Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 8.22.28

eṣa dānava-daityānām

agranīḥ kīrti-vardhanaḥ

ajaiṣīd ajayāḿ māyāḿ

sīdann api na muhyati

SYNONYMS

eṣaḥ — this Bali Mahārāja; dānava-daityānām — among the demons and unbelievers; agranīḥ — the foremost devotee; kīrti-vardhanaḥ — the most famous; ajaiṣīt — has already surpassed; ajayām — the insurmountable; māyām — material energy; sīdan — being bereft (of all material opulences); api — although; na — not; muhyati — is bewildered.

TRANSLATION

Bali Mahārāja has become the most famous among the demons and nonbelievers, for in spite of being bereft of all material opulences, he is fixed in his devotional service.

PURPORT

In this verse, the words sīdann api na muhyati are very important. A devotee is sometimes put into adversity while executing devotional service. In adversity, everyone laments and becomes aggrieved, but by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, a devotee, even in the worst condition, can understand that he is going through a severe examination by the Personality of Godhead. Bali Mahārāja passed all such examinations, as explained in the following verses.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness