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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
8.16.608.16.62

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.16.61

Manvantara· The Manus and right duty
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Kaśyapa Munisince 8.16.38inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

त एव नियमा: साक्षात्त एव च यमोत्तमा: ।

तपो दानं व्रतं यज्ञो येन तुष्यत्यधोक्षज: ॥ ६१ ॥

ta eva niyamāḥ sākṣāt

ta eva ca yamottamāḥ

tapo dānaṁ vrataṁ yajño

yena tuṣyaty adhokṣajaḥ

Translation

This is the best process for pleasing the transcendental Supreme Personality of Godhead, known as Adhokṣaja. It is the best of all regulative principles, the best austerity, the best process of giving charity, and the best process of sacrifice.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Success Means Pleasing the Supreme Lord

  1. 1

    The best regulative principles, austerity, charity and sacrifice are those that please Adhokṣaja, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

  2. 2

    The Supreme Lord asks us to surrender to Him and promises deliverance from sinful reactions. Unless we please Him according to His demand, our actions bring no good result.

  3. 3

    Duties that do not awaken attraction for the Lord's message are only useless labor. Real self-interest ends in pleasing Lord Viṣṇu, not merely performing outwardly pious acts.

Key points from the purport
  • Unless one pleases the Supreme Personality of Godhead according to His demand, no good result will come from any of his actions.
  • Unfortunately, foolish people do not know the secret of success.
  • They do not know that real self-interest ends in pleasing Lord Viṣṇu.

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· 2

The purport of SB 8.16.61 quotesBG 18.66

The Supreme Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (18.66): “Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me.

The purport of SB 8.16.61 quotesSB 1.2.8

“The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.”

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:

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. Lord Brahmā had instructed him how to satisfy Lord Kṛṣṇa by this process, and thus he advised his wife to observe this vow and its regulative principles.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.16
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tethat is
  2. evaindeed
  3. niyamāḥall regulative principles
  4. sākṣātdirectly
  5. tethat is
  6. evaindeed
  7. caalso
  8. yama-uttamāḥthe best process of controlling the senses
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Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Manvantara · The change of Manus

    What gives human life its right direction? · Subject 6 of 10

  • Dharma · Duty and righteous conduct

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

    In this verse: “principles”, “duties”

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

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

    In this verse: “surrender”

  • Śuddhi · Inner transformation

    The reorientation of the heart toward service. · Theme in SB 8.16

    In this verse: “sinful”

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

Am I trying to please the Lord, or merely to complete a religious activity?

Practice

Before one devotional activity today, pause and consciously make pleasing the Supreme Lord your purpose.

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.

The purport quotesSB 1.2.8

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 8.16's connections

Live this todaySuccess Means Pleasing the Supreme LordThis 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 8.16.61? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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