FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.20.7

శ్రేయ: కుర్వన్తి భూతానాం సాధవో దుస్త్యజాసుభి: । దధ్యఙ్‌శిబిప్రభృతయ: కో వికల్పో ధరాదిషు ॥ ౭ ॥
śreyaḥ kurvanti bhūtānāṁ
[shreyah kurvanti bhootaanaam]
sādhavo dustyajāsubhiḥ
[saadhavo dustyajaasubhih]
dadhyaṅ-śibi-prabhṛtayaḥ
[dadhyan-shibi-prabhritayah]
ko vikalpo dharādiṣu
[ko vikalpo dharaadishu]
śreyaḥ — activities of the utmost importance kurvanti — execute bhūtānām — of the general mass of people sādhavaḥ — the saintly persons dustyaja — which are extremely hard to give up asubhiḥ — by their lives dadhyaṅ — Mahārāja Dadhīci śibi — Mahārāja Śibi prabhṛtayaḥ — and similar great personalities kaḥ — what vikalpaḥ — consideration dharā-ādiṣu — in giving the land to the brāhmaṇa..
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śreyaḥ kurvanti bhūtānāṁ
śreyaḥ
activities of the utmost importance
kurvanti
execute
bhūtānām
of the general mass of people
sādhavo dustyajāsubhiḥ
sādhavaḥ
the saintly persons
dustyaja
which are extremely hard to give up
asubhiḥ
by their lives
dadhyaṅ-śibi-prabhṛtayaḥ
dadhyaṅ
Mahārāja Dadhīci
śibi
Mahārāja Śibi
prabhṛtayaḥ
and similar great personalities
ko vikalpo dharādiṣu
kaḥ
what
vikalpaḥ
consideration
dharā-ādiṣu
in giving the land to the brāhmaṇa..
Dadhīci, Śibi and many other great personalities were willing to sacrifice even their lives for the benefit of the people in general. This is the evidence of history. So why not give up this insignificant land? What is the serious consideration against it?

Bali Mahārāja was prepared to give everything to Lord Viṣṇu, and Śukrācārya, being a professional priest, might have been anxiously waiting, doubting whether there had been any such instance in history in which one had given everything in charity. Bali Mahārāja, however, cited the tangible examples of Mahārāja Śibi and Mahārāja Dadhīci, who had given up their lives for the benefit of the general public. Certainly one has attachment for everything material, especially one’s land, but land and other possessions are forcibly taken away at the time of death, as stated in Bhagavad-gītā ( mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham ). The Lord personally appeared to Bali Mahārāja to take away everything he had, and thus he was so fortunate that he could see the Lord face to face. Nondevotees, however, cannot see the Lord face to face; to such persons the Lord appears as death and takes away all their possessions by force. Under the circumstances, why should we not part with our possessions and deliver them to Lord Viṣṇu for His satisfaction? Śrī Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says in this regard, san-nimitte varaṁ tyāgo vināśe niyate sati ( Cāṇakya-śloka 36). Since our money and possessions do not last but will somehow or other be taken away, as long as they are in our possession it is better to use them for charity to a noble cause. Therefore Bali Mahārāja defied the order of his so-called spiritual master.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Dadhīci, Śibi and many other great personalities were willing to sacrifice even their lives for the benefit of the people in general. What hesitation can there be in giving this insignificant land? “You want to give everything. Please show some previous examples of this.” They acted for the good of all beings. So how much more one should sacrifice one’s life with identity of “I” if Viṣṇu comes to my house? What hesitation should I have for land which is subject to my possessiveness? I should not hesitate, but will definitely give it.
📝 My note

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