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Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

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Canto 3 · The Status Quo · 33 chapters

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How to study this verse, in six steps
  1. 1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
  2. 2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
  3. 3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
  4. 4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
  5. 5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
  6. 6Write down what touched you. Note the main points in your own notebook.
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Canto 3 · Chapter 17: Victory of Hiraṇyākṣa Over All the Directions of the Universe
3.17.223.17.24

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 3.17.23

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Maitreya Ṛṣisince 3.17.1inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → Vidura

स वै तिरोहितान् दृष्ट्वा महसा स्वेन दैत्यराट् ।

सेन्द्रान्देवगणान् क्षीबानपश्यन् व्यनदद् भृशम् ॥ २३ ॥

sa vai tirohitān dṛṣṭvā

mahasā svena daitya-rāṭ

sendrān deva-gaṇān kṣībān

apaśyan vyanadad bhṛśam

Translation

On not finding Indra and the other demigods, who had previously been intoxicated with power, the chief of the Daityas, seeing that they had all vanished before his might, roared loudly.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Power Does Not Prevent Fear

  1. 1

    Indra and the other demigods had previously been intoxicated with power.

  2. 2

    They had all vanished before Hiraṇyākṣa’s might, so he could not find them.

  3. 3

    Seeing that they had disappeared, the chief of the Daityas roared loudly.

How it feels

Threat and anger → Rescue and wonder. Divine protection appears amid cosmic confrontation.

Chapters 13–19 of Canto 3: Varāha, Jaya and Vijaya, Hiraṇyākṣa. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 17: Victory of Hiraṇyākṣa Over All the Directions of the Universe

Terrible omens accompany the demons’ appearance, and Hiraṇyākṣa spreads fear through his strength and pride.

Back to this verse in chapter 3.17
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. saḥhe
  2. vaiindeed
  3. tirohitānvanished
  4. dṛṣṭvāhaving seen
  5. mahasāby might
  6. svenahis own
  7. daitya-rāṭthe chief of the Daityas (demons)
  8. sa-indrānalong with Indra
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Ūti · The creative impetus

    Why do we act, and what keeps us bound? · Subject 5 of 10

Chapter themes come from the story phase this chapter belongs to.

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does the demigods’ retreat teach me about confidence based on power?

Practice

Recall one situation in which your confidence depended on having power, and reflect on how uncertain that power was.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayPower Does Not Prevent FearThis verse's lesson: one practice and one question for today

Study points are short summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport on Vedabase.

Ask the BhāgavatamHave a question about SB 3.17.23? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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