दीपावली पूजन कथा (राजा बलि की कथा) · Diwali Poojan Katha (Raja Bali Katha)

Once King Yudhishthir humbly asked Lord Krishna, 'O Lord, the loss of my kingdom has left me deeply grieved. Kindly tell me of some vrat or rite by performing which I may win it back.' In answer, Krishna told him the story of Bali, king of the daityas.

Krishna said, 'My devoted follower Bali once vowed to perform a hundred Ashwamedh yagyas. Ninety-nine he completed without hindrance, but as the hundredth neared completion, Indra, king of the gods, grew fearful of losing his own realm to Bali. Taking the other gods with him, Indra went to Lord Vishnu at his ocean-abode, praised him with Vedic hymns, and poured out his distress. The Lord reassured him: go back to your realm without fear — I shall soon set this trouble right.'

As soon as Indra had gone, Lord Vishnu took the form of Vamana, a young Brahmin boy, and arrived at Bali's sacrificial grounds. Having won a promise from Bali, he asked for nothing more than three paces of land. The instant Bali agreed, the Lord revealed his cosmic form — with one stride he covered the whole earth, with the second the entire sky, and for the third, Bali himself had to offer his own head to be measured. Moved by such extraordinary generosity, the Lord invited Bali to ask for a boon in return.

Bali asked, 'Let my rule over this earth remain from the thirteenth day of Kartik's waning moon until the new moon, that is, through the days of Diwali. Let everyone light lamps, give in charity, and worship Goddess Lakshmi during these three days, so that Lakshmi may forever dwell in the home of whoever does so.' Granting this wish, the Lord gave Bali the kingdom of the netherworld and sent him there to rule. Ever since, this has been the auspicious festival that the whole land keeps each year, and observing it with true devotion is regarded as everyone's duty.