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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
  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 15: Bali Mahārāja Conquers the Heavenly Planets
8.15.238.15.25

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.15.24

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 8.15.3inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

मघवांस्तमभिप्रेत्य बले: परममुद्यमम् ।

सर्वदेवगणोपेतो गुरुमेतदुवाच ह ॥ २४ ॥

maghavāṁs tam abhipretya

baleḥ paramam udyamam

sarva-deva-gaṇopeto

gurum etad uvāca ha

Translation

Seeing Bali Mahārāja’s indefatigable endeavor and understanding his motive, King Indra, along with the other demigods, approached his spiritual master, Bṛhaspati, and spoke as follows.

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.

Seek Guidance When Facing Difficulty

  1. 1

    Indra saw Bali Mahārāja’s indefatigable endeavor and understood his motive.

  2. 2

    Indra approached his spiritual master, Bṛhaspati, rather than facing the situation without guidance.

  3. 3

    The other demigods accompanied Indra as he went to speak to his spiritual master.

How it feels

Loss and hope → Revelation. A shift in fortune sets up a spiritual test.

Chapters 15–18 of Canto 8: Bali, Aditi and Vāmana's appearance. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 15: Bali Mahārāja Conquers the Heavenly Planets

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

When Indra saw Bali Mahārāja’s prowess, he went to his own spiritual master, Bṛhaspati, told him about Bali’s strength, and inquired about his duty. Bṛhaspati informed the demigods that because Bali had been endowed with extraordinary power by the brāhmaṇas, the demigods could not fight with him.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.15
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. maghavānIndra
  2. tamthe situation
  3. abhipretyaunderstanding
  4. baleḥof Bali Mahārāja
  5. paramam udyamamgreat enthusiasm
  6. sarva-deva-gaṇaby all the demigods
  7. upetaḥaccompanied
  8. gurumunto the spiritual master
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

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 8.15

    In this verse: “king”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 8.15

    In this verse: “understanding”

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

When a difficulty arises, do I pause to seek spiritual guidance?

Practice

Write down one difficulty on which you would like spiritual guidance.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todaySeek Guidance When Facing DifficultyThis 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 8.15.24? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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