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

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Canto 8 · Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations · 24 chapters

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

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How to study this verse, in six steps

1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
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

8.11.16 8.11.18

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.11.17

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

तस्य तत् पूजयन् कर्म यन्तुर्दानवसत्तम: ।

शूलेन ज्वलता तं तु स्मयमानोऽहनन्मृधे ॥ १७ ॥

tasya tat pūjayan karma

yantur dānava-sattamaḥ

śūlena jvalatā taṁ tu

smayamāno ’hanan mṛdhe

Translation

Appreciating Mātali’s service, Jambhāsura, the best of the demons, smiled. Nonetheless, he struck Mātali in the battle with a trident of blazing fire.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

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

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Appreciation Does Not End the Attack

1
Jambhāsura, the best of the demons, appreciated Mātali’s service.
2
He smiled in appreciation, yet continued fighting.
3
He struck Mātali with a trident of blazing fire, showing that his appreciation did not prevent the attack.

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

Chapter 11: King Indra Annihilates the Demons

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

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. Indra, King of heaven, severed the heads of Bala and Pāka and released the weapon known as kuliśa, the thunderbolt, against Namuci’s shoulder.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 8.11