30 verses
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: After Lord Brahmā glorified the Lord's prowess, the Lord, whose appearance is not subject to death, with lotus eyes and yellow garments, appeared from the womb of Aditi with four hands bear a conch, club, lotus and disc.
The body of the Supreme Lord was pure, and black in complexion. His lotus face, decorated with earrings resembling makaras, shone with luster. On his chest was the mark of Śrīvatsa. He wore bracelets, armlets, a shining crown, a belt, a sacred thread, and beautiful ankle bells.
Śyāmāvadātaḥ means he was dark in complexion and pure, since his body was spiritual. Jhaṣa-rāja is a makara. He had shining crown, belt, thread and ankle bells along with bracelets and armlets.
Decorated with a beautiful garland resounding with groups of bees and with the Kaustubha jewel on his neck, the Lord dissipated the darkness in Kaśyapas room by his effulgence.
He was endowed with a beautiful garland (śrī-vana-mālayā).
At that time, there was happiness in all directions and in the reservoirs of water. All living entities became happy. The various seasons displayed their respective qualities, and all living entities in the upper planetary system, in outer space and on the surface of the earth were jubilant. The devatās, the cows, the brāhmaṇas and the mountains were all filled with joy.
Agni-jihvāh means the devatās. Nagāḥ means mountains.
On the day of Dvādaśī of Bhādra month, when the moon was in the constellation Śravaṇa, at the auspicious moment of Abhijit, the Lord appeared in this universe. All the constellations and planets were generous.
This verse describes the time of his appearance. Śravaṇa-dvādaśī means the bright fortnight dvādaśī of Bhādra month. The moon was in Śravaṇa constellation. The moon was also in the first portion of Śravaṇa constellation called Abhijit. Śruti says abhijin nāma nakṣatram upariṣṭād āśāòhāyaḥ śravanāyā adhastāt: Abhijit constellation is above Āśāòha and below Śravaṇa constellation. Astrological works also says uttarāṣādhāśeṣārdhāt śravaṇādau liptakā-catuṣke ca abhijit tatstha khecare vijñeya rohiṇī-viddha: Abhijit consists of the last quarter of Uttarāṣāòha constellation and the first quarter of Śravaṇa constellation. Muhūrte hear means at a suitably auspicious time. Or abhijite muhūrte can mean with an auspicious ascendant which give complete victory. The indications of victory are described. The constellations such as Aśvinī and the tāra planets such as Jupiter and Venus, as well as the luminaries consisting of the sun and moon (ādyāḥ) were very generous (dakṣiṇam) at his birth. This is Śrīdhara Svāmīs commentary.
O King! On Dvādaśī, when the sun was at the meridian, the Lord appeared. This Dvādaśī which is recognized as his birth is called Vijayā.
The birth took place when the sun was positioned at noon. The Dvādaśī which they know as his birth is called Vijayā.
Conches, kettledrums and other instruments sounded. The blaring of drums, paṇavas and ānakas and various other instruments was tumultuous.
Conches and kettledrums sounded.
Being pleased, the Apsarās danced in jubilation, the best of the Gandharvas sang, and the great sages offered prayers. Devatās, Manus, Pitṛs and fire-gods showered flowers.
The verb showered is in verse 10.
gāyanto 'tipraśaṁsanto nṛtyanto vibudhānugāḥ adityā āśrama-padaṁ kusumaiḥ samavākiran
The Siddhas, Vidyādharas, Kimpuruṣas, Kinnaras, Cāraṇas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, Suparṇas, the best of serpents, and the followers of the devatās all showered flowers on Aditi's residence, covering the entire house, as they glorified the Lord with singing and dancing.
When Aditi saw the Supreme Lord, who had appeared from her own womb with a transcendental body by his own spiritual potency, she was struck with wonder and joyful. Kaśyapa exclaimed, "Jaya! Jaya!"
The Lord, whose body is eternally endowed with ornaments and weapons and is invisible to the world and with spiritual form, became visible. Then, in the presence of his parents, to please them, the Lord, like an actor whose actions are hard to understand, became Vāmana, a brāhmaṇa-dwarf, a brahmacārī.
The Lord whose body appears with ornaments and weapons became visible. Appears is in the present tense to indicate that his body is eternal. That body, which is also invisible and has a spiritual svarūpa, became visible (adhārayat). He did not accept a form temporarily. He did this to please his parents. He did not do this by any material means. The Lord, like an actor with great powers of yoga, whose actions are hard to understand (divya), produces a body different from his original form, but does it so there is non-difference. In this way the Lord manifested a body which was spiritual.
The great sages, seeing the brahmacārī-dwarf Vāmana, joyfully putting Kaśyapa in front, had him perform the saṁskāras.
Karmāṇi refers to saṁskāras like hair cutting and giving the thread.
At the sacred thread ceremony of Vāmanadeva, the sun-god uttered the Gāyatrī mantra, Bṛhaspati offered the sacred thread, and Kaśyapa offered a straw belt.
Mother earth gave him a deerskin, and the devatā of the moon, who is the king of the forest, gave him a staff. His mother, Aditi, gave him cloth for underwear, and Svarga offered the lord of the universe an umbrella.
O King! Brahmā offered a water pot to the inexhaustible Lord, the seven sages offered him kuśa grass, and Sarasvatī gave him a string of beads.
