FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.62.2

శ్రీశుక ఉవాచ బాణ: పుత్రశతజ్యేష్ఠో బలేరాసీన్మహాత్మన: । యేన వామనరూపాయ హరయేఽదాయి మేదినీ ॥ తస్యౌరస: సుతో బాణ: శివభక్తిరత: సదా । మాన్యో వదాన్యో ధీమాంశ్చ సత్యసన్ధో ద‍ృఢవ్రత: । శోణితాఖ్యే పురే రమ్యే స రాజ్యమకరోత్ పురా ॥ తస్య శమ్భో: ప్రాసాదేన కిఙ్కరా ఇవ తేఽమరా: । సహస్రబాహుర్వాద్యేన తాణ్డవేఽతోషయన్మృడమ్ ॥ ౨ ॥
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
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 .
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)
Related verses
BG 15.9 BG 12.13 BG 17.14 BG 17.20 BG 18.64 BG 4.34 BG 2.62 BG 3.11 BG 12.3 SB 4.29.2 BG 9.11 BG 8.2 BG 17.4 BG 7.8
Concepts
Satya
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
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

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