Text 45
tan naḥ prasīda nirapekṣa-vimṛgya-yuṣmat
pādāravinda-dhiṣaṇānya-gṛhāndha-kūpāt
niṣkramya viśva-śaraṇāṅghry-upalabdha-vṛttiḥ
śānto yathaika uta sarva-sakhaiś carāmi
tat — in such a way; naḥ — to us; prasīda — please be merciful; nirapekṣa — by those who have no material motives; vimṛgya — searched for; yuṣmat — Your; pāda — than the feet; aravinda — lotus; dhiṣaṇa — shelter; anya — other; gṛha — from the home; andha — blind; kūpāt — which is a well; niṣkramya — going out; viśva — to the whole world; śaraṇa — of those who are helpful (the trees); aṅghri — at the feet; upalabdha — obtained; vṛttiḥ — whose livelihood; śāntaḥ — peaceful; yathā — as; ekaḥ — alone; uta — or else; sarva — of everyone; sakhaiḥ — with the friends; carāmi — I may wander.
Please be merciful to me so I may get out of the blind well of family life — my false home — and find the true shelter of Your lotus feet, which selfless sages always seek. Then, either alone or in the company of great saints, who are the friends of everyone, I may wander freely, finding life’s necessities at the feet of the universally charitable trees.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī states that in response to Bali’s prayers, Śrī Kṛṣṇa invited him to choose some benediction, and in this verse Bali submits his request. Bali begs to be relieved of the entanglement of material life so he will be free to leave home and wander in the wilderness, with only the Lord’s lotus feet as his shelter. For his subsistence, Bali proposes, he will take help from the forest trees, at whose feet are fruits to eat and leaves to sleep on, for all to use as needed. And if the Lord is especially merciful to him, Bali hopes, he will not have to wander alone but will be allowed to travel in the company of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s devotees.