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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
8.16.218.16.23

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.16.22

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śrīmatī Aditisince 8.16.22inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

श्रीअदितिरुवाच

केनाहं विधिना ब्रह्मन्नुपस्थास्ये जगत्पतिम् ।

यथा मे सत्यसङ्कल्पो विदध्यात् स मनोरथम् ॥ २२ ॥

śrī-aditir uvāca

kenāhaṁ vidhinā brahmann

upasthāsye jagat-patim

yathā me satya-saṅkalpo

vidadhyāt sa manoratham

Translation

Śrīmatī Aditi said: O brāhmaṇa, tell me the regulative principles by which I may worship the supreme master of the world so that He will be pleased with me and fulfill all my desires.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Seek Guidance Rather Than Dictate

  1. 1

    A person may desire many things, but their fulfillment depends on the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

  2. 2

    A disciple must first decide to worship the Supreme Lord and then receive correct directions from the spiritual master. One should not dictate instructions, just as a patient should not dictate a physician’s prescription.

  3. 3

    Aditi was distressed because her sons had lost everything. She sought shelter of the Supreme Lord under the direction of Kaśyapa Muni.

Key points from the purport
  • Thus a person may desire many things, but unless these desires are fulfilled by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they cannot be fulfilled.
  • Aditi placed herself at the mercy of her husband so that he would give her directions by which to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead so that all her desires would be fulfilled.
  • Thus she wanted to take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead under the direction of her husband, Kaśyapa Muni.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

Connected verses· 1

The purport of SB 8.16.22 quotesBG 7.16

As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (7.16): “O best among the Bhāratas, four kinds of pious men render devotional service unto Me — the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.”

Each link is a verse the purport itself quotes, or a purport elsewhere that quotes this verse, shown with the purport's own words.

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:

He assured her that only Lord Vāsudeva could satisfy her and fulfill all her desires. When Aditi then expressed her desire to worship Lord Vāsudeva, Prajāpati Kaśyapa told her about a process of worship known as payo-vrata, which is executed in twelve days.
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-aditiḥ uvācaŚrīmatī Aditi began to pray
  2. kenaby which
  3. ahamI
  4. vidhināby regulative principles
  5. brahmanO brāhmaṇa
  6. upasthāsyecan please
  7. jagat-patimthe Lord of the universe, Jagannātha
  8. yathāby which
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

  • Dharma · Duty and righteous conduct

    Right action as duty, responsibility and devotion. · Theme in SB 8.16

    In this verse: “principles”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 8.16

    In this verse: “worship”

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

    Relinquishing ownership while entrusting oneself to the Lord. · Theme in SB 8.16

    In this verse: “shelter”

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

Do I seek spiritual guidance with openness, or only look for confirmation of what I already want?

Practice

Write down one sincere question about worship, without deciding beforehand what the answer must be.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todaySeek Guidance Rather Than DictateThis 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.

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