Devanagari
श्रीबलिरुवाच
अहो ब्राह्मणदायाद वाचस्ते वृद्धसम्मता: ।
त्वं बालो बालिशमति: स्वार्थं प्रत्यबुधो यथा ॥ १८ ॥
Verse text
śrī-balir uvāca
aho brāhmaṇa-dāyāda
vācas te vṛddha-sammatāḥ
tvaṁ bālo bāliśa-matiḥ
svārthaṁ praty abudho yathā
Synonyms
śrī
—
baliḥ uvāca — Bali Mahārāja said
;
aho
—
alas
;
brāhmaṇa
—
dāyāda — O son of a brāhmaṇa
;
vācaḥ
—
the words
;
te
—
of You
;
vṛddha
—
sammatāḥ — are certainly acceptable to learned and elderly persons
;
tvam
—
You
;
bālaḥ
—
a boy
;
bāliśa
—
matiḥ — without sufficient knowledge
;
sva
—
artham — self-interest
;
prati
—
toward
;
abudhaḥ
—
not knowing sufficiently
;
yathā
—
as it should have been .
Translation
Bali Mahārāja said: O son of a brāhmaṇa, Your instructions are as good as those of learned and elderly persons. Nonetheless, You are a boy, and Your intelligence is insufficient. Thus You are not very prudent in regard to Your self-interest.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Bali Mahārāja said: O son of a brāhmaṇa! Your words are agreeable to the learned and elderly persons. Nonetheless, you are a boy with inexperienced intelligence. You are not aware of your self-interest.
O son of a brāhmaṇa! Another meaning is “O person who gives gifts in profusion to the brāhmaṇas, since you are known as affectionate to brāhmaṇas!” You are a boy and just as other boys are foolish, you do not know your own interest. The other meaning is “You are very intelligent. You know what is necessary for your devotees, since you are affectionate to them, and are not aware of your own needs. In that sense you are abudha, unaware.” Being complete in yourself, you have no other goal than taking care of your devotee.
Purport
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, being full in Himself, actually has nothing to want for His self-interest. Lord Vāmanadeva, therefore, had not gone to Bali Mahārāja for His own self-interest. As stated in
Bhagavad-gītā
(5.29)
,
bhoktāraṁ yajṣa-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram.
The Lord is the proprietor of all planets, in both the material and spiritual worlds. Why should He be in want of land? Bali Mahārāja rightly said that Lord Vāmanadeva was not at all prudent in regard to His own personal interests. Lord Vāmanadeva had approached Bali not for His personal welfare but for the welfare of His devotees. Devotees sacrifice all personal interests to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and similarly the Supreme Lord, although having no personal interests, can do anything for the interests of His devotees. One who is full in himself has no personal interests.