Slokam 3

Bali is  amused and perplexed by the rejection of his lavish offer by Vamana.  He addresses the Paramathma as “innocent one”.  He continues to address himself as the “lord of the Universe”.  Bali wants to know why he is being asked for just three steps of land.  He suggests that the Paramathma ask for the entire world. 

One would think that Bali would be happy to get away by granting just three steps of land.  But he insists on offering much more.

The slokam points out that the offer is sincere,  but tinged with the pride of his lavishness.  The slokam then points out, very significantly,  that the intent of the Paramathma was only to elevate Bali’s status.  It was never to put him down. However, the one factor that prevented the Paramathma from elevating Bali,  was the pride of possession.

The slokam further points out that the pride of possession was the bondage that hald back Bali from attaining moksham.  It was this bondage that the Paramathma sought to remove with his seemingly humble request for three steps of land.

The slokam states that other than this false pride of possession,  there was really no other negative aspect in Bali’s characterization, that would require him to be the object of “humiliation” (although, given that it is the Paramathma Himself that is teaching Bali the lesson of detachment,  it should be the greatest honor and not by any means be considered as humiliation).

The Paramathma actually appears in His own image to reform and elevate Bali.  So Bali is able to directly perceive and talk to the Paramthma.  In the Kali yugam,  the Paramathma is invisible to the senses.  But he does appear as various events,  people, objects and the universe, and our very perception itself, to mould and shape us into discarding our worldly attachments. 

Unlike Bali,  who can see the Paramathma via his senses,  we can only see the Paramathma via the processes of our mind. 

May we be always aware that the lessons of life are only being handed down for our own benefit.  If we assume life is a confrontation,  we are unlikely to make progress,  because the Paramathma becomes our enemy #1,  as he is to the various avatars of His two Dwarapalikas.  When that happens,  the lessons handed down by life will continue to try and reform us but the lessons will be really harsh. 

Most of us will fail the harsh tests and will be pushed down the ladder of evolution.  We would then have to re-learn the lessons over and over again.  The patience of the Paramathma is endless,  but we should never subject Him to the ordeal of having to administer the harsher tests.  We should learn the lessons of life quickly and move on.