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no—not; eva—indeed; etat—this; saksatkarah—the direct result; bhumi-danasya—of contribution of land; yat—which; tat—that; bhagavati—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; asesa-jiva-nikayanam—of unlimited numbers of living entities; jiva-bhuta-atma-bhute—who is the life and the Supersoul; parama-atmani—the supreme regulator; vasudeve—Lord Vasudeva (Krsna); tirtha-tame—who is the best of all places of pilgrimage; patre—the most worthy recipient; upapanne—having approached; paraya—by the topmost; sraddhaya—faith; parama-adara—with great respect; samahita-manasa—with an attentive mind; sampratipaditasya—which was given; saksat—directly; apavarga-dvarasya—the gate of liberation; yat—which; bila-nilaya—of bila-svarga, the imitation heavenly planets; aisvaryam—the opulence.

My dear King, Bali Maharaja donated all his possessions to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vamanadeva, but one should certainly not conclude that he achieved his great worldly opulence in bila-svarga as a result of his charitable disposition. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the source of life for all living entities, lives within everyone as the friendly Supersoul, and under His direction a living entity enjoys or suffers in the material world. Greatly appreciating the transcendental qualities of the Lord, Bali Maharaja offered everything at His lotus feet. His purpose, however, was not to gain anything material, but to become a pure devotee. For a pure devotee, the door of liberation is automatically opened. One should not think that Bali Maharaja was given so much material opulence merely because of his charity. When one becomes a pure devotee in love, he may also be blessed with a good material position by the will of the Supreme Lord. However, one should not mistakenly think that the material opulence of a devotee is the result of his devotional service. The real result of devotional service is the awakening of pure love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, which continues under all circumstances.

SB5.24.20

TEXT 20

yasya ha vava ksuta-patana-praskhalanadisu vivasah sakrn namabhigrnan purusah karma-bandhanam anjasa vidhunoti yasya haiva pratibadhanam mumuksavo ’nyathaivopalabhante.

SYNONYMS

yasya—of whom; ha vava—indeed; ksuta—when in hunger; patana—falling down; praskhalana-adisu—stumbling and so on; vivasah—being helpless; sakrt—once; nama abhigrnan—chanting the holy name of the Lord; purusah—a person; karma-bandhanam—the bondage of fruitive activity; anjasa—completely; vidhunoti—washes away; yasya—of which; ha—certainly; eva—in this way; pratibadhanam—the repulsion; mumuksavah—persons desiring liberation; anyatha—otherwise; eva—certainly; upalabhante—are trying to realize.

TRANSLATION

If one who is embarrassed by hunger or who falls down or stumbles chants the holy name of the Lord even once, willingly or unwillingly, he is immediately freed from the reactions of his past deeds. Karmis entangled in material activities face many difficulties in the practice of mystic yoga and other endeavors to achieve that same freedom.

PURPORT

It is not a fact that one has to offer his material possessions to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and be liberated before he can engage in devotional service. A devotee automatically attains liberation without separate endeavors. Bali Maharaja did not get back all his material possessions merely because of his charity to the Lord. One who becomes a devotee, free from material desires and motives, regards all opportunities, both material and spiritual, as benedictions from the Lord, and in this way his service to the Lord is never hampered. Bhukti, material enjoyment, and mukti, liberation, are only by-products of devotional service. A devotee need not work separately to attain mukti. Srila Bilvamangala Thakura said, muktih svayam mukulitanjalih sevate ’sman: a pure devotee of the Lord does not have to endeavor separately for mukti, because mukti is always ready to serve him.

In this regard, Caitanya-caritamrta (Antya 3.177–188) describes Haridasa Thakura’s confirmation of the effect of chanting the holy name of the Lord.

keha bale——‘nama haite haya papa-ksaya’
keha bale——‘nama haite jivera moksa haya’

Some say that by chanting the holy name of the Lord one is freed from all the reactions of sinful life, and others say that by chanting the holy name of the Lord one attains liberation from material bondage.

haridasa kahena,——“namera ei dui phala naya
namera phale krsna-pade prema upajaya

Haridasa Thakura, however, said that the desired result of chanting the holy name of the Lord is not that one is liberated from material bondage or freed from the reactions of sinful life. The actual result of chanting the holy name of the Lord is that one awakens his dormant Krsna consciousness, his loving service to the Lord.

