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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 16: Executing the Payo-vrata Process of Worship
8.15.368.16.2

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.16.1

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 8.16.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit
A turning point forAditi· A mother’s distress

श्रीशुक उवाच

एवं पुत्रेषु नष्टेषु देवमातादितिस्तदा ।

हृते त्रिविष्टपे दैत्यै: पर्यतप्यदनाथवत् ॥ १ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca

evaṁ putreṣu naṣṭeṣu

deva-mātāditis tadā

hṛte tri-viṣṭape daityaiḥ

paryatapyad anāthavat

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King, when Aditi’s sons, the demigods, had thus disappeared from heaven and the demons had occupied their places, Aditi began lamenting, as if she had no protector.

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.

Loss Can Leave One Feeling Unprotected

  1. 1

    Aditi’s sons, the demigods, had disappeared from heaven.

  2. 2

    The demons had occupied their places, and Aditi began lamenting.

  3. 3

    Aditi grieved as if she had no protector. The translation describes her feeling of being without protection.

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 16: Executing the Payo-vrata Process of Worship

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

As described in this chapter, because Aditi, the mother of the demigods, was very afflicted, her husband, Kaśyapa Muni, told her how to observe vows in austerities for the benefit of her sons. Since the demigods were not visible in the heavenly kingdom, their mother, Aditi, because of separation from them, was very much aggrieved.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.16
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-śukaḥ uvācaŚrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said
  2. evamin this way
  3. putreṣuwhen her sons
  4. naṣṭeṣudisappearing from their position
  5. deva-mātāthe mother of the demigods
  6. aditiḥAditi
  7. tadāat that time
  8. hṛtebecause of being lost
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 8.16

    In this verse: “king”

  • Rakṣā · Divine protection

    Protection of devotees through the Lord’s intervention. · Theme in SB 8.16

    In this verse: “protector”

  • Viraha · Longing in separation

    Love and remembrance experienced in apparent absence. · Theme in SB 8.16

    In this verse: “lamenting”

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 has a loss made me feel as though I had no protector?

Practice

Take a quiet moment to acknowledge a loss and the feelings it has brought.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayLoss Can Leave One Feeling UnprotectedThis 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 8.16.1? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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