SB 8.20.10

Srimad-Bhagavatam - Eighth Canto - Chapter 20: Bali Mahārāja Surrenders the Universe

SB 8.20.9 - SB 8.20.11

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

TEXT 10

manasvinaḥ kāruṇikasya śobhanaṁ

yad arthi-kāmopanayena durgatiḥ

kutaḥ punar brahma-vidāṁ bhavādṛśāṁ

tato vaṭor asya dadāmi vāñchitam

SYNONYMS

manasvinaḥ — of persons who are greatly munificent; kāruṇikasya — of persons celebrated as very merciful; śobhanam — very auspicious; yat — that; arthi — of persons in need of money; kāma-upanayena — by satisfying; durgatiḥ — becoming poverty-stricken; kutaḥ — what; punaḥ — again (is to be said); brahma-vidām — of persons well versed in transcendental science (brahma-vidyā); bhavādṛśām — like your good self; tataḥ — therefore; vaṭoḥ — of the brahmacārī; asya — of this Vāmanadeva; dadāmi — I shall give; vāñchitam — whatever He wants.

TRANSLATION

By giving charity, a benevolent and merciful person undoubtedly becomes even more auspicious, especially when he gives charity to a person like your good self. Under the circumstances, I must give this little brahmacārī whatever charity He wants from me.

PURPORT

If one accepts a poverty-stricken position because of losing money in business, gambling, prostitution or intoxication, no one will praise him, but if one becomes poverty-stricken by giving all of his possessions in charity, he becomes adored all over the world. Aside from this, if a benevolent and merciful person exhibits his pride in becoming poverty-stricken by giving his possessions in charity for good causes, his poverty is a welcome and auspicious sign of a great personality. Bali Mahārāja decided that even though he would become poverty-stricken by giving everything to Vāmanadeva, this is what he would prefer.

SB 8.20.9 - SB 8.20.11