anusangika phala namera——‘mukti’, ‘papa-nasa’
tahara drstanta yaiche suryera prakasa

Haridasa Thakura said that liberation and freedom from the reactions of sinful activities are only by-products of chanting the holy name of the Lord. If one chants the holy name of the Lord purely, he attains the platform of loving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this regard Haridasa Thakura gave an example comparing the power of the holy name to sunshine.

ei slokera artha kara panditera gana”
sabe kahe,——‘tumi kaha artha-vivarana’

He placed a verse before all the learned scholars present, but the learned scholars asked him to state the purport of the verse.

haridasa kahena,——“yaiche suryera udaya
udaya na haite arambhe tamera haya ksaya

Haridasa Thakura said that as the sun begins to rise, it dissipates the darkness of night, even before the sunshine is visible.

caura-preta-raksasadira bhaya haya nasa
udaya haile dharma-karma-adi parakasa

Before the sunrise even takes place, the light of dawn destroys the fear of the dangers of the night, such as disturbances by thieves, ghosts and Raksasas, and when the sunshine actually appears, one engages in his duties.

aiche namodayarambhe papa-adira ksaya
udaya kaile krsna-pade haya premodaya

Similarly, even before one’s chanting of the holy name is pure, one is freed from all sinful reactions, and when he chants purely he becomes a lover of Krsna.

‘mukti’ tuccha-phala haya namabhasa haite
ye mukti bhakta na laya, se krsna cahe dite”

A devotee never accepts mukti, even if Krsna offers it. Mukti, freedom from all sinful reactions, is obtained even by namabhasa, or a glimpse of the light of the holy name before its full light is perfectly visible.

The namabhasa stage is between that of nama-aparadha, or chanting of the holy name with offenses, and pure chanting. There are three stages in chanting the holy name of the Lord. In the first stage, one commits ten kinds of offenses while chanting. In the next stage, namabhasa, the offenses have almost stopped, and one is coming to the platform of pure chanting. In the third stage, when one chants the Hare Krsna mantra without offenses, his dormant love for Krsna immediately awakens. This is the perfection.

SB5.24.21

TEXT 21

tad bhaktanam atmavatam sarvesam atmany atmada atmatayaiva.

tat—that; bhaktanam—of great devotees; atma-vatam—of self-realized persons like Sanaka and Sanatana; sarvesam—of all; atmani—to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the soul; atma-de—who gives Himself without hesitation; atmataya—who is the Supreme Soul, Paramatma; eva—indeed.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is situated in everyone’s heart as the Supersoul, sells Himself to His devotees such as Narada Muni. In other words, the Lord gives pure love to such devotees and gives Himself to those who love Him purely. Great, self-realized mystic yogis such as the four Kumaras also derive great transcendental bliss from realizing the Supersoul within themselves.

The Lord became Bali Maharaja’s doorkeeper not because of his giving everything to the Lord, but because of his exalted position as a lover of the Lord.

SB5.24.22

TEXT 22

na vai bhagavan nunam amusyanujagraha yad uta punar atmanusmrti-mosanam mayamaya-bhogaisvaryam evatanuteti.

na—not; vai—indeed; bhagavan—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; nunam—certainly; amusya—unto Bali Maharaja; anujagraha—showed His favor; yat—because; uta—certainly; punah—again; atma-anusmrti—of remembrance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; mosanam—which robs one; maya-maya—an attribute of Maya; bhoga-aisvaryam—the material opulence; eva—certainly; atanuta—extended; iti—thus.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead did not award His mercy to Bali Maharaja by giving him material happiness and opulence, for these make one forget loving service to the Lord. The result of material opulence is that one can no longer absorb his mind in the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

There are two kinds of opulence. One, which results from one’s karma, is material, whereas the other is spiritual. A surrendered soul who fully depends upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead does not want material opulence for sense gratification. Therefore when a pure devotee is seen to possess exalted material opulence, it is not due to his karma. Rather, it is due to his bhakti. In other words, he is in that position because the Supreme Lord wants him to execute service to Him very easily and opulently. The special mercy of the Lord for the neophyte devotee is that he becomes materially poor. This is the Lord’s mercy because if a neophyte devotee becomes materially opulent, he forgets the service of the Lord. However, if an advanced devotee is favored by the Lord with opulence, it is not material opulence but a spiritual opportunity. Material opulence offered to the demigods causes forgetfulness of the Lord, but opulence was given to Bali Maharaja for continuing service to the Lord, which was free from any touch of maya.

