Text 33] The Lord Begs Charity from Bali Mahārāja
81
hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ.  The Lord said to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, “The first installment of My mercy toward a devotee is that I take away all his possessions, especially his material opulence, his money.” This is the special favor of the Lord toward a sincere devotee. If a sincere devotee wants Kṛṣṇa above everything but at the same time is attached to material possessions, which hinder his advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by tactics the Lord takes away all his possessions. Here Śukrācārya says that this dwarf  brahmacārī  would take away everything. Thus he indicates that the Lord will take away all one’s material possessions and also one’s mind. If one delivers his mind to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa ( sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ ), one can naturally sacrifice everything to satisfy Him. Although Bali Mahārāja was a devotee, he was attached to material possessions, and therefore the Lord, being very kind to him, showed him special favor by appearing as Lord Vāmana to take away all his material possessions, and his mind as well.
TEXT 33
त्रिभिः क्रमैरिमाल्लोकान्विश्वकायः क्रमिष्यति ।
सर्वस्वं विष्णवे दत्त्वा मूढ वर्तिष्यसे कथम् ॥३३॥
tribhiḥ kramair imāl lokān
viśva-kāyaḥ kramiṣyati
sarvasvam viṣṇave dattvā
mūḍha vartiṣyase katham
tribhiḥ —three;  kramaiḥ —by steps;  imān —all these;  lokān —three planetary systems;  viśva-kāyaḥ —becoming the universal form;  kramiṣyati —gradually He will expand;  sarvasvam —everything;  viṣṇave —unto Lord Viṣṇu;  dattvā —after giving charity;  mūḍha —O you rascal;  vartiṣyase —you will execute your means of livelihood;  katham —how.
TRANSLATION
You have promised to give Him three steps of land in charity, but when you give it He will occupy the three worlds. You are a rascal! You do not know what a great mistake you have made. After