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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
8.15.58.15.7

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.15.6

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

धनुश्च दिव्यं पुरटोपनद्धं

तूणावरिक्तौ कवचं च दिव्यम् ।

पितामहस्तस्य ददौ च माला-

मम्‍लानपुष्पां जलजं च शुक्र: ॥ ६ ॥

dhanuś ca divyaṁ puraṭopanaddhaṁ

tūṇāv ariktau kavacaṁ ca divyam

pitāmahas tasya dadau ca mālām

amlāna-puṣpāṁ jalajaṁ ca śukraḥ

Translation

A gilded bow, two quivers of infallible arrows, and celestial armor also appeared. Bali Mahārāja’s grandfather Prahlāda Mahārāja offered Bali a garland of flowers that would never fade, and Śukrācārya gave him a conchshell.

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.

Bali Receives Weapons and Gifts

  1. 1

    A gilded bow, two quivers of infallible arrows, and celestial armor also appeared.

  2. 2

    Bali Mahārāja’s grandfather, Prahlāda Mahārāja, offered him a garland of flowers that would never fade.

  3. 3

    Śukrācārya gave Bali Mahārāja a conchshell.

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:

Mahārāja Prahlāda, Bali Mahārāja’s grandfather, gave Bali an eternal garland of flowers, and Śukrācārya gave him a conchshell. Bali Mahārāja, after offering obeisances to Prahlāda, the brāhmaṇas and his spiritual master, Śukrācārya, equipped himself to fight with Indra and went to Indrapurī with his soldiers.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.15
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. dhanuḥa bow
  2. caalso
  3. divyamuncommon
  4. puraṭa-upanaddhamcovered with gold
  5. tūṇautwo quivers
  6. ariktauinfallible
  7. kavacam caand armor
  8. divyamcelestial
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

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

How does noticing each gift and its giver deepen your attention to this account?

Practice

Write down the gifts from Prahlāda Mahārāja and Śukrācārya, keeping each gift beside its giver’s name.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 8.15's connections

Live this todayBali Receives Weapons and GiftsThis 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 8.15.6? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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