—json {

  "name":"SB 8.22.23",
  "h1":"SB 8.22.23",
  "label":"Text 23",
  "title":"Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 8.22.23",
  "description":"By offering even water, newly grown grass, or flower buds at Your lotus feet, those who maintain no mental duplicity can achieve the most exalted position within the spiritual world. This Bali Mahārāja, without duplicity, has now offered everything in the three worlds. How then can he deserve to suffer from arrest?"

} —

SB 8.22.23

Text

yat-pādayor aśaṭha-dhīḥ salilaṁ pradāya
dūrvāṅkurair api vidhāya satīṁ saparyām
apy uttamāṁ gatim asau bhajate tri-lokīṁ
dāśvān aviklava-manāḥ katham ārtim ṛcchet

Synonyms

yat-pādayoḥ—at the lotus feet of Your Lordship; aśaṭha-dhīḥ—a great-minded person who is without duplicity; salilam—water; pradāya—offering; dūrvā—with fully grown grass; aṅkuraiḥ—and with buds of flowers; api—although; vidhāya—offering; satīm—most exalted; saparyām—with worship; api—although; uttamām—the most highly elevated; gatim—destination; asau—such a worshiper; bhajate—deserves; tri-lokīm—the three worlds; dāśvān—giving to You; aviklava-manāḥ—without mental duplicity; katham—how; ārtim—the distressed condition of being arrested; ṛcchet—he deserves.

Translation

By offering even water, newly grown grass, or flower buds at Your lotus feet, those who maintain no mental duplicity can achieve the most exalted position within the spiritual world. This Bali Mahārāja, without duplicity, has now offered everything in the three worlds. How then can he deserve to suffer from arrest?

Purport

In Bhagavad-gītā (Bg. 9.26) it is stated:

patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ
yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam
aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is so kind that if an unsophisticated person, with devotion and without duplicity, offers at the lotus feet of the Lord a little water, a flower, a fruit or a leaf, the Lord accepts it. Then the devotee is promoted to Vaikuṇṭha, the spiritual world. Brahmā drew the Lord's attention to this subject and requested that He release Bali Mahārāja, who was suffering, being bound by the ropes of Varuṇa, and who had already given everything, including the three worlds and whatever he possessed.