SB 5.24.19 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

नो एवैतत्साक्षात्कारो भूमिदानस्य यत्तद्भ‍गवत्यशेषजीवनिकायानां जीवभूतात्मभूते परमात्मनि वासुदेवे तीर्थतमे पात्र उपपन्ने परया श्रद्धया परमादरसमाहितमनसा सम्प्रतिपादितस्य साक्षादपवर्गद्वारस्य यद्ब‍िलनिलयैश्वर्यम् ॥ १९ ॥

Verse text

no evaitat sākṣātkāro bhūmi-dānasya yat tad bhagavaty aśeṣa-jīva-nikāyānāṁ jīva-bhūtātma-bhūte paramātmani vāsudeve tīrthatame pātra upapanne parayā śraddhayā paramādara-samāhita-manasā sampratipāditasya sākṣād apavarga-dvārasya yad bila-nilayaiśvaryam.

Synonyms

no — not ; eva — indeed ; etat — this ; sākṣātkāraḥ — the direct result ; bhūmi — dānasya — of contribution of land ; yat — which ; tat — that ; bhagavati — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead ; aśeṣa — jīva — nikāyānām — of unlimited numbers of living entities ; jīva — bhūta — ātma — bhūte — who is the life and the Supersoul ; parama — ātmani — the supreme regulator ; vāsudeve — Lord Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa) ; tīrtha — tame — who is the best of all places of pilgrimage ; pātre — the most worthy recipient ; upapanne — having approached ; parayā — by the topmost ; śraddhayā — faith ; parama — ādara — with great respect ; samāhita — manasā — with an attentive mind ; sampratipāditasya — which was given ; sākṣāt — directly ; apavarga — dvārasya — the gate of liberation ; yat — which ; bila — nilaya — of bila-svarga, the imitation heavenly planets ; aiśvaryam — the opulence .

Translation

My dear King, Bali Mahārāja donated all his possessions to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāmanadeva, 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 Mahārāja 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 Mahārāja 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.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Mere attainment of the enjoyment on Sutala is not the real result of Bali’s giving land to Vāsudeva, the life of unlimited jīvas, the supreme source of Paramātmā, the most suitable and most pure. This act was executed with great faith and devotion and is the door to the highest liberation. Some people will think that Bali attained his position on Sutala as a result of giving land to Vāmana. This verse negates that idea. The wealth in his abode in Sutala is not the real result (sākṣātkāraḥ) of giving land to the Lord. His giving land is famous. Bhūmi means the three worlds. It is stated in the scriptures that just by giving a small portion of land to a brāhmaṇa learned in the Vedas one can attain the enjoyment of Svarga. Thus it is impossible that he attained only enjoyment of wealth on Sutala as a result of giving the three worlds to the Supreme Lord. He should get liberation from the world. And the incidental enjoyment on Sutala should be greater that the enjoyment on Svarga. He gave land to Lord Vāsudeva, who acts as the life of beings (jīva-bhūta-ātma-bhūte), antaryāmī. But he is the supreme ātmā (paramātmane), being the aṁśī or source of all the antaryāmīs. Viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam ekāṁśena sthito jagat: by one portion of myself I am situated in this universe. (BG 10.42) Being fit as the supreme (upapanne), he is also the supreme pure (tiṛthatmane). If giving a leaf or flower gives liberation, how much more will giving the three worlds yield (apavarga-dvārasya)? Thus merely attaining Sutala is not the result of his giving the three worlds.