1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

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

Or browse by canto and chapter
Canto

Canto 8 · Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations · 24 chapters

123456789101112131415161718192021222324

Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

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 8 · Chapter 11: King Indra Annihilates the Demons
8.11.148.11.16

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.11.15

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 8.11.10inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

गदाप्रहारव्यथितो भृशं विह्वलितो गज: ।

जानुभ्यां धरणीं स्पृष्ट्वा कश्मलं परमं ययौ ॥ १५ ॥

gadā-prahāra-vyathito

bhṛśaṁ vihvalito gajaḥ

jānubhyāṁ dharaṇīṁ spṛṣṭvā

kaśmalaṁ paramaṁ yayau

Translation

Being beaten by Jambhāsura’s club, Indra’s elephant was confused and aggrieved. Thus it touched its knees to the ground and fell unconscious.

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 Elephant Suffers and Collapses

  1. 1

    The blow from Jambhāsura’s club left Indra’s elephant confused and aggrieved.

  2. 2

    The elephant touched its knees to the ground.

  3. 3

    It then fell unconscious, showing the severity of the blow.

How it feels

Danger and ambition → Divine rescue and surprise. Cooperation, rivalry and revelation alternate rapidly.

Chapters 5–12 of Canto 8: Churning the ocean, poison and nectar. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 11: King Indra Annihilates the Demons

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

King Indra released his thunderbolt against Bali, and when Bali fell, his friend Jambhāsura attacked Indra, who then cut off Jambhāsura’s head with his thunderbolt. When Nārada Muni learned that Jambhāsura had been killed, he informed Jambhāsura’s relatives Namuci, Bala and Pāka, who then went to the battlefield and attacked the demigods.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.11
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. gadā-prahāra-vyathitaḥbeing aggrieved because of the blow from Jambhāsura’s club
  2. bhṛśamvery much
  3. vihvalitaḥupset
  4. gajaḥthe elephant
  5. jānubhyāmwith its two knees
  6. dharaṇīmthe earth
  7. spṛṣṭvātouching
  8. kaśmalamunconsciousness
  9. paramamultimate
  10. yayauentered
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

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

Am I attentive to an animal’s suffering when reading this account?

Practice

Pause over the words describing the elephant’s distress rather than rushing past them.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Elephant Suffers and CollapsesThis 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 8.11.15? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
  1. Learn
  2. Live
  3. Lead
Next in Learn · 5 of 11 · 2 minAsk the BhāgavatamBring your own question. Get an answer drawn only from the Bhāgavatam's translations, with every verse shown.Back · LearnCantos & stories