SB 10.62.2 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.62.2

श्रीशुक उवाच बाण: पुत्रशतज्येष्ठो बलेरासीन्महात्मन: । येन वामनरूपाय हरयेऽदायि मेदिनी ॥ तस्यौरस: सुतो बाण: शिवभक्तिरत: सदा । मान्यो वदान्यो धीमांश्च सत्यसन्धो द‍ृढव्रत: । शोणिताख्ये पुरे रम्ये स राज्यमकरोत् पुरा ॥ तस्य शम्भो: प्रासादेन किङ्करा इव तेऽमरा: । सहस्रबाहुर्वाद्येन ताण्डवेऽतोषयन्मृडम् ॥ २ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca

[shree-shuka uvaacha]

bāṇaḥ putra-śata-jyeṣṭho

[baanah putra-shata-jyeshtho]

baler āsīn mahātmanaḥ

[baler aaseen mahaatmanah]

yena vāmana-rūpāya

[yena vaamana-roopaaya]

haraye ’dāyi medinī

[haraye ’daayi medinee]

tasyaurasaḥ suto bānaḥ

[tasyaurasah suto baanah]

śiva-bhakti-rataḥ sadā

[shiva-bhakti-ratah sadaa]

mānyo vadānyo dhīmāṁś ca

[maanyo vadaanyo dheemaamsh cha]

satya-sandho dṛḍha-vrataḥ

[satya-sandho dridha-vratah]

śoṇitākhye pure ramye

[shonitaakhye pure ramye]

sa rājyam akarot purā

[sa raajyam akarot puraa]

tasya śambhoḥ prasādena

[tasya shambhoh prasaadena]

kiṅkarā iva te ’marāḥ

[kinkaraa iva te ’maraah]

sahasra-bāhur vādyena

[sahasra-baahur vaadyena]

tāṇdave ’toṣayan mṛḍam

[taandave ’toshayan mridam]

Word-for-word

śrī - śukaḥ uvāca — Śukadeva Gosvāmī said bāṇaḥ — Bāṇa putra — of sons śata — one hundred jyeṣṭhaḥ — the oldest baleḥ — of Mahārāja Bali āsīt — was mahā - ātmanaḥ — of the great soul yena — by whom (Bali) vāmana - rūpāya — in the form of the dwarf, Vāmanadeva haraye — to the Supreme Lord Hari adāyi — was given medinī — the earth tasya — his aurasaḥ — from the semen sutaḥ — the son bāṇaḥ — Bāṇa śiva - bhakti — in devotion for Lord Śiva rataḥ — fixed sada — always mānyaḥ — respectable vadānyaḥ — magnanimous dhī - man — intelligent ca — and satya - sandhaḥ — truthful dṛḍha - vrataḥ — firm in his vows śoṇita - ākhye — known as Śoṇita pure — in the city ramye — charming saḥ — he rājyam akarot — made his kingdom purā — in the past tasya — upon him śambhoḥ — of Lord Śambhu (Śiva) prasādena — by the pleasure kinkarāḥ — servants iva — as if te — they amarāḥ — the demigods sahasra — one thousand bāhuḥ — having arms vādyena — with the playing of musical instruments tāṇḍave — while he (Lord Śiva) was dancing his tāṇḍava-nṛtya atoṣayat — he satisfied mṛḍam — Lord Śiva .

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

śrī-śuka uvāca

śrī - śukaḥ uvāca

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said

bāṇaḥ putra-śata-jyeṣṭho

bāṇaḥ

Bāṇa

putra

of sons

śata

one hundred

jyeṣṭhaḥ

the oldest

baler āsīn mahātmanaḥ

baleḥ

of Mahārāja Bali

āsīt

was

mahā - ātmanaḥ

of the great soul

yena vāmana-rūpāya

yena

by whom (Bali)

vāmana - rūpāya

in the form of the dwarf, Vāmanadeva

haraye ’dāyi medinī

haraye

to the Supreme Lord Hari

tasyaurasaḥ suto bānaḥ

śiva-bhakti-rataḥ sadā

adāyi

was given

medinī

the earth

mānyo vadānyo dhīmāṁś ca

satya-sandho dṛḍha-vrataḥ

tasya

his

aurasaḥ

from the semen

sutaḥ

the son

śoṇitākhye pure ramye

sa rājyam akarot purā

tasya śambhoḥ prasādena

kiṅkarā iva te ’marāḥ

sahasra-bāhur vādyena

bāṇaḥ

Bāṇa

śiva - bhakti

in devotion for Lord Śiva

rataḥ

fixed

tāṇdave ’toṣayan mṛḍam

sada

always

mānyaḥ

respectable

vadānyaḥ

magnanimous

dhī - man

intelligent

and

satya - sandhaḥ

truthful

dṛḍha - vrataḥ

firm in his vows

śoṇita - ākhye

known as Śoṇita

pure

in the city

ramye

charming

saḥ

rājyam akarot

made his kingdom

purā

in the past

tasya

upon him

śambhoḥ

of Lord Śambhu (Śiva)

prasādena

by the pleasure

kinkarāḥ

servants

iva

as if

they

amarāḥ

the demigods

sahasra

one thousand

bāhuḥ

having arms

vādyena

with the playing of musical instruments

tāṇḍave

while he (Lord Śiva) was dancing his tāṇḍava-nṛtya

atoṣayat

he satisfied

mṛḍam

Lord Śiva .

