TEXT 9
sulabha yudhi viprarse
hy anivrttas tanu-tyajah
na tatha tirtha ayate
sraddhaya ye dhana-tyajah
SYNONYMS
su-labhahvery easily obtained; yudhiin the battlefield; vipra-rseO best of the brahmanas; hiindeed; anivrttahnot being afraid of fighting; tanu-tyajahand thus lay down their lives; nanot; tathaas; tirthe ayateon the arrival of a saintly person who creates holy places; sraddhayawith faith and devotion; yethose who; dhana-tyajahcan give up their accumulated wealth.
TRANSLATION
O best of the brahmanas, many men have laid down their lives on the battlefield, being unafraid of fighting, but rarely has one gotten the chance to give his accumulated wealth faithfully to a saintly person who creates holy places.
PURPORT
Many ksatriyas have laid down their lives on the battlefield for their nations, but hardly a person can be found who has given up all his property and his accumulated wealth in charity to a person worthy of the gift. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (17.20):
That gift which is given out of duty, at the proper time and place, to a worthy person, and without expectation of return is considered to be charity in the mode of goodness. Thus charity given in the proper place is called sattvika. And above this charity in goodness is transcendental charity, in which everything is sacrificed for the sake of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Vamanadeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, had come to Bali Maharaja for alms. How could one get such an opportunity to give charity? Therefore, Bali Maharaja decided without hesitation to give the Lord whatever He wanted. One may get various opportunities to lay down his life on the battlefield, but such an opportunity as this is hardly ever obtained.

Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/8/20/9

Previous: SB 8.20.8     Next: SB 8.20.10

If you Love Me Distribute My Books -- Srila Prabhupada