SB5.24.23

TEXT 23

yat tad bhagavatanadhigatanyopayena yacna-cchalenapahrta-sva-sariravasesita-loka-trayo varuna-pasais ca sampratimukto giri-daryam capaviddha iti hovaca.

yat—which; tat—that; bhagavata—by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; anadhigata-anya-upayena—who is not perceived by other means; yacna-chalena—by a trick of begging; apahrta—taken away; sva-sarira-avasesita—with only his own body remaining; loka-trayah—the three worlds; varuna-pasaih—by the ropes of Varuna; ca—and; sampratimuktah—completely bound; giri-daryam—in a cave in a mountain; ca—and; apaviddhah—being detained; iti—thus; ha—indeed; uvaca—said.

When the Supreme Personality of Godhead could see no other means of taking everything away from Bali Maharaja, He adopted the trick of begging from him and took away all the three worlds. Thus only his body was left, but the Lord was still not satisfied. He arrested Bali Maharaja, bound him with the ropes of Varuna and threw him in a cave in a mountain. Nevertheless, although all his property was taken and he was thrown into a cave, Bali Maharaja was such a great devotee that he spoke as follows.

SB5.24.24

TEXT 24

nunam batayam bhagavan arthesu na nisnato yo ’sav indro yasya sacivo mantraya vrta ekantato brhaspatis tam atihaya svayam upendrenatmanam ayacatatmanas casiso no eva tad-dasyam ati-gambhira-vayasah kalasya manvantara-parivrttam kiyal loka-trayam idam.

SYNONYMS

nunam—certainly; bata—alas; ayam—this; bhagavan—very learned; arthesu—in self-interest; na—not; nisnatah—very experienced; yah—who; asau—the King of heaven; indrah—Indra; yasya—of whom; sacivah—the prime minister; mantraya—for giving instructions; vrtah—chosen; ekantatah—alone; brhaspatih—named Brhaspati; tam—him; atihaya—ignoring; svayam—personally; upendrena—by means of Upendra (Lord Vamanadeva); atmanam—myself; ayacata—requested; atmanah—for himself; ca—and; asisah—blessings (the three worlds); no—not; eva—certainly; tat-dasyam—the loving service of the Lord; ati—very; gambhira-vayasah—having an insurmountable duration; kalasya—of time; manvantara-parivrttam—changed by the end of a life of a Manu; kiyat—what is the value of; loka-trayam—three worlds; idam—these.

TRANSLATION

Alas, how pitiable it is for Indra, the King of heaven, that although he is very learned and powerful and although he chose Brhaspati as his prime minister to instruct him, he is completely ignorant concerning spiritual advancement. Brhaspati is also unintelligent because he did not properly instruct his disciple Indra. Lord Vamanadeva was standing at Indra’s door, but King Indra, instead of begging Him for an opportunity to render transcendental loving service, engaged Him in asking me for alms to gain the three worlds for his sense gratification. Sovereignty over the three worlds is very insignificant because whatever material opulence one may possess lasts only for an age of Manu, which is but a tiny fraction of endless time.

PURPORT

Bali Maharaja was so powerful that he fought with Indra and took possession of the three worlds. Indra was certainly very advanced in knowledge, but instead of asking Vamanadeva for engagement in His service, he used the Lord to beg for material possessions that would lie finished at the end of one age of Manu. An age of Manu, which is the duration of Manu’s life, is calculated to last seventy-two yugas. One yuga consists of 4,300,000 years, and therefore the duration of Manu’s life is 309,600,000 years. The demigods possess their material opulence only until the end of the life of Manu. Time is insurmountable. The time one is allotted, even if it be millions of years, is quickly gone. The demigods own their material possessions only within the limits of time. Therefore Bali Maharaja lamented that although Indra was very learned, he did not know how to use his intelligence properly, for instead of asking Vamanadeva to allow him to engage in His service, Indra used Him to beg Bali Maharaja for material wealth. Although Indra was learned and his prime minister, Brhaspati, was also learned, neither of them begged to be able to render loving service to Lord Vamanadeva. Therefore Bali Maharaja lamented for Indra.

SB5.24.25

TEXT 25

yasyanudasyam evasmat-pitamahah kila vavre na tu sva-pitryam yad utakutobhayam padam diyamanam bhagavatah param iti bhagavatoparate khalu sva-pitari.

yasya—of whom (the Supreme Personality of Godhead); anudasyam—the service; eva—certainly; asmat—our; pita-mahah—grandfather; kila—indeed; vavre—accepted; na—not; tu—but; sva—own; pitryam—paternal property; yat—which; uta—certainly; akutah-bhayam—fearlessness; padam—position; diyamanam—being offered; bhagavatah—than the Supreme Personality of Godhead; param—other; iti—thus; bhagavata—by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; uparate—when killed; khalu—indeed; sva-pitari—his own father.

Bali Maharaja said: My grandfather Prahlada Maharaja is the only person who understood his own self-interest. Upon the death of Prahlada’s father, Hiranyakasipu, Lord Nrsimhadeva wanted to offer Prahlada his father’s kingdom and even wanted to grant him liberation from material bondage, but Prahlada accepted neither. Liberation and material opulence, he thought, are obstacles to devotional service, and therefore such gifts from the Supreme Personality of Godhead are not His actual mercy. Consequently, instead of accepting the results of karma and jnana, Prahlada Maharaja simply begged the Lord for engagement in the service of His servant.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has instructed that an unalloyed devotee should consider himself a servant of the servant of the servant of the Supreme Lord (gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah). In Vaisnava philosophy, one should not even become a direct servant. Prahlada Maharaja was offered all the blessings of an opulent position in the material world and even the liberation of merging into Brahman, but he refused all this. He simply wanted to engage in the service of the servant of the servant of the Lord. Therefore Bali Maharaja said that because his grandfather Prahlada Maharaja had rejected the blessings of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in terms of material opulence and liberation from material bondage, he truly understood his self-interest.

SB5.24.26

TEXT 26

tasya mahanubhavasyanupatham amrjita-kasayah ko vasmad-vidhah parihina-bhagavad-anugraha upajigamisatiti.

tasya—of Prahlada Maharaja; maha-anubhavasya—who was an exalted devotee; anupatham—the path; amrjita-kasayah—a person who is materially contaminated; kah—what; va—or; asmat-vidhah—like us; parihina-bhagavat-anugrahah—being without the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; upajigamisati—desires to follow; iti—thus.

Bali Maharaja said: Persons like us, who are still attached to material enjoyment, who are contaminated by the modes of material nature and who lack the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, cannot follow the supreme path of Prahlada Maharaja, the exalted devotee of the Lord.

It is said that for spiritual realization one must follow great personalities like Lord Brahma, Devarsi Narada, Lord Siva and Prahlada Maharaja. The path of bhakti is not at all difficult if we follow in the footsteps of previous acaryas and authorities, but those who are too materially contaminated by the modes of material nature cannot follow them. Although Bali Maharaja was actually following the path of his grandfather, because of his great humility he thought that he was not. It is characteristic of advanced Vaisnavas following the principles of bhakti that they think themselves ordinary human beings. This is not an artificial exhibition of humility; a Vaisnava sincerely thinks this way and therefore never admits his exalted position.

SB5.24.27

TEXT 27

tasyanucaritam uparistad vistarisyate yasya bhagavan svayam akhila-jagad-gurur narayano dvari gada-panir avatisthate nija-jananukampita-hrdayo yenangusthena pada dasa-kandharo yojanayutayutam dig-vijaya uccatitah.

tasya—of Bali Maharaja; anucaritam—the narration; uparistat—later (in the Eighth Canto); vistarisyate—will be explained; yasya—of whom; bhagavan—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; svayam—personally; akhila-jagat-guruh—the master of all the three worlds; narayanah—the Supreme Lord, Narayana Himself; dvari—at the gate; gada-panih—bearing the club in His hand; avatisthate—stands; nija-jana-anukampita-hrdayah—whose heart is always filled with mercy for His devotees; yena—by whom; angusthena—by the big toe; pada—of His foot; dasa-kandharah—Ravana, who had ten heads; yojana-ayuta-ayutam—a distance of eighty thousand miles; dik-vijaye—for the purpose of gaining victory over Bali Maharaja; uccatitah—driven away.

Sukadeva Gosvami continued: My dear King, how shall I glorify the character of Bali Maharaja? The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of the three worlds, who is most compassionate to His own devotee, stands with club in hand at Bali Maharaja’s door. When Ravana, the powerful demon, came to gain victory over Bali Maharaja, Vamanadeva kicked him a distance of eighty thousand miles with His big toe. I shall explain the character and activities of Bali Maharaja later [in the Eighth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam].

