Vāmanāvatāra | vāmanadeva | lord vishnu and maveli | mahabali | bali maharaja
Bali Maharaja | What is the story of Bali Maharaja?
Bali Mahārāja was the grandson of a great devotee of Lord Vishnu, Prahlāda Mahārāja.
He had that blood of devotional blood. He had some devotion to Lord Kṛṣṇa also. But at the same time, he was king. He was conquering life.
He was making a disturbance like that. So all the demigods prayed to Kṛṣṇa to settle up this thing. So Kṛṣṇa as Vāmanāvatāra (Vāmanadeva), incarnation of Vāmana. Vāmana means dwarf. He went to Bali Mahārāja, and He was a brāhmaṇa. So as a brāhmaṇa boy, He asked for some charity because the kṣhatriyas, the kings, are meant to give in charity.
When Vāmanadeva appeared before Bali Mahārāja, Bali Mahārāja immediately wanted to offer Him respectful obeisances, but he was unable to do so because of the presence of Śukrācārya and other demoniac associates.
The Lord is so merciful, however, that although Bali Mahārāja did not actually offer obeisances, but only endeavoured to do so within his mind, the Supreme Personality of Godhead blessed him with more mercy than even the demigods could ever expect.
The spotless glories of Bali Mahārāja are heard throughout the world. Lord Viṣṇu, wishing to recover Indra’s opulence from Bali, appeared before him in the guise of a brāhmaṇa, Vāmanadeva, and made him fall from his powerful position.
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 Bali Mahārāja for a measurement of three footsteps of land.
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 Bali Mahārāja for a measurement of three footsteps of land.
The Lord, as the proprietor of everything, could take from Bali Mahārāja all the land he possessed, but he did not do so because Bali Mahārāja possessed all those lands by king’s rights.
When Bali Mahārāja was asked by Lord Vāmana for such small charity, Bali Mahārāja’s spiritual master, 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, Śukrācārya 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 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.
Onam a festival of auspiciousness and happiness is celebrated to await the return of Maveli or Mahabali or Bali Maharaja. In this festival, people celebrate with an enormous Sadya with Payasam as a sweet alternative. People make the atham or rangoli in front of houses and enjoy it with friends family and relatives.
Reference: Srimad Bhagavatam, Skandha 2.7.17