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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.
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Canto 8 · Chapter 17: The Supreme Lord Agrees to Become Aditi’s Son
8.17.138.17.15

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.17.14

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Supreme Personality of Godheadsince 8.17.12inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

इन्द्रज्येष्ठै: स्वतनयैर्हतानां युधि विद्विषाम् ।

स्त्रियो रुदन्तीरासाद्य द्रष्टुमिच्छसि दु:खिता: ॥ १४ ॥

indra-jyeṣṭhaiḥ sva-tanayair

hatānāṁ yudhi vidviṣām

striyo rudantīr āsādya

draṣṭum icchasi duḥkhitāḥ

Translation

You want to see the wives of the demons lamenting for the death of their husbands when those demons, the enemies of your sons, are killed in battle by the demigods, of whom Indra is the chief.

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.

The Lord Describes Her Desire for Victory

  1. 1

    The Lord describes her wish that her sons defeat and kill their enemies in battle.

  2. 2

    The demigods, led by Indra, are the sons whose victory she desires.

  3. 3

    Her desire also includes seeing the demons’ wives grieving for their dead husbands.

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 17: The Supreme Lord Agrees to Become Aditi’s Son

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

He was already pleased by Kaśyapa Muni’s austerities, and thus He agreed to become their son and maintain the demigods. After giving His word of honor to this effect, the Lord disappeared.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.17
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. indra-jyeṣṭhaiḥpersons of whom King Indra is the eldest
  2. sva-tanayaiḥby your own sons
  3. hatānāmwho are killed
  4. yudhiin the fight
  5. vidviṣāmof the enemies
  6. striyaḥthe wives
  7. rudantīḥlamenting
  8. āsādyacoming near the dead bodies of their husbands
  9. draṣṭum icchasiyou want to see
  10. duḥkhitāḥvery much aggrieved
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Ūti · The creative impetus

    Why do we act, and what keeps us bound? · Subject 5 of 10

  • Abhaya · Fearlessness

    Steadiness through faith amid danger and death. · Theme in SB 8.17

    In this verse: “death”

  • Viraha · Longing in separation

    Love and remembrance experienced in apparent absence. · Theme in SB 8.17

    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 you wish for victory over someone, do you consider the grief that victory might bring to others?

Practice

Examine one wish to overcome an opponent, and acknowledge any suffering it could bring to others.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Lord Describes Her Desire for VictoryThis 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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