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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 12: The Mohinī-mūrti Incarnation Bewilders Lord Śiva

8.12.26 8.12.28

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.12.27

Ūti· What drives us to act

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 8.12.17inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

तामन्वगच्छद् भगवान् भव: प्रमुषितेन्द्रिय: । कामस्य च वशं नीत: करेणुमिव यूथप: ॥ २७ ॥

tām anvagacchad bhagavān

bhavaḥ pramuṣitendriyaḥ

kāmasya ca vaśaṁ nītaḥ

kareṇum iva yūthapaḥ

Translation

His senses being agitated, Lord Śiva, victimized by lusty desires, began to follow Her, just as a lusty elephant follows a she-elephant.

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.

Agitated Senses Lead to Pursuit

1
Lord Śiva’s senses became agitated.
2
Victimized by lusty desires, he began to follow the woman.
3
The translation compares his pursuit to a lusty elephant following a she-elephant.

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:

This demonstrates that by the power of the Lord’s external energy, everyone is captivated by the form of woman in this material world. Again, however, by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one can overcome the influence of māyā.

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

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

tāmHer
anvagacchatfollowed
bhagavānLord Śiva
bhavaḥknown as Bhava
pramuṣita-indriyaḥwhose senses were agitated
kāmasyaof lusty desires
caand
vaśamvictimized

Key ideas in this verse

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

Ūti · The creative impetus
Why do we act, and what keeps us bound? · Subject 5 of 10
Moha · Material attachment
The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 8.12
In this verse: “lusty”

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 can you recognize when agitated senses are beginning to direct your actions?

Practice

Notice one restless impulse today and pause rather than immediately following it.

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayAgitated Senses Lead to PursuitThis 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 8.12.27? Get an answer from the verses themselves.

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