It is indeed wonderful, O demons, that this king Bali has attained such perfection by dint of his own resolute enquiry. Let him remain established in his own self. The mental activity that gives rise to the perception of the world has ceased in him: hence do not try to talk to him. When the dark night of ignorance comes to an end the sun of self-knowledge arises. Such is his state now. In course of time he himself will come out of that state when the seed of world-perception begins to sprout in his consciousness. Hence, go about doing your work as before. He will return to world-consciousness in a thousand years from now.
VASISTHA continued:
Hearing this the demons returned to their posts of duty and carried on the work of the realm. After a thousand celestial years of such contemplation, king Bali was awakened by the music of the celestials and divinities. A supernatural light that radiated from him illumined the entire city.
Even before the demons could reach him again, BALI reflected thus:
It was indeed a wondrous state in which I remained for a brief moment. I shall continue to remain in that state. What have I to do with the affairs of the external world? Supreme peace and bliss reign in my own heart now. (In the meantime, the demons rushed to where he sat. After looking at them, BALI continued to reflect thus:)
I am consciousness and in me there does not exist any perversion. What is there for me to acquire or to abandon? What fun! I long for liberation, but who has bound me, when and how! Why do I long for liberation then? There is no bondage and no liberation. What shall I gain by meditation or by not meditating? Freed from delusion of meditation and non-meditation, let be what has to be: there is neither gain nor loss to me. I do not desire either meditation or non-meditation, neither joy nor non-joy. I do not desire the supreme being or the world. I am neither alive nor dead, I am neither real nor unreal. Salutations to myself, the infinite being! Let this world be my kingdom, I shall be what I am; let this world be not my kingdom, I shall be what I am. What have I to do with meditation and what have I to do with the kingdom? Let be what has to be. I belong to none and none belongs to me. There is absolutely nothing that has to be done by what is known as me; then why should I not do that action which is natural?
Having thus reflected, the king Bali turned his radiant gaze towards the assembled demons, as the sun gazes upon a lotus.