nÄnyat te kÄmaye rÄjan
vadÄnyÄj jagad-īśvarÄt
nainaḥ prÄpnoti vai vidvÄn
yÄvad-artha-pratigrahaḥ
na - not; anyat - anything else; te - from you; kÄmaye - I beg; rÄjan - O King; vadÄnyÄt - who are so munificent; jagat-īśvarÄt - who are the king of the entire universe; na - not; enaḥ - distress; prÄpnoti - gets; vai - indeed; vidvÄn - one who is learned; yÄvat-artha - as much as one needs; pratigrahaḥ - taking charity from others.
A brÄhmaṇa or sannyÄsÄ« is qualified to ask charity from others, but if he takes more than necessary he is punishable. No one can use more of the Supreme Lord’s property than necessary. Lord VÄmanadeva indirectly indicated to Bali MahÄrÄja that he was occupying more land than he needed. In the material world, all distresses are due to extravagance. One acquires money extravagantly and also spends it extravagantly. Such activities are sinful. All property belongs to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and all living beings, who are sons of the Supreme Lord, have the right to use the Supreme Father’s property, but one cannot take more than necessary. This principle should especially be followed by brÄhmaṇas and sannyÄsÄ«s who live at the cost of others. Thus VÄmanadeva was an ideal beggar, for He asked only three paces of land. Of course, there is a difference between His footsteps and those of an ordinary human being. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, by His inconceivable prowess, can occupy the entire universe, including the upper, lower and middle planetary systems, by the unlimited measurement of His footsteps.