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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 12: The Mohinī-mūrti Incarnation Bewilders Lord Śiva

8.12.12 8.12.14

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.12.13

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:Lord Mahādevasince 8.12.4inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

येन सम्मोहिता दैत्या: पायिताश्चामृतं सुरा: । तद् दिद‍ृक्षव आयाता: परं कौतूहलं हि न: ॥ १३ ॥

yena sammohitā daityāḥ

pāyitāś cāmṛtaṁ surāḥ

tad didṛkṣava āyātāḥ

paraṁ kautūhalaṁ hi naḥ

Translation

My Lord, we have come here desiring to see that form of Your Lordship which You showed to the demons to captivate them completely and in this way enable the demigods to drink nectar. I am very eager to see that form.

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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.

Eagerness to See the Lord’s Form

1
Lord Śiva expresses his desire to see the form the Lord showed to the demons.
2
That form captivated the demons completely. In this way, the demigods were able to drink nectar.
3
Lord Śiva explains that this desire brought them there. He emphasizes his great eagerness to see the form.

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 12: The Mohinī-mūrti Incarnation Bewilders Lord Śiva

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Lord Śiva offered obeisances to the Supreme Lord as the all-pervading Lord, the universal form, the supreme controller of creation, the Supersoul, the resting place for everyone, and the completely independent cause of all causes. Thus he offered prayers giving truthful descriptions of the Lord.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 8.12