baleḥ pada-trayaṁ bhūmeḥ
kasmād dharir ayācata
bhūteśvaraḥ kṛpaṇa-val
labdhārtho 'pi babandha tam
etad veditum icchāmo
mahat kautūhalaṁ hi naḥ
yācñeśvarasya pūrṇasya
bandhanaṁ cāpy anāgasaḥ
śrī-rājā uvāca-the King said; baleḥ-of Bali Mahārāja; pada-trayam-three steps; bhūmeḥ-of land; kasmāt-why; hariḥ-the Supreme Personality of Godhead (in the form of Vāmana); ayācata-begged; bhūta-īśvaraḥ-the proprietor of all the universe; kṛpaṇa-vat-like a poor man; labdha-arthaḥ-He got the gift; api-although; babandha-arrested; tam-him (Bali); etat-all this; veditum-to understand; icchāmaḥ-we desire; mahat-very great; kautūhalam-eagerness; hi-indeed; naḥ-our; yācñā-begging; īśvarasya-of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; pūrṇasya-who is full in everything; bandhanam-arresting; ca-also; api-although; anāgasaḥ-of he who was faultless.
Mahārāja Parīkṣit inquired: The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the proprietor of everything. Why did He beg three paces of land from Bali Mahārāja like a poor man, and when He got the gift for which He had begged, why did He nonetheless arrest Bali Mahārāja? I am very much anxious to know the mystery of these contradictions.