Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 8.19.4

na santi tīrthe yudhi cārthinārthitāḥ

parāńmukhā ye tv amanasvino nṛpa

yuṣmat-kule yad yaśasāmalena

prahrāda udbhāti yathoḍupaḥ khe

SYNONYMS

na — not; santi — there are; tīrthe — in holy places (where charity is given); yudhi — in the battlefield; ca — also; arthinā — by a brāhmaṇa or a kṣatriya; arthitāḥ — who have been asked; parāńmukhāḥ — who refused their prayers; ye — such persons; tu — indeed; amanasvinaḥ — such low-minded, low-grade kings; nṛpa — O King (Bali Mahārāja); yuṣmat-kule — in your dynasty; yat — therein; yaśasā amalena — by impeccable reputation; prahrādaḥ — Prahlāda Mahārāja; udbhāti — arises; yathā — as; uḍupaḥ — the moon; khe — in the sky.

TRANSLATION

O King Bali, never in your dynasty has the low-minded King been born who upon being requested has refused charity to brāhmaṇas in holy places or a fight to kṣatriyas on a battlefield. And your dynasty is even more glorious due to the presence of Prahlāda Mahārāja, who is like the beautiful moon in the sky.

PURPORT

The symptoms of a kṣatriya are given in Bhagavad-gītā. One of the qualifications is the willingness to give charity (dāna). A kṣatriya does not refuse to give charity when requested by a brāhmaṇa, nor can he refuse to fight another kṣatriya. A king who does refuse is called low-minded. In the dynasty of Bali Mahārāja there were no such low-minded kings.

<<< >>>

Copyright © The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness