श्रीब्रह्मोवाच भूतभावन भूतेश ।
देवदेव जगन्मय मुञ्चैनं हृतसर्वस्वं ।
नायमर्हति निग्रहम् ॥ २१ ॥
sri-brahma uvaca-Lord Brahma said; bhuta-bhavana-O Supreme Being, well-wisher of everyone, who can cause one to flourish; bhuta-isa-O master of everyone; deva-deva-O worshipable Deity of the demigods; jagat-maya-O all-pervading one; munca-please release; enam-this poor Bali Maharaja; hrta-sarvasvam-now bereft of everything; na-not; ayam-such a poor man; arhati-deserves; nigraham-punishment.
Lord Brahma said: O well-wisher and master of all living entities, O worshipable Deity of all the demigods, O all-pervading Personality of Godhead, now this man has been sufficiently punished, for You have taken everything. Now You can release him. He does not deserve to be punished more.
When Lord Brahma saw that Prahlada Maharaja and Vindhyavali had already approached the Lord to ask mercy for Bali Maharaja, he joined them and recommended Bali Maharaja's release on the grounds of worldly calculations.