20. With the nods and glancings of his eyes, he received their homages; as the passing winds bear the odours of the flowers along with them (meaning to say: His cursory glances bore their regards, as the fleet winds bear the fragrance of flowers the rose).
21. Then Bali ceasing to think on the object of his meditation; accosted them concerning their respective offices under him.
22. He honoured the devas and his gurus with due respect, and saluted his friends and officers with his best regards.
23. He honoured with his largesse, all his servants and suitors; and he pleased the attendant maidens with various persons.
24. So he continued to prosper in every department of his government, until he made up his mind to perform a great sacrifice (yajna) at one time.
25. He satisfied all beings with his great gifts, and gratified the great gods and sages with due honour and veneration. He then commenced the ceremony of the sacrifice under the guidance of Sukra and the chief gurus and priests.
26. Then Vishnu the lord of Lakshmí, came to know that Bali had no desire of earthly fruition; and appeared at his sacrifice to crown him with the success of his undertaking, and confer upon him his desired blessing.
27. He cunningly persuaded him, to make a gift of the world to Indra his elder brother, who was insatiably fond of all kinds of enjoyment. (Indra was elder to Vishnu, who was thence called Upendra or the junior Indra).
28. Having deceived Bali by his artifices of dispossessing him of the three worlds, he shut him in the nether world, as they confine a monkey in a cave under the ground. (This was by Vishnu’s incarnation in the form of a dwarf or puny man, who <was> considered to be the most cunning among men; multum in parvo; or a man in miniature).
29. Thus Bali continues to remain in his confinement to this day, with his mind fixed in meditation, for the purpose of his attainment of Indraship again in a future state of life.