400 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 5, Ch. 24
Vamanadeva to allow him to engage in His service, Indra used Him to
beg Bali Maharaja for material wealth. Although Indra was learned and
his prime minister, Brhaspati, was also learned, neither of them begged
to be able to render loving service to Lord Vamanadeva. Therefore Bali
Maharaja lamented for Indra.
TEXT 25

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yasyGnuddsyam evasmat-pitamahah kila vavre na tu sva-pitryam yad
utdkutobhayam padam diyamanam bhagavatah param iti
bhagavatoparate khalu sva-pitari.

yasya—of whom (the Supreme Personality of Godhead);
anudasyam—the service; eva—certainly; asmat—our; pita-mahah—
grandfather; kila—indeed; vavre—accepted; na—not; tu—but; sva—
own; pitryam—paternal property; yat—which; uta—certainly; akutah-
bhayam—fearlessness; padam—position; diyamaénam—being offered;
bhagavatah—than the Supreme Personality of Godhead; param—other;
iti—thus; bhagavata—by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; upar-
ate—when killed; khalu—indeed; sva-pitari—his own father.

TRANSLATION

Bali Maharaja said: My grandfather Prahlada Maharaja is the
only person who understood his own self-interest. Upon the death
of Prahlada’s father, Hiranyakasipu, Lord Nrsitnhadeva wanted to
offer Prahlada his father’s kingdom and even wanted to grant him
liberation from material bondage, but Prahlada accepted neither.
Liberation and material opulence, he thought, are obstacles to
devotional service, and therefore such gifts from the Supreme
Personality of Godhead are not His actual mercy. Consequently,
instead of accepting the results of karma and jiiana, Prahlada
Maharaja simply begged the Lord for engagement in the service of
His servant.

PURPORT

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has instructed that an unalloyed devotee

should consider himself a servant of the servant of the servant of the
