(There was the) little dwarf form (of God called Vaman). When He came (where prayers were being held), Ratnamala (who) was King Bali’s daughter (saw Him). King Bali had won victory over all corners of the earth and now he was the lord of the heavens, lord of the netherlands, all the lower abodes, underworlds and lord of the earth and everywhere - the seven islands. Everything. He was the ruler of the planet. This King Bali was so powerful and he knew nobody could fight him except for the Supreme Lord Himself. He knew that.
Shukracharya is saying (to King Bali),
“This is the supreme Lord. He has come as a cheat, a chaliya (trickster). So His little, little feet are there but He is the universal form itself!”
Ratnamala is seated there. When she sees this form, she falls in love with this form. She says,
“Oh God, only if I could have a child like this and I could feed Him the milk and love Him and give me a mother’s love. Wow, what a bliss!”
She was just so immersed in this thought and so the Lord entered in her (heart) and said,
“Tathastu (so be it). I grant you the boy,” because the Lord only sees our thoughts, our power, our love. Words were not spoken outside, so only God knows and Ratnamala knows and she is then appeased and she’s seated there just drinking the Divine nectar of this Divine form of the Vaman Bhagwan.
At that time Vaman Bhagwan says, “I just want three paces of land to do my ‘sandhya-bandhana’ (daily ritual prayer) and puja (worship). I want to sit and do puja. I don’t have any place so I just need three paces of land.”
And King Bali laughs. “Ha, ha, ha! Three paces? Somebody tell him! He’s so ignorant! I am the lord of all these worlds, seven islands. Come on, ask for that. Why only three paces? What will He do?”
“I don’t want more. I just need to sit and do my puja.”
(King Bali says,) “Okay, if you say so.”
Shukracharya says, “Don’t!”
“I’m not going to listen to you, Guruji. Guruji, you are saying He’s Supreme Brahm. If He’s Supreme Brahm that means He has come and I’m blessed. I’m a beggar in front of God. Who is wealthy? Nobody. Everybody’s a beggar. He’s the only one wealth, the only one love. Rest are all beggars of that love, beggars of wealth. So I am a beggar and He has come to the beggar to beg for something? I would feel my birth absolutely blessed. But if just by any chance if he’s not God, He’s not the Supreme Brahm, then He cannot be saved from my powers. I’ll kill Him!”
Because he knew only one personality, God, could defeat him.
So he gives the three pieces of land. As soon as he says,
“Yes, tathastu (so be it)! Yeah, here you take it! Yes, it’s yours!”
Then the Lord takes the universal form. In that form (His one step) measures all the netherlands, underworlds, whatever was in the power of King Bali. With the second placing of the lotus feet, He gets all the abodes right up to heaven and above heaven, wherever King Bali’s rule was. Now everything is measured.
“Where do I place My third pace? You are a liar, Bali! You said you’ll give Me three paces of land. Where do I place the third?”
(Bali says), “I’m not! If I have given you the word, I’m not going to ‘spit and lick it’.”
He is the person of principle, King Bali. So religious he is, so ardent in his words, so true and so honest and such a man of charity. He says,
“Here!” He bows down, surrenders, bows down at the feet of the Lord and says,
“Put Your lotus feet on my head!” In other words, measure me. I offer myself to You!
The Lord has tears in the eyes. (Bali was) such a devotee.
