Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 8, Chapter 22, Text 2 by Prahladananda Swami.

Dallas, TX
2009-12-04

TRANSLATION

Since Your Lordship is indirectly the greatest well-wisher of us demons, You act for our best welfare by posing as if our enemy. Because demons like us always aspire for a position of false prestige, by chastising us You give us the eyes by which to see the right path.

PURPORT

Bali Maharaja considered the Supreme Personality of Godhead a better friend to the demons than to the demigods. In the material world, the more one gets material possessions, the more he becomes blind to spiritual life. The demigods are devotees of the Lord for the sake of material possessions, but although the demons apparently do not have the Supreme Personality of Godhead on their side, He always acts as their well-wisher by depriving them of their positions of false prestige. By false prestige one is misguided, so the Supreme Lord takes away their position of false prestige as a special favor.

PAS_SB08.22.05_QueenKunti’sInstructions_2009-12-04

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Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 8, Chapter 22, Text 4 by Prahladananda Swami.

Dallas, TX
2009-12-03

TRANSLATION

Although a father, mother, brother or friend may sometimes punish one as a well-wisher, they never punish their subordinate like this. But because You are the most worshipable Lord, I regard the punishment You have given me as most exalted.

PURPORT

Punishment meted out by the Supreme Personality of Godhead is accepted by the devotee as the greatest mercy.

tat te ‘nukampam susamikshamano
bhunjana evatma-kritam vipakam
hrid-vag-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te
jiveta yo mukti-pade sa daya-bhak

“One who seeks Your compassion and thus tolerates all kinds of adverse conditions due to the karma of his past deeds, who engages always in Your devotional service with his mind, words and body, and who always offers obeisances to You is certainly a bona fide candidate for liberation.” (Bhag. 10.14.8) A devotee knows that so-called punishment by the Supreme Personality of Godhead is only His favor to correct His devotee and bring him to the right path. Therefore the punishment awarded by the Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be compared to even the greatest benefit awarded by one’s material father, mother, brother or friend.

PAS_SB08.22.04_KindEncouragement_2009-12-03

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Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 8, Chapter 22, Text 3 by Prahladananda Swami.

Dallas, TX
2009-12-02

TRANSLATION

I do not fear being deprived of all my possessions, living in hellish life, being arrested for poverty by the ropes of Varuna or being punished by You as much as I fear defamation.

PURPORT

Although Bali Maharaja fully surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he could not tolerate being defamed for cheating a brahmana-brahmacari, Being quite alert in regard to his reputation, he thought deeply about how to prevent being defamed. The Lord, therefore, gave him the good counsel to prevent defamation by offering his head. A Vaishnava does not fear any punishment. Narayana-parah sarve na kutascana bibhyati (Bhag. 6.17.28).

PAS_SB08.22.03_WhyAfraidOfInfamy_2009-12-02

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