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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

1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
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

8.17.2-3 8.17.5

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.17.4

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 8.17.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

A turning point forAditi· The Lord appears

तस्या: प्रादुरभूत्तात भगवानादिपुरुष: ।

पीतवासाश्चतुर्बाहु: शङ्खचक्रगदाधर: ॥ ४ ॥

tasyāḥ prādurabhūt tāta

bhagavān ādi-puruṣaḥ

pīta-vāsāś catur-bāhuḥ

śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-dharaḥ

Translation

My dear King, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, dressed in yellow garments and bearing a conchshell, disc, club and lotus in His four hands, then appeared before Aditi.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Supreme Lord Appears Before Aditi

1
The original Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared before Aditi.
2
The Lord was dressed in yellow garments.
3
In His four hands He held a conchshell, disc, club and lotus.

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

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

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

After Aditi performed the payo-vrata ceremony for twelve continuous days, the Lord, who was certainly very pleased with her, appeared before her with four hands and dressed in yellow garments. As soon as Aditi saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead present before her, she immediately got up, and with great ecstatic love for the Lord she fell to the ground to offer respectful obeisances.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 8.17

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

tasyāḥbefore her
prādurabhūtappeared
tātamy dear King
bhagavānthe Supreme Personality of Godhead
ādi-puruṣaḥthe original person
pīta-vāsāḥdressed in yellow garments
catuḥ-bāhuḥwith four arms
śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-dharaḥbearing the conchshell, disc, club and lotus flower

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 8.17
In this verse: “king”

Chapter themes come from the story phase this chapter belongs to.

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Which detail of the Lord’s appearance helps me remember Him attentively?

Practice

Read the description slowly and spend a minute remembering the Lord’s form as described here.

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Supreme Lord Appears Before AditiThis 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 8.17.4? Get an answer from the verses themselves.

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