Chapter XXVIII - Description of bali’s anaesthesia

Argument. Anxiety of the demons at the supineness of Bali, and the Appearance of Sukra with them before him.

Vasishtha continued:—

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The servile demons of Bali (being impatient at this numbness of their king), ascended hastily to his high crystal palace, and stood at the door of his chamber.

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There were his ministers Dimbha and others among them, and his generals Kumuda and others also. There were likewise the princes Sukra and others in the number, and his champions Vritta and the rest.

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There were Hayagriva and the other captains of his armies, with his friends Akraja and others. His associates Laduka and some more joined the train, with his servants Valluka and many more.

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There were also the gods Kubera, Yama and Indra that paid him their tribute; and the Yakshas, Vidyadhars and Nagas that rendered him their services. (Were the Vidyadhars the Vedias or gipsies of modern India?).

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There were the heavenly nymphs Rambha and Tilottama in the number, with the fanning and flapping damsels of his court; and the deputies of different provinces and of hilly and maritime districts, were also in attendance.

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These accompanied by the Siddhas inhabiting different parts of the three worlds, all waited at that place to render their services to Bali.

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They beheld Bali with reverence, with his head hanging down with the crown upon it, and his arms hanging loosely with the pendant bracelets on them.

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Seeing him thus, the great Asuras made their obeisance to him in due form, and were stupified with sorrow and fear, and struck with wonder and joy by turns at this sad plight of his.

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The ministers kept pondering about what was the case with him, and the demons besought their all knowing preceptor Sukra, for his explaining the case to them.

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Quick as thought they beheld the shining figure of Sukra, standing confessed to their sight, as if they saw the phantom of their imagination appearing palpable to view.

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Sukra being honoured by the demons, took his seat on a sofa;and saw in his silent meditation, the state of the mind of the king of demons.

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He remained for a while to behold with delight, how the mind of Bali was freed from errors, by the exercise of its reasoning powers.

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The illustrious preceptor, the lustre of whose person put to shame the brightness of the milky ocean, then said smiling to the listening throng of the demons:

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Know ye demons, this Bali to have become an adept in his spiritual knowledge, and to have fixed his seat in holy light, by the working of his intellect (i.e. by his intuition only).

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Let him alone, ye good demons, remain in this position, resting in himself and beholding the imperishable one within himself in his reverie.

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Lo! here the weary pilgrim to have got his rest, and his mind is freed from the errors of this false world. Disturb him not with your speech, who is now as cold as ice.

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He has now received that light of knowledge amidst the gloom of ignorance, as the waking man beholds the full blaze of the sun, after dispersion of the darkness of his sleep at dawn.

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He will in time wake from his trance, and rise like the germ of a seed, sprouting from the seed vessel in its proper season.

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Go ye leaders of the demons from here, and perform your respective duties assigned to you by your master; for it will take a thousand years, for Bali to wake from his trance (as a moment's sleep makes a myriad of years in a dream).

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After Sukra the Guru and guide of the demons, had spoken in this manner, they were filled with alternate joy and grief in their hearts, and cast aside their anxiety about him, as a tree casts its withered leaves away.

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The Asuras then left their king Bali to rest in his palace in the aforesaid manner, and returned to their respective offices, as they had been employed heretofore.

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It now became night, and all men retired to their earthly abodes, the serpents entered into their holes, the stars appeared in the skies, and the gods reposed in their celestial domes. The regents of all sides and mountainous tracts, went to their own quarters, and the beasts of the forest and birds of the air, fled and flew to their own coverts and nests.