Excess Should Always Be Avoided

The verbal root bal means “to live”, “to gather strength”. By adding the suffix nini to the verbal root bal we get the word Balii, the etymological meaning of which is ‘one who has strength.’ In common parlance, the word refers to MahaBalii, the king of demons, who is famous in mythology for his charity. Anything excessive is condemnable. It is said:

Atidarpe(1) hatá lauṋká, ati máne ca kaoraváh,

Ati dáne Baliirbaddhah ati sarvatra varjayet.

[Lanka was destroyed due to excessive pride [of Ravana]; the Kaoravas were destroyed due to excessive vanity; Balii had to die due to his excessive charity. So anything excessive should always be avoided.]

Yes, this King Balii was puffed up with pride over his charitable disposition. According to mythology, Náráyańa appeared before him in the form of a dwarf and asked for a piece of land big enough to put three feet on.

As the story goes, King Balii at once said, “How much land can a dwarf need for putting three feet! I am giving it to you right now.”

Náráyańa then assumed a huge form and put one foot on the earth. The whole earth was covered by that foot. He raised the second foot towards heaven and that covered the entire heaven. Then he asked Balii, “Where should I put my third foot?”

Balii was bound by his promise to give him land for three feet. As there was no other alternative, he said, “Please put your third foot on my head.” Náráyańa placed the third foot on the head of Balii, and the weight of that foot sent Balii to hell.

Although it is just a myth, it imparts the lesson that one should not be proud of anything, because whatever earthly thing we are proud of is perishable (nash + barac = nashvar, which means perishable). If one has to take pride in anything, one should take pride in what is imperishable or indestructible. The latter can only be found in Parama Puruśa. That is why a Vaeśńava [follower of Viśńu] poet said through the character of Shrii Radha:

Baṋdhu tamári garave garavinii ámi

Rupasii tomári rúpe.

[My dear, I am proud in your pride

I am beautiful in your beauty.]

The son of King Balii was King Báńa. King Báńa was a devotee of Lord Shiva. Báńeshvar, one of the names of Lord Shiva, is derived from the name of King Báńa. The historical King Báńa was possibly a king of some part of Bengal. There are certain places in Bengal which are named after him; for example, Báńaeshvar and Báńagaŕ. In common parlance, one of the meanings of the word ba that we get by adding the suffix d́a to the verbal root bal is Balii, the demon King. It is this King Balii who is better known as MahaBalii. King Balii, who is still highly regarded in the most remote parts of Kerala in South India, is invariably associated with the name of Viśńu or Náráyańa. Náráyańa defeated King Balii not by physical strength but by the strength of intellect. The word ba that we get by adding the suffix d́a to the verbal root bal means that intellectual strength is the greatest strength, and it refers to Viśńu.(2)

Footnotes

[1] Ati darpe dashánan savaḿshe majila,

Ati máne kaoraverá dhvaḿsa haye gela.

Atidáne Balii rájá gela pátálete,

Atishay savkárya nindita jagate.

[The ten-headed [Ravana] died with his entire progeny due to excessive pride. The Kaoravas were destroyed due to excessive vanity. King Balii went to hell due to his excessive charity. Anything excessive is condemned by the world.]

[2] About this story – some people say that Náráyańa actually wanted space for four feet. He placed one foot in heaven, one foot on earth, one foot in hell and then asked King Balii where he should place the fourth foot. But such an interpretation is not appropriate. If one foot was in hell, then how could King Balii be sent to hell by placing a foot on his head since hell was already filled with one foot? Chalayasi vikramańe Baliimadbhúta bámana. [The strange Bámana deceived Balii by his intellectual strength.]

From: Excess Should Always Be Avoided

Source: Electronic edition version 9.0.13