TEXT 32
pratisrutam adatus te
niraye vasa isyate
visa tvam nirayam tasmad
guruna canumoditah
SYNONYMS
pratisrutamwhat had been promised; adatuhwho could not give; teof you; nirayein hell; vasahresidence; isyateprescribed; visanow enter; tvamyourself; nirayamthe hellish planet; tasmattherefore; gurunaby your spiritual master; caalso; anumoditahapproved.
TRANSLATION
Because you have been unable to give charity according to your promise, the rule is that you should go down to live in the hellish planets. Therefore, in accordance with the order of Sukracarya, your spiritual master, now go down and live there.
PURPORT
It is said:
narayana-parah sarve
na kutascana bibhyati
svargapavarga-narakesv
api tulyartha-darsinah
Devotees solely engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana, never fear any condition of life. For them the heavenly planets, liberation and the hellish planets are all the same, for such devotees are interested only in the service of the Lord. (Bhag. 6.12.28) A devotee engaged in the service of Narayana is always in equilibrium. A devotee actually lives transcendentally. Although he may appear to have gone to hell or heaven, he does not live in either place; rather, he always lives in Vaikuntha (sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]). Vamanadeva asked Bali Maharaja to go to the hellish planets, apparently just to show the entire universe how tolerant he was, and Bali Maharaja did not hesitate to carry out the order. A devotee does not live alone. Of course, everyone lives with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but because the devotee is engaged in His service, he actually does not live in any material condition. Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, kita janma hao yatha tuya dasa. Thus he prays to take birth as an insignificant insect in the association of devotees. Because devotees are engaged in the service of the Lord, anyone who lives with them also lives in Vaikuntha.

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