July 25, 2007
King Bali
A King ascended the throne in Pre Kali Yugera 12999 and ruled with great fame during the glorious age of the city of Mannarama.
When this King offered alms to the beggars fulfilling their desires, the treasury appeared to need no lock.
Since this king did not refuse anything to a person who asks, those who sought his help continued to increase and his guard too was increased.
His ancestral name too was replaced by the name “Bali” on account of his habit of giving.
King Bali’s fame spread across Sri Lanka to India too thereby inviting danger.
The ‘Vamana’ disaster
A vile king of not much height from the state of Gujerat in India came before the king with a group of thousand people.
The King’s curiosity was aroused at the sight of this group attired in saffron coloured clothes with the ‘Japamala’ in their hands.
He asked them ‘why have you come here?’ We need only a space of three steps said the cunning dwarf.
“Three steps for what? “asked the King. That is to perform three ‘yagas’ and make you the lord of all ‘three worlds” replied he.
Then the King asked for details of the Yaga and crafty dwarf uttered untruths adding colour to it.
“When the first stage ends in one month this entire earth will be yours. The second stage will end in two months and by that time the heavens and the entire sky will be yours. When the third stage ends in 3 months the entire subterranean world will be yours.
Even though King Bali used to offer alms dispelling all miserliness his avarice emerged by listening to the words of the dwarf.
Everything required for the ‘Yaga was supplied according to the advice of the charmer and the third month was to be completed on the following day.
On that the day the charmer cleared the place of the King’s men, replaced his men as guards and approached the King who was alone.
He chanted some mantrams on eight tender pepper seeds and blew the charm (‘nara kālama) into the king’s ears. The king rolled on the ground bleeding from his nose and mouth. Thus the Manu dynasty was toppled again.
The charmer dwarf ascended the throne becoming the King of Lanka and was indeed a monkey who had gained the crown.
The dwarf King made arrangements to hold a ‘yaga’ called Aswameda in order to consolidate his regime. King Bali’s son, who set upon them whilst the Yaga was in progress, subdued the foreign enemy and once again became King.
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