Hi,
Happy
Deepavali! While there are many stories associated with Diwali and its
festive celebrations, I would like to share with you today the one that is
associated with the emperor Bali and Diwali.
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According to
Indian scriptures, Emperor Bali was one of the greatest kings. He was the
grandson of the great Vishnu-bhakt ‘Prahlad.’ Having been guided and tutored by
his own grandfather, Bali became a strong devotee of Lord Vishnu. His rule was
characterized by peace, prosperity, truth, and righteousness. He became
very powerful with time. He expanded his empire to all the worlds conquering
even the heaven and the netherworlds. Devas including their king Indra who lost
the heaven to Bali went to Vishnu and requested him to restore their lordship
over heaven.
Lord Vishnu
then took the avatara of ‘vaamana’ a little boy, a dwarf, and approached Bali
at a time he was engaged with his own spiritual rites. Seeing the vaamana, Bali
offered him to choose what he wanted. Vaamana promptly requested for land that
he could cover with 3 paces. Bali thinking that it was the easiest of the boons
that he could fulfill granted it. His guru Sukracharya,
suspecting a wrong motive behind such a request, tried persuading Bali to retract
from delivering the promise. He also told Bali who Vaamana actually was.
However, Bali did not agree to break his word. In fact he
said, "What great punyaas have I done that my lord Vishnu himself came to
me asking for my help, and that I got an opportunity to give him what he wants.
I will not loose this chance of giving Him, even if I loose my entire kingdom.”
Vaaamana grew in size so much that he covered the heavens and the entire
universe with his 1st pace, and the entire netherworld, the paatala with the
2nd, and asked Bali where he could get place 3rd pace. Bali,
finding no other space but his own head left uncovered, showed his head to
Vishnu, and Vishnu placed his 3rd step on his head and pushed Bali into the
netherworld.
And this great
interaction between Vishnu and his devotee Bali is said to have happened during
Diwali, usually on the 3rd day of the festival and celebrated
as Balipadyami, falling on 24th Oct this year.
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Bali was a Vishnu-bhakt. He was a pious king who governed his
people with truth and righteousness. He gave his word, and kept it even after
knowing the difficulty involved in it. Perhaps that was how Vishnu
blessed him with moksha. He was also given the boon that he will be
allowed to rule the entire universe for one day, which is the Balipadyami
day.
Siva
value4value@gmail.com
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