1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

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

Or browse by canto and chapter

Canto

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

Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

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 15: Bali Mahārāja Conquers the Heavenly Planets

8.15.4 8.15.6

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.15.5

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

ततो रथ: काञ्चनपट्टनद्धो

हयाश्च हर्यश्वतुरङ्गवर्णा: ।

ध्वजश्च सिंहेन विराजमानो

हुताशनादास हविर्भिरिष्टात् ॥ ५ ॥

tato rathaḥ kāñcana-paṭṭa-naddho

hayāś ca haryaśva-turaṅga-varṇāḥ

dhvajaś ca siṁhena virājamāno

hutāśanād āsa havirbhir iṣṭāt

Translation

When ghee [clarified butter] was offered in the fire of sacrifice, there appeared from the fire a celestial chariot covered with gold and silk. There also appeared yellow horses like those of Indra, and a flag marked with a lion.

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.

Celestial Equipment Appears From the Fire

1
Ghee, or clarified butter, was offered in the fire of sacrifice.
2
A celestial chariot covered with gold and silk appeared from the fire.
3
Yellow horses like those of Indra also appeared, along with a flag marked with a lion.

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

Chapter 15: Bali Mahārāja Conquers the Heavenly Planets

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

When this yajña was performed, from the fire of yajña came a chariot, horses, a flag, a bow, armor and two quivers of arrows. Mahārāja Prahlāda, Bali Mahārāja’s grandfather, gave Bali an eternal garland of flowers, and Śukrācārya gave him a conchshell.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 8.15

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

tataḥthereafter
rathaḥa chariot
kāñcanawith gold
paṭṭaand silk garments
naddhaḥwrapped
hayāḥ cahorses also
haryaśva-turaṅga-varṇāḥexactly of the same color as the horses of Indra (yellow)
dhvajaḥ caa flag also

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

Which details help you picture the extraordinary equipment described here?

Practice

List the three things that appeared from the sacrificial fire in this verse.

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayCelestial Equipment Appears From the FireThis 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 8.15.5? Get an answer from the verses themselves.

Next in Learn · 5 of 11 · 2 minAsk the BhāgavatamBring your own question. Get an answer drawn only from the Bhāgavatam's translations, with every verse shown.Back · LearnCantos & stories