Srimad Bhagavatam — Ashtama Skandha, Shloka 4
Vāmanadeva Praises Bali; the Measure of Three Steps; Śukrācārya Warns Against the Gift
न सन्ति तीर्थे युधि चार्थिनार्थिता: पराङ्मुखा ये त्वमनस्विनो नृप । युष्मत्कुले यद्यशसामलेन प्रह्लाद उद्भाति यथोडुप: खे ॥ ४ ॥
na santi tīrthe yudhi cārthinārthitāḥ parāṅmukhā ye tv amanasvino nṛpa yuṣmat-kule yad yaśasāmalena prahrāda udbhāti yathoḍupaḥ khe
O King Bali, never in your dynasty has the low-minded king been born who upon being requested has refused charity to brāhmaṇas in holy places or a fight to kṣatriyas on a battlefield. And your dynasty is even more glorious due to the presence of Prahlāda Mahārāja, who is like the beautiful moon in the sky.
The symptoms of a kṣatriya are given in Bhagavad-gītā. One of the qualifications is the willingness to give charity ( dāna ). A kṣatriya does not refuse to give charity when requested by a brāhmaṇa, nor can he refuse to fight another kṣatriya. A king who does refuse is called low-minded. In the dynasty of Bali Mahārāja there were no such low-minded kings.
FAQs
This verse implies that without inner resolve and turning toward the Lord, even holy places cannot grant real fulfillment; devotion is the essential factor.
To highlight that Bali’s lineage is honored by Prahlāda’s pure, celebrated devotion, which shines like the moon and sanctifies the entire family line.
External achievements or rituals alone may not satisfy; cultivate steady-minded devotion, integrity, and remembrance of the Lord—then one’s life and reputation become uplifting to others.