किमात्मनानेन जहाति योऽन्तत:
किं रिक्थहारै: स्वजनाख्यदस्युभि: ।
किं जायया संसृतिहेतुभूतया
मर्त्यस्य गेहै: किमिहायुषो व्यय: ॥
इत्थं स निश्चित्य पितामहो महा-
नगाधबोधो भवत: पादपद्मम् ।
ध्रुवं प्रपेदे ह्यकुतोभयं जनाद्
भीत: स्वपक्षक्षपणस्य सत्तम ॥
kim ātmanānena jahāti yo’ntataḥ
kiṁ riktha-hāraiḥ svajanākhya-dasyubhiḥ |
kiṁ jāyayā saṁsṛti-hetu-bhūtayā
martyasya gehaiḥ kim ihāyuṣo vyayaḥ ||
itthaṁ sa niścitya pitāmaho mahān
agādha-bodho bhavataḥ pāda-padmam |
dhruvaṁ prapede hy akutobhayaṁ janād
bhītaḥ svapakṣa-kṣapaṇasya sattama ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 8.22.9–10)
[Bali Mahārāja explains to Vāmanadeva why Prahlāda Mahārāja took shelter in him:] “‘What good is this body, which leaves one in the end? What good are the bandits known as kinsmen, who steal away one’s wealth? What good is a wife, who is a cause of saṁsāra? And what good are houses, wherein there is [only] the loss of a mortal’s life?’ Thus resolved and wary of the world, that great grandfather [of mine], of unfathomable understanding, took shelter in your unwavering lotus feet, because of which there can be no fear whatsoever, even though you were the destroyer of his own dynasty, O Best of the virtuous!”