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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
7.8.287.8.30

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 7.8.29

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
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 forHiraṇyakaśipu· The limits of power

विष्वक्स्फुरन्तं ग्रहणातुरं हरि-

र्व्यालो यथाखुं कुलिशाक्षतत्वचम् ।

द्वार्यूरुमापत्य ददार लीलया

नखैर्यथाहिं गरुडो महाविषम् ॥ २९ ॥

viṣvak sphurantaṁ grahaṇāturaṁ harir

vyālo yathākhuṁ kuliśākṣata-tvacam

dvāry ūrum āpatya dadāra līlayā

nakhair yathāhiṁ garuḍo mahā-viṣam

Translation

As a snake captures a mouse or Garuḍa captures a very venomous snake, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva captured Hiraṇyakaśipu, who could not be pierced even by the thunderbolt of King Indra. As Hiraṇyakaśipu moved his limbs here, there and all around, very much afflicted at being captured, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva placed the demon on His lap, supporting him with His thighs, and in the doorway of the assembly hall the Lord very easily tore the demon to pieces with the nails of His hand.

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 Preserves Brahmā’s Promises

  1. 1

    To preserve Lord Brahmā’s promise, Nṛsiṁhadeva placed Hiraṇyakaśipu on His lap, which was neither land nor sky.

  2. 2

    The Lord killed the demon in the evening, at the meeting of day and night. Thus the promise that he would die neither during the day nor at night remained intact.

  3. 3

    The Lord used His nails, which were not weapons and could be described as neither living nor dead. In this extraordinary way, He easily killed the demon while preserving Brahmā’s benedictions.

Key points from the purport
  • Hiraṇyakaśipu had received from Lord Brahmā the benediction that he would not die on the land or in the sky.
  • Therefore, to keep the promise of Lord Brahmā intact, Nṛsiṁhadeva placed Hiraṇyakaśipu’s body on His lap, which was neither land nor sky.
  • Therefore, to keep this promise of Brahmā, the Lord killed Hiraṇyakaśipu in the evening, which is the end of day and the beginning of night but is neither day nor night.

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:

The Lord performed His pastimes by fighting with the demon for some time, and in the evening, on the border between day and night, the Lord captured the demon, threw him on His lap, and killed him by piercing his abdomen with His nails. The Lord not only killed Hiraṇyakaśipu, the King of the demons, but also killed many of his followers.
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. viṣvakall around
  2. sphurantammoving his limbs
  3. grahaṇa-āturamafflicted because of being captured
  4. hariḥthe Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nṛsiṁhadeva
  5. vyālaḥa snake
  6. yathājust as
  7. ākhuma mouse
  8. kuliśa-akṣatanot cut even by the thunderbolt thrown by Indra
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Īśānukathā · The science of God

    Who is the Lord, and how do His devotees live? · Subject 7 of 10

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 7.8

    In this verse: “king”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How does the Lord’s preserving Brahmā’s promises deepen my appreciation of His power?

Practice

Write down the three details—lap, evening, and nails—and recall which promises they preserved.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

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 Preserves Brahmā’s PromisesThis 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 7.8.29? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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