178 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 8, Ch. 22

Thus Vindhyavali, Bali Maharaja’s intelligent wife, prayed that her
husband be released, by the Lord’s causeless mercy. Otherwise, Bali
Maharaja was nothing but a shameless demon, specifically described as
tyakta-hriyas tvad-avaropita-kartr-vadah, a foolish person claiming
proprietorship over the property of the Supreme Person. In the present
age, Kali-yuga, the number of such shameless men, who are agnostics
disbelieving in the existence of God, has increased. Trying to defy the
authority of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, so-called scientists,
philosophers and politicians manufacture plans and schemes for the
destruction of the world. They cannot do anything good for the world,
and unfortunately, because of Kali-yuga, they have plunged the affairs
of the world into mismanagement. Thus there is a great need for the
Krsna consciousness movement for the benefit of innocent people who
are being carried away by propaganda of such demons. If the present
status quo is allowed to continue, people will certainly suffer more and
more under the leadership of these demoniac agnostics.

TEXT 21
arene
wat «AT 8aaT TAT
©
wad gaaaed arrmete frreq RII
$ri-brahmovaca
bhita-bhavana bhitesa
deva-deva jaganmaya
muficainam hrta-sarvasvam
nayam arhati nigraham

$ri-brahma uvéca—Lord Brahmi said; bhita-bhavana—O Supreme
Being, well-wisher of everyone, who can cause one to flourish;
bhita-isa—O master of everyone; deva-deva—O worshipable Deity of
the demigods; jagat-maya—O all-pervading one; mufca—please
release; enam—this poor Bali Maharaja; hrta-sarvasvam—now bereft of
everything; na—not; ayam—such a poor man; arhati—deserves;
nigraham —punishment.
