Srimad Bhagavatam 8.23.1-2

[makarand]

TEXT 1

śrī-śuka uvāca

ity uktavantaṁ puruṣaṁ purātanaṁ

mahānubhāvo ’khila-sādhu-sammataḥ

baddhāñjalir bāṣpa-kalākulekṣaṇo

bhakty-utkalo gadgadayā girābravīt

SYNONYMS

śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; iti—thus; uktavantam—upon the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; puruṣam—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; purātanam—the oldest of everyone; mahā-anubhāvaḥ—Bali Mahārāja, who was a great and exalted soul; akhila-sādhu-sammataḥ—as approved by all saintly persons; baddha-añjaliḥ—with folded hands; bāṣpa-kala-ākula-īkṣaṇaḥ—whose eyes were filled with tears; bhakti-utkalaḥ—full of ecstatic devotion; gadgadayā—which were faltering in devotional ecstasy; girā—by such words; abravīt—said.

TRANSLATION

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: When the supreme, ancient, eternal Personality of Godhead had thus spoken to Bali Mahārāja, who is universally accepted as a pure devotee of the Lord and therefore a great soul, Bali Mahārāja, his eyes filled with tears, his hands folded and his voice faltering in devotional ecstasy, responded as follows.

TEXT 2

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.