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Válmiki

Yoga-Vāsistha, Book 5: Upaśama-Khanda (On Quietism). Chapter 28 - Description of Bāli's Anaesthesia

Vasistha continued- The servile demons of Bāli, ¹, ascended hastily to his high crystal palace, and stood at the door of his chamber.

There were his ministers Dimbha and others among them, and his generals Kumuda and others also. There were like wise the princes Sura and others in the number, and his champions Vrtta and the rest.

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

There were also the gods Kuvera, Yama and Indra that paid him their tribute; and the Yaksas, Vidyādhars and Nāgas that rendered him their services. ²

There were the heavenly nymphs Rambhā and Tilottamā 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.

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

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

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

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

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

Śukra 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.

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

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.

Know ye demons, this Bāli to have become an adept in his spiritual knowledge, and to have fixed his seat in holy light, by the working of his intellect; ³.

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

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.

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 down.

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.

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 Bāli to wake from his trance: ⁴.

After Śukra 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.

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

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 the own quarters, and the beasts of the forest and birds of the air, fled and flew to their own coverts and nests.

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