Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.72.24-25
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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vipra-vyājena
—
in the guise of a brāhmaṇa
Compound instrumental. Vyāja — guise, pretext. The Lord's vyāja is never deception in the Gauḍīya reading; it is His chosen mode of approach. Cf. Vāmana, and now Kṛṣṇa-Bhīma-Arjuna at Girivraja.
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dvija-rūpiṇe
—
appearing as a brāhmaṇa
Compound dative. Rūpiṇe — bearing the form of. The dative case marks the recipient of Bali's gift — to Viṣṇu in brāhmaṇa form. Worship offered to that form is worship offered to Bhagavān Himself.
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jānan
—
aware
Present participle nominative. Bali knew. The verse insists on it. The gift is not deceived; it is conscious. Gauḍīyas read this as the highest dāna — when one gives knowing the Receiver is the Lord Himself.
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vāryamāṇaḥ
—
being forbidden
Passive participle. Śukrācārya, his own guru, forbade him. Bali defied even his guru to honour the Lord — a precedent invoked subtly when guru-ājñā conflicts with bhagavad-ājñā. The latter wins.
"But what is to be gained by giving charity to cheaters?" This verse answers. "Indeed (nu), the fame of Bali, who lost his position by Visnu disguising himself as a brahmana, wanting to take away his (indrasya) wealth, is heard and spread everywhere." Na is sometimes seen instead of nu. In that case the meaning is "Is not the fame of Bali heard and spread everywhere?" He gave the earth to Visnu even though he knew it was Visnu and even though obstructed by Sukracarya.
“But they are enemies.” Though I know this for certain, I must accept them as brāhmaṇas, even though they are enemies disguised as brāhmaṇas, and grant their request like Bali since this will give fame. Two verses describe his way of thinking. Since the Lord was born to Kaśyapa and Aditi, Vāmana was actually brāhmaṇa by birth. But he was also attached to Indra. Hiding kṣatriya tendencies, he took the form of Vāmana with the desire to assist Indra (thus he is called Upendra). Thus Vāmana actually disguised himself as a brāhmaṇa. Remembering Vāmana’s expanding himself in the universe he praises him as Viṣṇu (viṣṇunā, viṣṇave). Bali gave with faith, even offering himself (pra—adāt) since he was the best of the demons (datya-rāṭ), respecting brāhmaṇas. He gave the earth, even though he knew from the beginning that he was being tricked.
Lord Viṣṇu as Vāmana appeared at Bali's sacrifice in vipra-vyāja — brāhmaṇa-disguise — and harvested the universe in three steps. Now He stands at Jarāsandha's door in the same disguise. The two scenes are the same scene, separated by aeons; only the prize differs. Bali gave the earth; Jarāsandha will give his life.
When Bali's Aśvamedha was ripe, Viṣṇu arrived as a small brāhmaṇa boy, asked for three paces of land, and grew until two strides covered all worlds. Bali — forbidden by Śukrācārya, his own guru — refused the rescue: 'Even knowing, I will give.' That moment becomes the eternal Vaiṣṇava paradigm of dāna under dharma, and Bali sits today as the chosen king of Sutala, daily seen by the Lord. (Bhāgavata 8.15–22.)
Śukadeva inserts this whole story into verses 24-25 to frame Jarāsandha's death not as deception but as the same līlā-pattern of Bhagavān harvesting a charitable kṣatriya.
My note
Source: vedabase.io