FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.19.18

श्रीबलिरुवाच अहो ब्राह्मणदायाद वाचस्ते वृद्धसम्मता: । त्वं बालो बालिशमति: स्वार्थं प्रत्यबुधो यथा ॥ १८ ॥
śrī-balir uvāca
[shree-balir uvaacha]
aho brāhmaṇa-dāyāda
[aho braahmana-daayaada]
vācas te vṛddha-sammatāḥ
[vaachas te vriddha-sammataah]
tvaṁ bālo bāliśa-matiḥ
[tvam baalo baalisha-matih]
svārthaṁ praty abudho yathā
[svaartham praty abudho yathaa]
Word-for-word
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.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-balir uvāca
śrī-baliḥ uvāca
Bali Mahārāja said
aho brāhmaṇa-dāyāda
aho
alas
brāhmaṇa-dāyāda
O son of a brāhmaṇa
vācas te vṛddha-sammatāḥ
vācaḥ
the words
te
of You
vṛddha-sammatāḥ
are certainly acceptable to learned and elderly persons
tvaṁ bālo bāliśa-matiḥ
tvam
You
bālaḥ
a boy
bāliśa-matiḥ
without sufficient knowledge
svārthaṁ praty abudho yathā
sva-artham
self-interest
prati
toward
abudhaḥ
not knowing sufficiently
yathā
as it should have been.
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.
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 yajña-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.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
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.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Bali said: Your instructions are like elderly persons', but You are a boy with insufficient intelligence — You are not prudent for Your own interest. Bali misreads divinity as immaturity. The Lord can look unprepared by worldly standards.
Reflection Questions
  • Whose apparent immaturity might actually be divine simplicity I have judged wrongly?
  • Where do I dismiss spiritual people as 'imprudent' by standards that do not apply?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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