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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

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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

8.11.22 8.11.24

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.11.23

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

नमुचि: पञ्चदशभि: स्वर्णपुङ्खैर्महेषुभि: ।

आहत्य व्यनदत्सङ्ख्ये सतोय इव तोयद: ॥ २३ ॥

namuciḥ pañca-daśabhiḥ

svarṇa-puṅkhair maheṣubhiḥ

āhatya vyanadat saṅkhye

satoya iva toyadaḥ

Translation

Then Namuci, another demon, attacked Indra and injured him with fifteen very powerful golden-feathered arrows, which roared like a cloud full of water.

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.

Namuci’s Powerful Arrows Injure Indra

1
Namuci attacked Indra directly and injured him.
2
He used fifteen very powerful arrows fitted with golden feathers.
3
The arrows roared like a cloud full of water. This comparison conveys the sound of 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:

Hearing this voice, Indra began to think of how Namuci could be killed. He then thought of foam, which is neither moist nor dry.

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

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

namuciḥthe demon named Namuci
pañca-daśabhiḥwith fifteen
svarṇa-puṅkhaiḥwith golden feathers attached
mahā-iṣubhiḥvery powerful arrows
āhatyapiercing
vyanadatresounded
saṅkhyeon the battlefield
sa-toyaḥbearing water
ivalike
toya-daḥa cloud that delivers rain

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.

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How does the comparison to a cloud full of water shape your understanding of the attack?

Practice

Read the verse slowly and note its details of number, appearance and sound.

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayNamuci’s Powerful Arrows Injure IndraThis 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 8.11.23? Get an answer from the verses themselves.

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