Slokam 9

The Paramathma decides to play some mischief on the Gopis.  As Sri Bhattadri says in the slokam, the Paramathma had to appear in the form of Vamana and “beg” from Bali, three steps of land that Bali thought he owned.  The little Paramathma,  decides that He does not want to “beg” for what is His own butter from the Gopis,  by having to perform “antics” that are amusing to them. 

Bali actually offers Him all the three worlds that he thinks are his own property.  However,  unlike Bali, the Gopis do not offer him everything that is In their pots. The Gopis only give give Him a small helping, thinking of Him as a Child that is playing pranks.

Do not all of us think, either consciously or subconsciously, of our worldly problems and pleasures as real and the Paramathma as some distant and unreal being?  Like the Gopis, do we not withhold sharing all that we have with the Paramathma.  Like Bali,  do we not think that we are generous in giving what is not ours to begin with, to Vamana?

So the Paramathma resorts to “stealing” His own belongings.  Sri Bhattadri says in the slokam that the Paramathma resorts to tricky strategems to get His dues and belongings back. 

Bali and the Gopis do not realize that it is the Paramathma that they are dealing with directly.  Likewise we do not realize that all the forms, people, experiences, and the means of our perception are actually only the Paramathma. 

The tricks and strategems is the stage of life that is set so that he can break down our connivance with our false identity and the resistance that it puts up to separate us from becoming one with the supreme.