182 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 8, Ch, 22

materialist becomes so proud that he has no regard for anyone and even
refuses to accept the authority of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The result of such a mentality is certainly very dangerous. To show
special favor, the Lord sometimes makes an example of someone like Bali
Maharaja, who was now bereft of all his possessions.

TEXT 25

ART RATATAT TAT FAawAA: |
aMafarerdnisd Ted ara |RaI

yada kadécij jivatma
samsaran nija-karmabhih

nand-yonisv aniso *yam
paurusim gatim dvrajet

yadé—when; kaddcit—sometimes; jiva-dtma—the living entity;
samsaran—rotating in the cycle of birth and death; nija-karmabhih—
because of his own fruitive activities; ndnd-yonisu—in different species
of life; anisah—not independent (completely under the control of ma-
terial nature); ayam—this living entity; paurusim gatim—the situation
of being human; Gvrajet—wants to obtain.

TRANSLATION

While rotating in the cycle of birth and death again and again in
different species because of his own fruitive activities, the depen-
dent living entity, by good fortune, may happen to become a
human being. This human birth is very rarely obtained.

PURPORT

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is fully independent. Thus it is
not always a fact that a living being’s loss of all opulence is a sign of the
Supreme Lord’s mercy upon him. The Lord can act any way He likes. He
may take away one’s opulence, or He may not. There are varieties of
forms of life, and the Lord treats them according to the circumstances, as
He chooses. Generally it is to be understood that the human form of life
is one of great responsibility.
