उपजिगमिषतीति ॥२६॥
tasya mahÄnubhÄvasyÄnupatham amá¹›jita-kaá¹£Äyaḥ ko vÄsmad-vidhaḥ parihīṇa-bhagavad-anugraha upajigamiá¹£atÄ«ti
tasya - of PrahlÄda MahÄrÄja; mahÄ-anubhÄvasya - who was an exalted devotee; anupatham - the path; amá¹›jita-kaá¹£Äyaḥ - a person who is materially contaminated; kaḥ - what; vÄ - or; asmat-vidhaḥ - like us; parihīṇa-bhagavat-anugrahaḥ - being without the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; upajigamiá¹£ati - desires to follow; iti - thus.
Bali MahÄrÄja said: Persons like us, who are still attached to material enjoyment, who are contaminated by the modes of material nature and who lack the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, cannot follow the supreme path of PrahlÄda MahÄrÄja, the exalted devotee of the Lord.
It is said that for spiritual realization one must follow great personalities like Lord BrahmÄ, Devará¹£i NÄrada, Lord Åšiva and PrahlÄda MahÄrÄja. The path of bhakti is not at all difficult if we follow in the footsteps of previous ÄcÄryas and authorities, but those who are too materially contaminated by the modes of material nature cannot follow them. Although Bali MahÄrÄja was actually following the path of his grandfather, because of his great humility he thought that he was not. It is characteristic of advanced Vaiṣṇavas following the principles of bhakti that they think themselves ordinary human beings. This is not an artificial exhibition of humility; a Vaiṣṇava sincerely thinks this way and therefore never admits his exalted position.
