SB 8.20.10
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.