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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 17: The Supreme Lord Agrees to Become Aditi’s Son
8.17.278.18.1

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.17.28

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Lord Brahmāsince 8.17.25inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

त्वं वै प्रजानां स्थिरजङ्गमानां

प्रजापतीनामसि सम्भविष्णु: ।

दिवौकसां देव दिवश्‍च्युतानां

परायणं नौरिव मज्जतोऽप्सु ॥ २८ ॥

tvaṁ vai prajānāṁ sthira-jaṅgamānāṁ

prajāpatīnām asi sambhaviṣṇuḥ

divaukasāṁ deva divaś cyutānāṁ

parāyaṇaṁ naur iva majjato ’psu

Translation

My Lord, You are the original generator of all living entities, stationary or moving, and You are also the generator of the Prajāpatis. O my Lord, as a boat is the only hope for a person drowning in the water, You are the only shelter for the demigods, who are now bereft of their heavenly position.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Lord Is the Only Shelter

  1. 1

    The Lord is the original generator of all living entities, whether stationary or moving.

  2. 2

    He is also the generator of the Prajāpatis.

  3. 3

    The demigods have lost their heavenly position, and the Lord is their only shelter. He is compared to a boat that offers hope to a drowning person.

Key points from the purport
  • Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Eighth Canto, Seventeenth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “The Supreme Lord Agrees to Become Aditi’s Son.”

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

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:

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supersoul of all living entities, was very pleased with her, and He agreed to become her son by incarnating as a plenary expansion. He was already pleased by Kaśyapa Muni’s austerities, and thus He agreed to become their son and maintain the demigods.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.17
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tvamYour Lordship
  2. vaiindeed
  3. prajānāmof all living entities
  4. sthira-jaṅgamānāmeither stationary or moving
  5. prajāpatīnāmof all the Prajāpatis
  6. asiYou are
  7. sambhaviṣṇuḥthe generator of everyone
  8. diva-okasāmof the inhabitants of the upper planetary system
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Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Poṣaṇa · Protection by the Lord

    How does the Lord care for His devotees? · Subject 4 of 10

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

    Relinquishing ownership while entrusting oneself to the Lord. · Theme in SB 8.17

    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

How does the image of a boat for a drowning person help me understand taking shelter of the Lord?

Practice

Offer a brief prayer to the Lord, acknowledging your need for His shelter.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Lord Is the Only ShelterThis 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 8.17.28? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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