अहो ब्राह्मणदायाद वाचस्ते वृद्धसम्मताः ।
त्वं बालो बालिशमतिः स्वार्थं प्रत्यबुधो यथा ॥१८॥
Å›rÄ«-balir uvÄca
aho brÄhmaṇa-dÄyÄda
vÄcas te vá¹›ddha-sammatÄḥ
tvaá¹ bÄlo bÄliÅ›a-matiḥ
svÄrthaá¹ praty abudho yathÄ
Å›rÄ«-baliḥ uvÄca - Bali MahÄrÄja said; aho - alas; brÄhmaṇa-dÄyÄda - O son of a brÄhmaṇa; vÄcaḥ - the words; te - of You; vá¹›ddha-sammatÄḥ - are certainly acceptable to learned and elderly persons; tvam - You; bÄlaḥ - a boy; bÄliÅ›a-matiḥ - without sufficient knowledge; sva-artham - self-interest; prati - toward; abudhaḥ - not knowing sufficiently; yathÄ - as it should have been.
Bali MahÄrÄja said: O son of a brÄhmaṇa, Your instructions are as good as those of learned and elderly persons. Nonetheless, You are a boy, and Your intelligence is insufficient. Thus You are not very prudent in regard to Your self-interest.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, being full in Himself, actually has nothing to want for His self-interest. Lord VÄmanadeva, therefore, had not gone to Bali MahÄrÄja for His own self-interest. As stated in Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (5.29), bhoktÄraá¹ yajña-tapasÄá¹ sarva-loka-maheÅ›varam. The Lord is the proprietor of all planets, in both the material and spiritual worlds. Why should He be in want of land? Bali MahÄrÄja rightly said that Lord VÄmanadeva was not at all prudent in regard to His own personal interests. Lord VÄmanadeva had approached Bali not for His personal welfare but for the welfare of His devotees. Devotees sacrifice all personal interests to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and similarly the Supreme Lord, although having no personal interests, can do anything for the interests of His devotees. One who is full in himself has no personal interests.
