202
Śrimad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 8, Ch. 15]
brāhmaṇa descendants of Bhṛgu Muni, being pleased by Bali Mahārāja, their disciple, endowed him with such extraordinary power.
PURPORT
Bṛhaspati, the spiritual master of the demigods, informed Indra, “Ordinarily, Bali and his forces could not achieve such strength, but it appears that the  brāhmaṇa  descendants of Bhṛgu Muni, being pleased with Bali Mahārāja, endowed them with this spiritual power.” In other words, Bṛhaspati informed Indra that Bali Mahārāja’s prowess was not his own but that of his exalted  guru , Śukrācārya. We sing in our daily prayers,  yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto ’pi . By the pleasure of the spiritual master, one can get extraordinary power, especially in spiritual advancement. The blessings of the spiritual master are more powerful than one’s personal endeavor for such advancement. Narottama dāsa Thākura therefore says:
guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete kariyā aikya, āra nā kariha mane āśā
Especially for spiritual advancement, one should carry out the bona fide order of the spiritual master. By the  paramparā  system, one can thus be endowed with the original spiritual power coming from the Supreme Personality of Godhead ( evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ ).
TEXT 29
ओजस्विनं बलिं जेतुं न समर्थोऽस्ति कश्चन ।  
 भवद्विधो भवान्वापि वर्जयित्वेश्वरं हरिम् ।  
 विजेष्यति न कोऽप्येनं ब्रह्मतेजःसमेधितम् ।  
 नास्य शक्तः पुरः स्यातुं कृतान्तस्य यथा जनाः ॥२९॥
ojasvinaṁ baliṁ jetuṁ 
    na samartho ’sti kaścana 
    bhavad-vidho bhavān vāpi 
    varjayitveśvaraṁ harim