Important Words

śiva-bhakti — devotion for Lord Śiva
Compound: śiva + bhakti. Gauḍīyas distinguish śuddha-bhakti (to Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa) from devotion to demigods, which Kṛṣṇa says yields temporary fruit (BG 7.23). Bāṇa's bhakti is sincere but mis-directed — Śiva himself will later redirect him.
vāmana-rūpāya — in the form of the dwarf, Vāmanadeva
Dative compound: vāmana (dwarf) + rūpāya (to the form). Viṣṇu's fifth avatāra, who measured the universe in three steps. The verse anchors Bāṇa in salvation-history: his very existence depends on a līlā of Hari.
satya-sandhaḥ — truthful, true to his word
Compound: satya (truth) + sandhaḥ (bound to). The same epithet given to Rāma. That Bāṇa shares it warns us not to despise him — his ethical structure is intact; his target is wrong.
dṛḍha-vrataḥ — firm in his vows
Compound: dṛḍha (firm) + vrataḥ (vow). Vrata-niṣṭhā is a Vaiṣṇava virtue (cf. Ambarīṣa); here it is borrowed by a demon. Gauḍīyas note: outward discipline without proper object becomes the fuel of pride, not prema.
tāṇḍave — while Śiva was dancing his tāṇḍava
Locative of tāṇḍava. Śiva's cosmic dance of dissolution. Bāṇa played the drums for it with a thousand arms — a striking image of secondary devotion: useful service, but feeding the dancer of pralaya rather than the flute-player of Vraja.

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Bāṇa was the oldest of the hundred sons fathered by the great saint Bali Mahārāja, who gave the whole earth in charity to Lord Hari when He appeared as Vāmanadeva. Bāṇāsura, born from Bali’s semen, became a great devotee of Lord Śiva. His behavior was always respectable, and he was generous, intelligent, truthful and firm in his vows. The beautiful city of Śoṇitapura was under his dominion. Because Lord Śiva had favored him, the very demigods waited on Bāṇāsura like menial servants. Once, when Śiva was dancing his tāṇḍava-nṛtya, Bāṇa especially satisfied the lord by playing a musical accompaniment with his one thousand arms.

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Bāṇa was the oldest of the hundred sons fathered by the great saint Bali Mahārāja, who gave the whole earth in charity to Lord Hari when He appeared as Vāmanadeva. Bāṇāsura, born from Bali's semen, became a great devotee of Lord Śiva. His behavior was always respectable, and he was generous, intelligent, truthful and firm in his vows. The beautiful city of Śoṇitapura was under his dominion. Because Lord Śiva had favored him, the very demigods waited on Bāṇāsura like menial servants. Once, when Śiva was dancing his tāṇḍava-nṛtya, Bāṇa especially satisfied the lord by playing a musical accompaniment with his one thousand arms.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

Bāṇa was the oldest of a hundred sons of the great devotee Bali. This implies that Bāṇa was not a devotee, the unavoidable result of bad association with a sinful person who hated the Lord and committed offenses. The offense could not be destroyed even by worshiping Śiva, the great devotee of the Lord, endowed with the wealth of the earth. Rather, through Śiva’s association he tried to compete with the Lord. With his thousand arms he was able to play the instruments very skillfully. The name mṛḍa means compassionate and happy. Because Śiva was compassionate he danced. His dancing was filled with devotion for the Supreme Lord.

Related values & verses

Related values

Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Apaishunam (Non-slander)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Asteya (Non-stealing / Honesty)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)

Concepts

Satya

Related lectures

Padaseva Pr SB 10-62-02 Oriya
His Grace Padaseva Prabhu· Oriya

Personal Guidance

Bāṇāsura, eldest son of generous Bali Mahārāja, was a great devotee of Śiva — respectable, truthful and firm in vows, with thousand arms that pleased Śiva during his tāṇḍava dance. Even demonic lineage can produce sincere devotion when directed toward a great master.

Reflection Questions

What inherited tendencies in me could be redirected into devotional service?
How might my own talents become the instrument of pleasing the Lord, as Bāṇa's arms pleased Śiva?

Analogy

Like a fertile soil that can grow both wheat and weeds depending on what is sown, the seed of Bali Mahārāja — a great soul — produced Bāṇa, a powerful demon-devotee of Śiva. Lineage gives strength; the direction of devotion is still a personal choice.

Stories

Bali Mahārāja's gift to Vāmana

When Lord Hari appeared as the dwarf Vāmana and asked for three paces of land, Bali — grandson of Prahlāda — gave away the whole earth, then his own head when two paces consumed the cosmos (SB 8.15–23). Śukrācārya tried to stop him; Bali refused: a Vaiṣṇava's word, once given to Viṣṇu, cannot be retracted.

Gauḍīyas count Bali among the twelve mahājanas (SB 6.3.20). That Bāṇa is his son sets up the chapter's irony: a devotee's body can house a son whose bhakti turns to Rudra-aiśvarya rather than Viṣṇu-prema.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io