When Vāmanadeva had thus been given the sacred thread, Kuvera, King of the Yakṣas, gave him a pot for begging alms, and chaste mother Umā, the wife of Lord Śiva, gave him alms.
Pātrikām means a bowl for begging.
Recognized by his spiritual effulgence as a brahmacārī, the best of brahmacārīs surpassed the assembly of great sages and made it look glorious.
He was honored by his spiritual effulgence. This means everyone recognized him as a brahmacārī. Atiyarocata means he surpassed the assembly of sages and made it glorious.
After Vāmanadeva set a sacrificial fire, heaped the ingredients, and performed worship, he performed a sacrifice by offering wood.
When the Lord heard that strong Bali Mahārāja was sponsoring horse sacrifices performed by brāhmaṇas of the Bhṛgu dynasty, the Supreme Lord, who is full in every respect, proceeded there, depressing the earth with his weighty qualities at every step.
Bhṛgūṇām upakalpitaiḥ means performed by the followers of Bhṛgu. Akhila-sāra-sambhṛtaḥ means the Lord was full of qualities like discrimination, patience and learning. He made the earth bow down by the weight of his power and mercy.
While engaged in performing the sacrifice in the field known as Bhṛgukaccha, on the northern bank of the Narmadā River, the priests, the descendants of Bhṛgu, saw that Vāmana, who was like the rising sun, was standing nearby.
O King! Because of Vāmanadeva's bright effulgence, the priests, along with Bali Mahārāja and all the members of the assembly, were robbed of their splendor. Thus they began to ask one another whether the sun-god himself, Sanat-kumāra or the fire-god had personally come to see the sacrificial ceremony.
While the priests of the Bhṛgu dynasty and their disciples speculated in the this way, the Supreme Lord, holding in his hands a rod, umbrella and pot full of water, entered the arena of the horse sacrifice.
Just as the priests speculated, so the descendents of Bhṛgu speculated about Vāmanadeva. Hayamedha-vāṭam means the pavilion for the horse sacrifice.
praviṣṭaṁ vīkṣya bhṛgavaḥ saśiṣyās te sahāgnibhiḥ pratyagṛhṇan samutthāya saḍkṣiptās tasya tejasā
Seeing the brāhmaṇa dwarf, appearing to be a human being, enter the arena of sacrifice wearing a belt of muñja grass, a sacred thread, an upper garment of deerskin, and matted locks of hair, descendents of Bhṛgu and their disciples, their effulgence diminished along with that of the fire, stood up and welcomed him according to the rules.
They saw the Lord having the form of a small boy (māyā-mānavakam), with belt, sacred thread, and deerskin upper garment. Māyā can refer to the Lords svarūpa-śakti of the śruti says nitya-śaktyā māyākhyayā yutaḥ: the Lord is endowed with eternal śakti called māyā. They honored Vāmana by bowing, and offering foot water and arghya according to the rules (pratyagṛhnan). Medinī says pratigṛaha means acceptance, the rear guard of the army, a spittoon, a gift to the brāhmaṇas according to the rules
Bali, the sponsor, jubilant at seeing Lord Vāmanadeva, whose beautiful limbs contributed equally to the beauty of his entire body, offered him a seat.
After welcoming him with kind words, Bali Mahārāja worshiped the Lord who gives pleasure to the liberated souls by washing his feet.
He worshipped the Lord who gives pleasure to the ātmārāmas (mukta-saḍga-manoramam).
Being aware of religious principles, Bali Mahārāja placed on his head the water the Lord's foot water which destroys all sins, and which Śiva, with the moon in his forehead carries on the top of his head with great devotion.
Though Śiva carries the moon on his forehead, he carries the Gaḍgā, the foot water of Vāmana, above that.
Bali Mahārāja said: O respectable brāhmaṇa! I offer you a welcome and my respectful obeisances. Please let us know what we may do for you. I think I am seeing with my eyes the personification of austerity of the great brāhmaṇa-sages.
I think you (tvā) are the personification of austerity (vapor-dharam) whom I am seeing directly (sākṣāt).
O my Lord! Because you have kindly arrived at our home, all my forefathers are satisfied, our family and entire dynasty have been sanctified, and the sacrifice we are performing is now complete.
O son of a brāhmaṇa! Today the fire of sacrifice has been worshipped according to the rules, and I have been freed from all the sinful reactions of my life by your foot water. By the marks of your small lotus feet the entire surface of the world has been sanctified.
I have been purified by the water from your feet. The earth has been purified by the auspicious marks (padaiḥ) on your small feet.2
O son of a brāhmaṇa! O brahmacārī! It appears that you have come here to ask me for something. Take from me whatever you want. O best of those who are worshipable! Take from me a cow, gold, a furnished house, palatable food and drink, the daughter of a brāhmaṇa for your wife, prosperous villages, horses, elephants, or chariots.
Thus ends the commentary on the Eighteenth Chapter of the Eighth Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.
In the Eighteenth Chapter, Vāmana, wearing a sacred thread, goes to the sacrifice performed by Bali and begs a boon from him. His appearance is without death or destruction (amṛta-bhūḥ). It is said janma-karma ca me divyam: by birth and activities are transcendental. (BG 4.9) śaḍkha-gadā-abja-cakraḥ means possessing conch, club, lotus and wheel.1 Another version has śaḍkha-gadā-abja-cakra, without the visarga. It is then part of a compound with piśaḍga-vāsāḥ.