FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.6.31

तत्त्वरोचत दैत्यस्य तत्रान्ये येऽसुराधिपा: । शम्बरोऽरिष्टनेमिश्च ये च त्रिपुरवासिन: ॥ ३१ ॥
tat tv arocata daityasya
[tat tv arochata daityasya]
tatrānye ye ’surādhipāḥ
[tatraanye ye ’suraadhipaah]
śambaro ’riṣṭanemiś ca
[shambaro ’rishtanemish cha]
ye ca tripura-vāsinaḥ
[ye cha tripura-vaasinah]
tat — all those words tu — but arocata — were very pleasing daityasya — to Bali Mahārāja tatra — as well as anye — others ye — who were asura-adhipāḥ — the chiefs of the asuras śambaraḥ — Śambara ariṣṭanemiḥ — Ariṣṭanemi ca — also ye — others who ca — and tripura-vāsinaḥ — all the residents of Tripura.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tat tv arocata daityasya
tat
all those words
tu
but
arocata
were very pleasing
daityasya
to Bali Mahārāja
tatrānye ye ’surādhipāḥ
tatra
as well as
anye
others
ye
who were
śambaro ’riṣṭanemiś ca
ye ca tripura-vāsinaḥ
asura-adhipāḥ
the chiefs of the asuras
śambaraḥ
Śambara
ariṣṭanemiḥ
Ariṣṭanemi
ca
also
ye
others who
ca
and
tripura-vāsinaḥ
all the residents of Tripura.
The proposals submitted by King Indra were immediately accepted by Bali Mahārāja and his assistants, headed by Śambara and Ariṣṭanemi, and by all the other residents of Tripura.

It appears from this verse that politics, diplomacy, the propensity to cheat, and everything that we find in this world in individual and social negotiations between two parties are also present in the upper planetary systems. The demigods went to Bali Mahārāja with the proposal to manufacture nectar, and the Daityas, the demons, immediately accepted it, thinking that since the demigods were already weak, when the nectar was produced the demons would take it from them and use it for their own purposes. The demigods, of course, had similar intentions. The only difference is that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu, was on the side of the demigods because the demigods were His devotees, whereas the demons did not care about Lord Viṣṇu. All over the universe there are two parties — the Viṣṇu party, or God-conscious party, and the godless party. The godless party is never happy or victorious, but the God-conscious party is always happy and victorious.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Bali’ assistants, headed by Śambara and Ariṣṭanemi, and all the other residents of Tripura, were also pleased with the proposals. The proposals were pleasing to Bali and the others. They thought that they could take the nectar produced from the churning after defeating the devatās who were weak.
Bali and the demons accepted the proposal — each side privately scheming to cheat the other. Politics and diplomacy operate even in the upper planets. The difference is that those siding with viṣṇu always finally win, regardless of cleverness.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do I assume that spiritual people are above ordinary politics — and ignore evidence to the contrary?
  • Am I quietly counting on the Lord's protection, or am I trying to out-scheme my opponents?
📝 My note

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