bibhemi nāhaṁ nirayāt pada-cyuto
bibhemi nāhaṁ nirayāt pada-cyuto
na pāśa-bandhād vyasanād duratyayāt
naivārtha-kṛcchrād bhavato vinigrahād
asādhu-vādād bhṛśam udvije yathā
I do not fear living in hellish life, falling from my position, being bound by the ropes of Varuṇa, suffering unbearable calamity, suffering difficulties arising from loss of all possessions, or being punished by you--as much as I fear defamation by the devotees.
“Do you want to get free of Varuṇa’s ropes and hell?” Artha-kṛcchrāt means “fear of the difficult due to loss of assets.” I fear the criticism of devotees with words like “The devotees like Bali cheat brāhmaṇas.”
|| 8.22.4 ||
puṁsāṁ ślāghyatamaṁ manye
daṇḍam arhattamārpitam
yaṁ na mātā pitā bhrātā
suhṛdaś cādiśanti hi
A father, mother, brother or friend does not punish his subordinate in a thoroughly correct manner. I regard the punishment given by you, the most praiseworthy, as most exalted punishment, since it gives the best results.
“But your defamation will come from being bound up by me.” Though mothers and others punish a person for a person’s benefit, they do not punish completely (na ādiśanti). Though mothers and others are praiseworthy for being benefactors in this world, those who punish to give spiritual benefit are millions of times more affectionate to a person.
|| 8.22.5 ||
tvaṁ nūnam asurāṇāṁ naḥ
parokṣaḥ paramo guruḥ
yo no 'neka-madāndhānāṁ
vibhraṁśaṁ cakṣur ādiśat
Since you are indirectly the greatest benefactor of us demons, you give us the eye for destroying our blindness arising from pride.
“But I am famous for helping the devatās and not the demons.” You are the indirect benefactor (guru) of the demons since you pose as their enemy. Indirect benefit is greater than direct benefit. Thus you are the supreme (parama) benefactor for us. You are not the supreme benefactor for the devatās since giving them power and wealth that they desire is not really beneficial. You give us real benefit. You give us eyes of knowledge whereas the devatās are blinded. The third person verb instead of second person is poetic license.
|| 8.22.6-7 ||
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