Prabhupāda: So your spiritual name is Bali Mardana dāsa. Take it. Just bow down. Nama . . .
Bali Mardana:
- nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhūtale
- śrīmate bhaktivedānta svāmin iti nāmine
(repeats twice more)
Prabhupāda: Thank you. Come on. Be happy. Bali Mardana dāsa. B-a-l-i m-a-r-d-a-n. Bali Mardana dāsa brahmacārī. Bali Mardana means Kṛṣṇa's name. Kṛṣṇa, as Vāmanadeva, He punished Bali Mahārāja by capturing his whole kingdom. Mardana means punishment. And after all, Bali Mahārāja became an authority, because he showed the example of surrendering everything, sarvātma-snapane, even his body. First of all he gave his kingdom.
Then, when it was not finished, then Kṛṣṇa demanded Vāmanadeva that "You have finished all your kingdom. Still you are debtor for one step, another. Where shall I keep another step?" So Bali Mahārāja said, "Yes. I have got still place on my head. You can place head on my . . . er . . . place Your step on my head." So he delivered his kingdom, his everything, at last his body, and Kṛṣṇa became purchased by him. And since then, Bali Mahārāja is one of the twelve authorities.
- svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ
- kumāraḥ kapilo manuḥ
- prahlādo janako bhīṣmo
- balir vaiyāsakir vayam
- (SB 6.3.20-21)
So Bali is . . . Bali Mardana does not mean that he was . . . because he was punished by Kṛṣṇa, he is not ordinary person; he is authority. So even a person punished by Kṛṣṇa becomes authority. Kṛṣṇa is so nice (chuckles). What to speak of a person who is directly loved by Kṛṣṇa, even one is punished by Kṛṣṇa, he becomes authority. So therefore Kṛṣṇa's name is Bali Mardana. And Bali Mardana dāsa means Kṛṣṇa dāsa, one who is servant of Kṛṣṇa. Is that clear? Yes.