Vāmanadeva --- Bali Mahārāja --- Letter to Satsvarūpa dāsa 3 July 1968
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Prabhupāda
Regarding Bali Mahārāja: He was born in the same atheistic family of Mahārāja Prahlāda. He happened to be the grandson of Mahārāja Prahlāda, and his great grandfather Hiraṇyakaśipu, was very powerful. There was animosity between the demigods and the demons, and Bali Mahārāja also defeated the demigods several times and was occupying all the planets. At the time Vāmanadeva appeared as the son of Kaśyapa Muni, Bali Mahārāja was very charitably disposed.
Sometimes the atheists are also very charitable. Persons who believe that:
“We are doing pious activities, giving charity and performing welfare work to the human society.
Why should we bother about God?”
Such persons, even though very moral and pious in the estimation of the materialists, are also demons on account of their apathy for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.
So, Bali Mahārāja was a man of that type. Under the circumstances he was not averse to accepting charity and other pious activities. He was being guided by his spiritual master, Śukrācārya. Śukra means the semina. In other words, one who claims to become Ācārya on the principle of being born of a Brahmin father, he may call himself Śukrācārya, or Ācārya, or preacher—not by disciplic succession, but on the right of heredity.
In India there are still superstitions that one should be initiated by someone from such a Śukrācārya family. They are called generally the jāti-gosāñi. Jāti-gosāñi means the caste spiritual masters. All over India, especially in Bengal, this jāti-gosāñi spiritual master-ship is very prevalent. But really gosvāmī means one who is master of the influence of different senses, namely the influence of anger, the influence of the belly, the influence of the genitals, and the influence of talking. So one who is master of these influential webs of sense gratification, he is called gosvāmī. Gosvāmī is not by hereditary chart. So Śukrācārya posed himself as such a gosvāmī spiritual master. He had many mystic powers; therefore, he was considered to be a very influential spiritual master of the demons.
So when Vāmanadeva appeared, Bali Mahārāja was attracted by His beauty as a dwarf Brahmin, and as he was charitably disposed he wanted to give Him some charity. But Śukrācārya, being elevated in mystic yogic powers, could understand that Vāmanadeva was Viṣṇu. And in order to favour the demigods, He had come there to cheat Bali Mahārāja in the shape of begging some charities. Bali Mahārāja was puffed up with his material vanities, and Vāmanadeva, as He is Viṣṇu, all-peaceful, without interrupting his attitude just approached him in the form of a Brahmin, who has a right to beg something from the princely order. And the princely order also is always disposed to giving charity to the Brahmins.
Śukrācārya, as spiritual master of Bali, taught him that everything should be offered to Viṣṇu. But when Viṣṇu actually appeared before Bali, Śukrācārya was afraid of Bali Maharaja’s charitable disposition. He warned Bali Mahārāja that this Vāmanadeva had come there to take everything from him in the shape of charity; therefore, he should not promise to give Him anything. This advice revolted Bali Mahārāja, because he was formerly instructed that everything should be offered to Viṣṇu.
Now why was Śukrācārya asking him not to act in accordance with his previous instructions?
Śukrācārya was afraid of his own position. He was living at the cost of Bali Mahārāja, so if Vāmanadeva would take everything from Bali Mahārāja, he was wondering how he would live. That is the materialistic temperament. The materialist does not want to serve or to give to Viṣṇu, because he thinks that by giving away to Viṣṇu he will be put into a poverty-stricken condition. This is materialistic estimation. But actually that is not the fact, as it will be proven by the dealings of Bali Mahārāja and Vāmanadeva.
That is the materialistic way of worshiping. Materialists are always careful for maintaining their material status quo first and then pleasing Viṣṇu, although they may profess to be devotees of Viṣṇu. Therefore, the Kṛṣṇa Conscious persons are greater than such materialistic worshipers. Materialistic persons perform all pious activities or devotional activities for some material gain, and as soon as there is any hindrance in the path of material gain, they at once become demons. Therefore, bhakti means without any material desires. That is the sign of a pure devotee. He has no motive to satisfy his material desires by devotional service.
Why is Bali Mahārāja considered a Mahājana?
Bali Mahārāja is a Mahājana because he wanted to serve Viṣṇu by disobeying his bona fide spiritual master. As explained above, Śukrācārya was a hereditary spiritual master by seminal discharge. But Bali Mahārāja first revolted against this stereotype-seminal-succession spiritual master, and therefore he is a Mahājana. Real Jīva Gosvāmī has described in his Krama sandharbha that one should be anxious to accept a spiritual master who is bona fide in spiritual knowledge. And if need be, one should relinquish the connection of a hereditary spiritual master and accept a real, bona fide spiritual master.
So when Śukrācārya advised him contrary to his previous instructions—specifically he checked Bali Mahārāja in the matter of worshiping Viṣṇu—Śukrācārya became at once fallen down from the position of spiritual master.
Nobody can become a spiritual master who is not a devotee of Viṣṇu. A Brahmin may be very expert in the matter of performing Vedic rituals, accepting charity, and distributing wealth—all these are the exalted qualifications of the Brahmins; but the Vedic injunction is, in spite of possessing all these qualities, if somebody is against Lord Viṣṇu, he cannot be a spiritual master.
So when Śukrācārya advised Bali Mahārāja against Viṣṇu, Śukrācārya at once became unqualified as a spiritual master. Bali Mahārāja disobeyed such an unqualified spiritual master, and therefore he is accepted as Mahājana. Mahājana means a personality whose footprints should be followed. So, his exemplary behaviour in rejecting a non-Vaiṣṇava spiritual master is ideal, and he is considered a Mahājana.
If Jadurāṇī (Śyāmarāṇī Didi) wants to paint the picture of Bali Mahārāja, it should be like this:
1) The hall must be very nicely decorated, a princely hall.
2) In one side of the hall the royal throne should be presented as vacant.
3) Bali Mahārāja should pose himself bowing down before Lord Vāmanadeva; and Vāmanadeva should be painted with one leg on the Earth and one leg high in the sky and one leg coming out of his navel and put on the head of Bali Mahārāja. This means that giving one’s possessions to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is not full charity, but when one’s personal body and head is given to the service of the Lord, then one becomes perfect in offering everything to the Lord. This is called complete surrender of everything that a devotee may possess.
Bali Mahārāja may be shown as not more than forty years old, a very nice-looking king, well-dressed, like the royal order, and with a moustache but no beard. Śukrācārya should be wearing Shaivaite tilaka, and also Mahārāja Bali can have Shaivaite tilaka until after he meets with Vāmanadeva, and then you can change Bali Maharaja’s tilaka into a Vaiṣṇava one.
Yes, Pradyumna is typing that Third Canto and will send it to you soon. Hoping you are all well.
Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
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