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[बल्-इन्]

1. An oblation, a gift or offering (usually religious); नीवारबलिं विलोकयतः Ś.4.21; Ubbayapada (Parasmaipada and Atmanepada)1.5.
2. The offering of a portion of the daily meal of rice, grain, ghee etc. to all creatures, (also called भूतयज्ञ), one of the five daily Yajñas to be performed by a householder; see Ms.3.67,91; it is usually performed by throwing up into the air, near the housedoor, portions of the daily meal before partaking of it; यासां बलिः सपदि मद्गृहदेहलीनां हंसैश्च सारसगणैश्च विलुप्तपूर्वः Mk.1.9.
3. Worship, adoration; Rām.2.3. 8; अवचितबलिपुष्पा वेदिसंमार्गदक्षा Ku.1.6; Me.57; अव- चितानि बलिकर्मपर्याप्तानि पुष्पाणि Ś.4.
4. Fragments of food left at a meal.
5. A victim offered to a deity.
6. A tax, tribute, impost; also 'religious tax'; (Compare सीता, भागो, बलिः, करो......च राष्ट्रम्); Kau. Atmanepada 2.6.24; प्रजानामेव भूत्यर्थं स ताभ्यो बलिमग्रहीत् R.1.18; Ms.7.8;8.37; प्रजिघाय बलिं तथा Śiva B.29.42; न चाजिहीर्षीद् बलिमप्रवृत्तम् Bu. Ch.2.44.
7. The handle of a chowrie.
8. Name of a celebrated demon; येन बद्धो बली राजा दानवेन्द्रो महाबलः Rakṣābandhanamantra. [He was a son of Virochana, the son of Prahlāda. He was a very powerful demon and oppressed the gods very much. They, therefore, prayed to Viṣṇu for succour, who descended on earth as a son of Kaśyapa and Aditi in the form of a dwarf. He assumed the dress of a mendicant, and having gone to Bali prayed him to give him as much earth as he could cover in three steps. Bali, who was noted for his liberality, unhesitatingly acceded to this apparently simple request. But the dwarf soon assumed a mighty form, and began to measure the three steps. The first step covered the earth, the second the heavens; and not knowing where to place the third, he planted it on the head of Bali and sent him and all his legions to the Pātāla and allowed him to be its ruler. Thus the universe was once more restored to the rule of Indra; Compare छलयसि विक्रमणे बलिमद्भुतवामन Gīt. 1; R.7.35; Me.59. Viṣṇu is said to still guard his door in Pātāla. He is one of the seven Chirajivins; Compare चिरजीविन्].

1. 1 A small blanket.
2. A kind of female deer.

1. masculine gender (perhaps from √भृ) tribute, offering, gift, oblation (in later language always with √हृ) fg-veda etc.
2. masculine gender tax, impost, royal revenue Breton Mn. MBh. etc.
3. masculine gender any offering or propitiatory oblation (especially an offering of portions of food, such as grain, rice etc., to certain gods, semi-divine beings, household divinities, spirits, men, birds, other animals and all creatures including even lifeless objects; it is made before the daily meal by arranging portions of food in a circle or by throwing them into the air outside the house or into the sacred fire; it is also called भूत-यज्ञ and was one of the 5 महा-यज्ञस्, or great devotional acts; confer, compare RTL. 411, 421) Gr2S3rS. Mn. especially iii, 69, 71 MBh. etc. (often in fine compositi or 'at the end of a compound' with the object, the receiver, the time, or the place of the offering)
4. masculine gender fragments of food at a meal W.
5. masculine gender a victim (often a goat or buffalo) offered to Durga1 दुर्गा MW.
6. masculine gender the handle of a chowrie or fly-flapper Megh.
7. masculine gender Name of a Daitya दैत्य (son of Virocana विरोचन; priding himself on his empire over the three worlds, he was humiliated by Vishn2u विष्णु, who appeared before him in the form of a Va1mana वामन or dwarf. son of Kas3yapa कश्यप and Aditi अदिति and younger brother of Indra इन्द्र, and obtained from him the promise of as much land as he could pace in three steps, whereupon the dwarf expanding himself deprived him of heaven and earth in two steps, but left him the sovereignty of Pa1ta1la पाताल or the lower regions) MBh. Pur. etc. (confer, compare IW. 328)
8. masculine gender Name of Indra इन्द्र in the 8th Manv-antara मन्व्-अन्तर Pur.
9. masculine gender of a Muni मुनि MBh.
10. masculine gender of a king ibidem Pan5cat.
11. masculine gender of a son of Su-tapas सु-तपस् Hariv. Pur. (confer, compare वलि).
12. (in compound)