SB 8.20.6

SB 8.20.6

Devanagari

यद् यद्धास्यति लोकेऽस्मिन्सम्परेतं धनादिकम् । तस्य त्यागे निमित्तं किं विप्रस्तुष्येन्न तेन चेत् ॥ ६ ॥

Verse text

yad yad dhāsyati loke ’smin samparetaṁ dhanādikam tasya tyāge nimittaṁ kiṁ vipras tuṣyen na tena cet

Synonyms

yat yat whatsoever ; hāsyati will leave ; loke in the world ; asmin in this ; samparetam one who is already dead ; dhana ādikam — his wealth and riches ; tasya of such wealth ; tyāge in renunciation ; nimittam the purpose ; kim what is ; vipraḥ the brāhmaṇa who is confidentially Lord Viṣṇu ; tuṣyet must be pleased ; na is not ; tena by such (riches) ; cet if there is a possibility .

Translation

My lord, you can also see that all the material opulences of this world are certainly separated from their possessor at death. Therefore, if the brāhmaṇa Vāmanadeva is not satisfied by whatever gifts one has given, why not please Him with the riches one is destined to lose at death?

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

What is the use of wealth one leaves behind on dying? Should it not be used to satisfy a brāhmaṇa? If, by your order, a brāhmaṇa is not satisfied by charity, what is the result of that wealth which one gives up on dying anyway? Therefore I should give all my wealth for his pleasure. Though he knows Viṣṇu is his Lord, he does not give respect, obeisances and prayers to the Lord by his increased bhakti in order not to give sorrow to Śukrācārya and the demons. He addresses the Lord as a brāhmaṇa in order to hide his bhāva for the Lord.

Purport

The word vipra means brāhmaṇa, and at the same time “confidential.” Bali Mahārāja had confidentially decided to give the gift to Lord Vāmanadeva without discussion, but because such a decision would hurt the hearts of the asuras and his spiritual master, Śukrācārya, he spoke equivocally. Bali Mahārāja, as a pure devotee, had already decided to give all the land to Lord Viṣṇu.