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 König, in deiner Dynastie ist niemals ein Herrscher von niedrigem Sinn geboren worden, der an heiligen Stätten die Bitte der Brāhmaṇas um Gabe abwiese oder auf dem Schlachtfeld den Kampf gegen die Kṣatriyas scheute. Und der Ruhm eures Geschlechts leuchtet umso mehr durch Prahlāda Mahārāja, wie der schöne Mond am Himmel.
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.