approached his guru and spoke as follows.

My lord! The effort of our old enemy Bali Mahārāja is stronger. I think that we cannot resist his strength. How did he attain such power?

No one anywhere can counteract Bali, since he seems to be devouring the universe with his mouth, licking it up, and burning all direction with his glance. It is as if the fire of final destruction has arisen.

Kindly tell me the cause by which the enemy has power of senses, mind and body which produces intolerable enthusiasm?

Bṛhaspati said: O Indra! I know the cause for your enemy's becoming so powerful. The brāhmaṇa descendants of Bhṛgu endowed their student with their power.

Neither you nor anyone like you can conquer the most powerful Bali. Indeed, no one but the Supreme Lord can conquer him, for he is now equipped with the power of brāhmaṇas. Just as no one can stand before Yamarāja, no one can now stand before Bali.

Therefore, waiting until the situation of your enemies is reversed, you should all leave Svarga and go to a place where you will not be seen.

Bali, by the result of the power of brāhmaṇas, had become powerful at this moment. When he later insults the brāhmaṇas, he will be vanquished along with his assistants.

The devatās, being thus advised by Bṛhaspati who saw the truth, assumed forms according to their desire and left Svarga.

When the devatās had disappeared, Bali, the son of Virocana, entered the heavenly kingdom, and from there he brought the three worlds under his control.

The brāhmaṇa descendants of Bhṛgu, very pleased with their disciple, who had conquered the entire universe, now engaged him in performing one hundred horse sacrifices.

By these sacrifices, he gained a reputation in all directions, spreading throughout the three worlds. Thus he shone in his position like the moon.

The great soul, thinking himself successful, enjoyed the wealth and prosperity of the kingdom obtained through the brāhmaṇas.