Brihad Bhagavatamrita (commentary)
by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyana Gosvāmī Mahārāja | 2005 | 440,179 words | ISBN-13: 9781935428329
The Brihad-bhagavatamrita Verse 1.2.17, English translation, including commentary (Dig-darshini-tika): an important Vaishnava text dealing with the importance of devotional service. The Brihad-bhagavatamrita, although an indepent Sanskrit work, covers the essential teachings of the Shrimad Bhagavatam (Bhagavata-purana). This is verse 1.2.17 contained in Chapter 2—Divya (the celestial plane)—of Part one (prathama-khanda).
Verse 1.2.17
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 1.2.17:
तथाप्य् अहत्वा तान् शत्रून् केवलं नस् त्रपा-कृता ।
मायाया च नयादाय बले राज्यं ददौ स मे ॥ १७ ॥tathāpy ahatvā tān śatrūn kevalaṃ nas trapā-kṛtā |
māyāyā ca nayādāya bale rājyaṃ dadau sa me || 17 ||Even after accepting my brotherhood, He did not destroy all my enemies. Instead, by deception only, He begged the kingdom from Bali and gave it to me. For us demigods, this is a source of extreme embarassment.
Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda
(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)
“For us demigods, Śrī Bhagavān deceitfully begged the kingdom of heaven from Balirāja and offered it to us, thus becoming a source of embarrassment. How did this happen? Having accepted me as His brother, He did not vanquish our enemies. Rather, first He assumed the form of the dwarf Vāmana, begging three steps of land. Then He assumed His wonderful mahā-virāṭ form and took everything with three gigantic steps. In this way, He deceived Balirāja, usurped the celestial kingdom of svarga, and then offered it to me. However, this is not a source of happiness for me, but rather a matter of deep embarassment.”