Devanagari
श्रीबलिरुवाच
अहो प्रणामाय कृत: समुद्यम:
प्रपन्नभक्तार्थविधौ समाहित: ।
यल्लोकपालैस्त्वदनुग्रहोऽमरै-
रलब्धपूर्वोऽपसदेऽसुरेऽर्पित: ॥ २ ॥
Verse text
śrī-balir uvāca
aho praṇāmāya kṛtaḥ samudyamaḥ
prapanna-bhaktārtha-vidhau samāhitaḥ
yal loka-pālais tvad-anugraho ’marair
alabdha-pūrvo ’pasade ’sure ’rpitaḥ
Synonyms
śrī
—
baliḥ uvāca — Bali Mahārāja said
;
aho
—
alas
;
praṇāmāya
—
to offer my respectful obeisances
;
kṛtaḥ
—
I did
;
samudyamaḥ
—
only an endeavor
;
prapanna
—
bhakta — artha — vidhau — in the regulative principles observed by pure devotees
;
samāhitaḥ
—
is capable
;
yat
—
that
;
loka
—
pālaiḥ — by the leaders of various planets
;
tvat
—
anugrahaḥ — Your causeless mercy
;
amaraiḥ
—
by the demigods
;
alabdha
—
pūrvaḥ — not achieved previously
;
apasade
—
unto a fallen person like me
;
asure
—
belonging to the asura community
;
arpitaḥ
—
endowed .
Translation
Bali Mahārāja said: What a wonderful effect there is in even attempting to offer respectful obeisances to You! I merely endeavored to offer You obeisances, but nonetheless the attempt was as successful as those of pure devotees. The causeless mercy You have shown to me, a fallen demon, was never achieved even by the demigods or the leaders of the various planets.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Bali Mahārāja said: Ah! Just my eagerness to offer respects is able to yield results sought by the surrendered devotees. This low demon has received your rare mercy, not received previously even by the devatās.
Even having eagerness to offer you respects is able to produce results desired by the surrendered devotees. I have understood this today. My guru said that Viṣṇu has come to take away everything I possess. When I learned this from my guru, I was eager to offer you respects, but did not, out of fear of guru and the demons. But that eagerness has given such result now! What is that? Mercy in the form of getting your foot on my head, which is not attained even by the devatās in sattva-guṇa, was attained by me, a low rascal (apasade) in rajo-guṇa.
Purport
When Vāmanadeva appeared before Bali Mahārāja, Bali Mahārāja immediately wanted to offer Him respectful obeisances, but he was unable to do so because of the presence of Śukrācārya and other demoniac associates. The Lord is so merciful, however, that although Bali Mahārāja did not actually offer obeisances but only endeavored to do so within his mind, the Supreme Personality of Godhead blessed him with more mercy than even the demigods could ever expect. As confirmed in
Bhagavad-gītā
(2.40)
,
svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt:
“Even a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.” The Supreme Personality of Godhead is known as
bhāva-grāhī janārdana
because He takes only the essence of a devotee’s attitude. If a devotee sincerely surrenders, the Lord, as the Supersoul in everyone’s heart, immediately understands this. Thus even though, externally, a devotee may not render full service, if he is internally sincere and serious the Lord welcomes his service nonetheless. Thus the Lord is known as
bhāva-grāhī janārdana
because He takes the essence of one’s devotional mentality.