Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.18.29
श्रीबलिरुवाच
स्वागतं ते नमस्तुभ्यं ब्रह्मन्किं करवाम ते ।
ब्रह्मर्षीणां तप: साक्षान्मन्ये त्वार्य वपुर्धरम् ॥ २९ ॥
śrī-balir uvāca
[shree-balir uvaacha]
svāgataṁ te namas tubhyaṁ
[svaagatam te namas tubhyam]
brahman kiṁ karavāma te
[brahman kim karavaama te]
brahmarṣīṇāṁ tapaḥ sākṣān
[brahmarsheenaam tapah saakshaan]
manye tvārya vapur-dharam
[manye tvaarya vapur-dharam]
Word-for-word
śrī-baliḥ uvāca
—
Bali Mahārāja said
su-āgatam
—
all welcome
te
—
unto You
namaḥ tubhyam
—
I offer my respectful obeisances unto You
brahman
—
O brāhmaṇa
kim
—
what
karavāma
—
can we do
te
—
for You
brahma-ṛṣīṇām
—
of the great brāhmaṇa sages
tapaḥ
—
austerity
sākṣāt
—
directly
manye
—
I think
tvā
—
You
ārya
—
O noble one
vapuḥ-dharam
—
personified.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-balir uvāca
śrī-baliḥ uvāca
Bali Mahārāja said
su-āgatam
all welcome
svāgataṁ te namas tubhyaṁ
te
unto You
namaḥ tubhyam
I offer my respectful obeisances unto You
brahman kiṁ karavāma te
brahman
O brāhmaṇa
kim
what
karavāma
can we do
te
for You
brahmarṣīṇāṁ tapaḥ sākṣān
brahma-ṛṣīṇām
of the great brāhmaṇa sages
tapaḥ
austerity
sākṣāt
directly
manye tvārya vapur-dharam
manye
I think
tvā
You
ārya
O noble one
vapuḥ-dharam
personified.
Bali Mahārāja then said to Lord Vāmanadeva: O brāhmaṇa, I offer You my hearty welcome and my respectful obeisances. Please let us know what we may do for You. We think of You as the personified austerity of the great brāhmaṇa-sages.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
Bali Mahārāja said: O respectable brāhmaṇa! I offer you a welcome and my respectful obeisances. Please let us know what we may do for you. I think I am seeing with my eyes the personification of austerity of the great brāhmaṇa-sages.
I think you (tvā) are the personification of austerity (vapor-dharam) whom I am seeing directly (sākṣāt).
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
O brāhmaṇa, hearty welcome and obeisances — what may we do for You? Bali names Vāmana as personified austerity of the great sages. He honors his guest properly before any negotiation.
Reflection Questions
- Do I welcome before negotiating, or do I rush to the transactional?
- What 'personified austerity' might my visitors carry that I am missing?
My note
Source: vedabase.io