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

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Canto 7 · The Science of God · 15 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 ›
Canto 7 · Chapter 8: Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva Slays the King of the Demons
7.8.167.8.18

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 7.8.17

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Hiraṇyakaśipusince 7.8.11inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitNārada Muni → Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira
A turning point forPrahlāda Mahārāja· The Lord appears

सत्यं विधातुं निजभृत्यभाषितं

व्याप्तिं च भूतेष्वखिलेषु चात्मन: ।

अद‍ृश्यतात्यद्भ‍ुतरूपमुद्वहन्

स्तम्भे सभायां न मृगं न मानुषम् ॥ १७ ॥

satyaṁ vidhātuṁ nija-bhṛtya-bhāṣitaṁ

vyāptiṁ ca bhūteṣv akhileṣu cātmanaḥ

adṛśyatātyadbhuta-rūpam udvahan

stambhe sabhāyāṁ na mṛgaṁ na mānuṣam

Translation

To prove that the statement of His servant Prahlāda Mahārāja was substantial — in other words, to prove that the Supreme Lord is present everywhere, even within the pillar of an assembly hall — the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, exhibited a wonderful form never before seen. The form was neither that of a man nor that of a lion. Thus the Lord appeared in His wonderful form in the assembly hall.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
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Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Lord Upholds His Devotee’s Words

  1. 1

    Prahlāda Mahārāja fearlessly declared that his Lord was present everywhere. The Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared from the pillar to prove His servant’s words true.

  2. 2

    The Lord’s appearance encouraged Prahlāda, saying in effect, “Don’t worry. I am present here.” He upheld the truth that His devotee is never vanquished.

  3. 3

    By appearing as Nṛsiṁhadeva, half lion and half man, the Lord also preserved Lord Brahmā’s promise. His form was neither fully a man nor fully an animal.

Key points from the purport
  • Prahlāda Mahārāja fearlessly replied, “Yes, my Lord is present everywhere.”
  • Therefore, to convince Hiraṇyakaśipu that the statement of Prahlāda Mahārāja was unmistakably true, the Lord appeared from the pillar.
  • The Lord appeared in a form that could not be said to be fully a man or a lion.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

How it feels

Terror and divine fury → Protection and compassion. The crisis resolves through relationship rather than domination.

Chapters 8–10 of Canto 7: Nṛsiṁhadeva appears; Prahlāda pacifies Him. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 8: Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva Slays the King of the Demons

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Hiraṇyakaśipu asked his Vaiṣṇava son whether his God existed within the columns of the palace, and Prahlāda Mahārāja immediately accepted that since the Lord is present everywhere, He was also present within the columns. When Hiraṇyakaśipu heard this philosophy from his young son, he derided the boy’s statement as just the talk of a child and forcefully struck the pillar with his fist.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 7.8
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. satyamtrue
  2. vidhātumto prove
  3. nija-bhṛtya-bhāṣitamthe words of His own servant (Prahlāda Mahārāja, who had said that his Lord is present everywhere)
  4. vyāptimthe pervasion
  5. caand
  6. bhūteṣuamong the living entities and elements
  7. akhileṣuall
  8. caalso
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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 7.8

    In this verse: “devotee”

  • Abhaya · Fearlessness

    Steadiness through faith amid danger and death. · Theme in SB 7.8

    In this verse: “fearlessly”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How can the Lord’s reassurance to Prahlāda strengthen my trust in Him?

Practice

During one anxious moment today, pause and remember the Lord’s reassurance: “Don’t worry. I am present here.”

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The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

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Connected stories

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

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 7.8's connections

Live this todayThe Lord Upholds His Devotee’s WordsThis 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 7.8.17? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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