SB5.24.28

TEXT 28

tato ’dhastat talatale mayo nama danavendras tri-puradhipatir bhagavata purarina tri-loki-sam cikirsuna nirdagdha-sva-pura-trayas tat-prasadal labdha-pado mayavinam acaryo mahadevena pariraksito vigata-sudarsana-bhayo mahiyate.

SYNONYMS

tatah—the planet known as Sutala; adhastat—below; talatale—in the planet known as Talatala; mayah—Maya; nama—named; danava-indrah—the king of the Danava demons; tri-pura-adhipatih—the Lord of the three cities; bhagavata—by the most powerful; purarina—Lord Siva, who is known as Tripurari; tri-loki—of the three worlds; sam—the good fortune; cikirsuna—who was desiring; nirdagdha—burned; sva-pura-trayah—whose three cities; tat-prasadat—by Lord Siva’s mercy; labdha—obtained; padah—a kingdom; maya-vinam acaryah—who is the acarya, or master, of all the conjurers; maha-devena—by Lord Siva; pariraksitah—protected; vigata-sudarsana-bhayah—who is not afraid of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His Sudarsana cakra; mahiyate—is worshiped.

TRANSLATION

Beneath the planet known as Sutala is another planet, called Talatala, which is ruled by the Danava demon named Maya. Maya is known as the acarya [master] of all the mayavis, who can invoke the powers of sorcery. For the benefit of the three worlds, Lord Siva, who is known as Tripurari, once set fire to the three kingdoms of Maya, but later, being pleased with him, he returned his kingdom. Since that time, Maya Danava has been protected by Lord Siva, and therefore he falsely thinks that he need not fear the Sudarsana cakra of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

SB5.24.29

TEXT 29

tato ’dhastan mahatale kadraveyanam sarpanam naika-sirasam krodhavaso nama ganah kuhaka-taksaka-kaliya-susenadi-pradhana maha-bhogavantah patattri-rajadhipateh purusa-vahad anavaratam udvijamanah sva-kalatrapatya-suhrt-kutumba-sangena kvacit pramatta viharanti.

SYNONYMS

tatah—the planet Talatala; adhastat—beneath; mahatale—in the planet known as Mahatala; kadraveyanam—of the descendants of Kadru; sarpanam—who are big snakes; na eka-sirasam—who have many hoods; krodha-vasah—always subject to anger; nama—named; ganah—the group; kuhaka—Kuhaka; taksaka—Taksaka; kaliya—Kaliya; susena—Susena; adi—and so on; pradhanah—who are the prominent ones; maha-bhogavantah—addicted to all kinds of material enjoyment; patattri-raja-adhipateh—from the king of all birds, Garuda; purusa-vahat—who carries the Supreme Personality of Godhead; anavaratam—constantly; udvijamanah—afraid; sva—of their own; kalatra-apatya—wives and children; suhrt—friends; kutumba—relatives; sangena—in the association; kvacit—sometimes; pramattah—infuriated; viharanti—they sport.

TRANSLATION

The planetary system below Talatala is known as Mahatala. It is the abode of many-hooded snakes, descendants of Kadru, who are always very angry. The great snakes who are prominent are Kuhaka, Taksaka, Kaliya and Susena. The snakes in Mahatala are always disturbed by fear of Garuda, the carrier of Lord Visnu, but although they are full of anxiety, some of them nevertheless sport with their wives, children, friends and relatives.

PURPORT

It is stated here that the snakes who live in the planetary system known as Mahatala are very powerful and have many hoods. They live with their wives and children and consider themselves very happy, although they are always full of anxiety because of Garuda, who comes there to destroy them. This is the way of material life. Even if one lives in the most abominable condition, he still thinks himself happy with his wife, children, friends and relatives.

SB5.24.30

TEXT 30

tato ’dhastad rasatale daiteya danavah panayo nama nivata-kavacah kaleya hiranya-puravasina iti vibudha-pratyanika utpattya mahaujaso maha-sahasino bhagavatah sakala-lokanubhavasya harer eva tejasa pratihata-balavalepa bilesaya iva vasanti ye vai saramayendra-dutya vagbhir mantra-varnabhir indrad bibhyati.