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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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.17.9

Who is speaking and story frame

विश्वाय विश्वभवनस्थितिसंयमाय

स्वैरं गृहीतपुरुशक्तिगुणाय भूम्ने ।

स्वस्थाय शश्वदुपबृंहितपूर्णबोध-

व्यापादितात्मतमसे हरये नमस्ते ॥ ९ ॥

viśvāya viśva-bhavana-sthiti-saṁyamāya

svairaṁ gṛhīta-puru-śakti-guṇāya bhūmne

sva-sthāya śaśvad-upabṛṁhita-pūrṇa-bodha-

vyāpāditātma-tamase haraye namas te

Translation

My Lord, You are the all-pervading universal form, the fully independent creator, maintainer and destroyer of this universe. Although You engage Your energy in matter, You are always situated in Your original form and never fall from that position, for Your knowledge is infallible and always suitable to any situation. You are never bewildered by illusion. O my Lord, let me offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
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Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Know the Lord’s Glories and Surrender

  1. 1

    The Lord independently creates, maintains and destroys the universe through His energy. He always remains in His original form and is never bewildered by illusion.

  2. 2

    To become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, one should understand the Lord’s glories as far as possible. Everything in the universe is an expansion of His potency, like sunshine and heat expanding from the sun.

  3. 3

    One who surrenders to the Supreme Personality of Godhead surpasses the influence of illusion. The Lord within the heart gives the intelligence needed to remain free from illusion.

Key points from the purport
  • The universe is nothing but the external potency of the Lord.
  • Whatever we see in this universe is but an expansion of the potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, just as the sunshine and heat all over the universe are expansions of the sun.
  • When one surrenders unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he surpasses the influence of the illusory energy, for the Supreme Lord, being fully wise and being situated in the heart of everyone, especially in the heart of the devotee, gives one intelligence by which one is sure never to fall into illusion.

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 8.17.9 quotesCC Ādi 2.117

In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi 2.117) it is said: Anyone trying to become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious must know the Lord’s glories as far as they are possible to understand.

The purport of SB 8.17.9 quotesBG 9.4

This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (9.4): mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam.

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

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

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. Aditi’s throat was choked because of ecstatic feelings, and her entire body trembled with devotion.
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. viśvāyaunto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is actually the entire universe
  2. viśvaof the universe
  3. bhavanacreation
  4. sthitimaintenance
  5. saṁyamāyaand annihilation
  6. svairamfully independent
  7. gṛhītataking in hand
  8. purucompletely
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Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Āśraya · The summum bonum

    Who is the shelter of everything? · Subject 10 of 10

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 8.17

    In this verse: “knowledge”, “understand”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 8.17

    In this verse: “illusion”

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

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

    In this verse: “surrenders”

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

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Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How can understanding the Lord’s glories deepen my willingness to surrender to Him?

Practice

Notice one thing around you and remember it as an expansion of the Lord’s potency; then offer Him a short prayer for guidance.

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The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayKnow the Lord’s Glories and SurrenderThis 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 8.17.9? Get an answer from the verses themselves.