Å›reyaḥ kurvanti bhÅ«tÄnÄá¹
sÄdhavo dustyajÄsubhiḥ
dadhyaṅ-śibi-prabhṛtayaḥ
ko vikalpo dharÄdiá¹£u
Å›reyaḥ - activities of the utmost importance; kurvanti - execute; bhÅ«tÄnÄm - of the general mass of people; sÄdhavaḥ - the saintly persons; dustyaja - which are extremely hard to give up; asubhiḥ - by their lives; dadhyaá¹… - MahÄrÄja DadhÄ«ci; Å›ibi - MahÄrÄja Åšibi; prabhá¹›tayaḥ - and similar great personalities; kaḥ - what; vikalpaḥ - consideration; dharÄ-Ädiá¹£u - in giving the land to the brÄhmaṇa.
Bali MahÄrÄja was prepared to give everything to Lord Viṣṇu, and ÅšukrÄcÄrya, being a professional priest, might have been anxiously waiting, doubting whether there had been any such instance in history in which one had given everything in charity. Bali MahÄrÄja, however, cited the tangible examples of MahÄrÄja Åšibi and MahÄrÄja DadhÄ«ci, who had given up their lives for the benefit of the general public. Certainly one has attachment for everything material, especially one’s land, but land and other possessions are forcibly taken away at the time of death, as stated in Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (má¹›tyuḥ sarva-haraÅ› cÄham). The Lord personally appeared to Bali MahÄrÄja to take away everything he had, and thus he was so fortunate that he could see the Lord face to face. Nondevotees, however, cannot see the Lord face to face; to such persons the Lord appears as death and takes away all their possessions by force. Under the circumstances, why should we not part with our possessions and deliver them to Lord Viṣṇu for His satisfaction? ÅšrÄ« CÄṇakya Paṇá¸ita says in this regard, san-nimitte varaá¹ tyÄgo vinÄÅ›e niyate sati (CÄṇakya-Å›loka 36). Since our money and possessions do not last but will somehow or other be taken away, as long as they are in our possession it is better to use them for charity to a noble cause. Therefore Bali MahÄrÄja defied the order of his so-called spiritual master.