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

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Canto 5 · The Creative Impetus · 26 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.
Read the full guide: how to hear the Bhāgavatam ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 5.24.27

Who is speaking and story frame

तस्यानुचरितमुपरिष्टाद्विस्तरिष्यते यस्य भगवान् स्वयमखिलजगद्गुरुर्नारायणो द्वारि गदापाणिरवतिष्ठते निजजनानुकम्पितहृदयो येनाङ्गुष्ठेन पदा दशकन्धरो योजनायुतायुतं दिग्विजय उच्चाटित: ॥ २७ ॥

tasyānucaritam upariṣṭād vistariṣyate yasya bhagavān svayam akhila-jagad-gurur nārāyaṇo dvāri gadā-pāṇir avatiṣṭhate nija-janānukampita-hṛdayo yenāṅguṣṭhena padā daśa-kandharo yojanāyutāyutaṁ dig-vijaya uccāṭitaḥ.

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, how shall I glorify the character of Bali Mahārāja? The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of the three worlds, who is most compassionate to His own devotee, stands with club in hand at Bali Mahārāja’s door. When Rāvaṇa, the powerful demon, came to gain victory over Bali Mahārāja, Vāmanadeva kicked him a distance of eighty thousand miles with His big toe. I shall explain the character and activities of Bali Mahārāja later [in the Eighth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam].

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.

The Supreme Lord Protects His Devotee

  1. 1

    Śukadeva Gosvāmī praises Bali Mahārāja’s character by describing the Lord’s extraordinary care for him.

  2. 2

    The Supreme Personality of Godhead, master of the three worlds, stands at Bali Mahārāja’s door with club in hand. He is most compassionate to His devotee.

  3. 3

    When Rāvaṇa came to conquer Bali Mahārāja, Vāmanadeva kicked him eighty thousand miles away with His big toe.

How it feels

Smallness → Awe and reverence. A vast cosmos changes the reader's perspective.

Chapters 15–25 of Canto 5: The cosmic regions and divine worship. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 24: The Subterranean Heavenly Planets

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

The description of Bali Mahārāja appears in the Eighth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. When the Supreme Personality of Godhead offers a devotee material happiness, this is not His real favor.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 5.24
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tasyaof Bali Mahārāja
  2. anucaritamthe narration
  3. upariṣṭātlater (in the Eighth Canto)
  4. vistariṣyatewill be explained
  5. yasyaof whom
  6. bhagavānthe Supreme Personality of Godhead
  7. svayampersonally
  8. akhila-jagad-guruḥthe master of all the three worlds
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Poṣaṇa · Protection by the Lord

    How does the Lord care for His devotees? · Subject 4 of 10

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 5.24

    In this verse: “devotee”

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 5.24

    In this verse: “glorify”

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 5.24

    In this verse: “compassionate”

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 Lord’s care for Bali Mahārāja teach me about His compassion toward His devotees?

Practice

Spend a minute remembering the Lord standing at Bali Mahārāja’s door, and offer a prayer of gratitude for His compassion.

5

Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

Live this todayThe Supreme Lord Protects His DevoteeThis 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 5.24.27? Get an answer from the verses themselves.