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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 18: Lord Vāmanadeva, the Dwarf Incarnation
8.18.218.18.23

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.18.22

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 8.18.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

ते ऋत्विजो यजमान: सदस्या

हतत्विषो वामनतेजसा नृप ।

सूर्य: किलायात्युत वा विभावसु:

सनत्कुमारोऽथ दिद‍ृक्षया क्रतो: ॥ २२ ॥

te ṛtvijo yajamānaḥ sadasyā

hata-tviṣo vāmana-tejasā nṛpa

sūryaḥ kilāyāty uta vā vibhāvasuḥ

sanat-kumāro ’tha didṛkṣayā kratoḥ

Translation

O King, because of Vāmanadeva’s bright effulgence, the priests, along with Bali Mahārāja and all the members of the assembly, were robbed of their splendor. Thus they began to ask one another whether the sun-god himself, Sanat-kumāra or the fire-god had personally come to see the sacrificial ceremony.

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.

Vāmanadeva’s Effulgence Surpasses the Assembly

  1. 1

    Vāmanadeva’s bright effulgence diminished the splendor of the priests, Bali Mahārāja and everyone in the assembly.

  2. 2

    Those present began asking one another who had come to the sacrificial ceremony.

  3. 3

    They wondered whether their visitor was the sun-god, Sanat-kumāra or the fire-god. His brilliance filled them with uncertainty about His identity.

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 18: Lord Vāmanadeva, the Dwarf Incarnation

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Wearing a belt made of muñja straw, an upper garment of deerskin and a sacred thread and carrying in His hands a daṇḍa, an umbrella and a waterpot ( kamaṇḍalu), Lord Vāmanadeva appeared in the sacrificial arena of Mahārāja Bali. Because of His transcendentally effulgent presence, all the priests were diminished in their prowess, and thus they all stood from their seats and offered prayers to Lord Vāmanadeva.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.18
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. teall of them
  2. ṛtvijaḥthe priests
  3. yajamānaḥas well as Bali Mahārāja, who had engaged them in performing the yajña
  4. sadasyāḥall the members of the assembly
  5. hata-tviṣaḥdecreased in their bodily effulgence
  6. vāmana-tejasāby the brilliant effulgence of Lord Vāmana
  7. nṛpaO King
  8. sūryaḥthe sun
3

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 8.18

    In this verse: “king”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What stands out to you about the assembly’s response to Vāmanadeva’s brilliance?

Practice

Read the translation slowly once, pausing to picture Vāmanadeva’s effulgence surpassing the whole assembly.

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.

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 8.18's connections

Live this todayVāmanadeva’s Effulgence Surpasses the AssemblyThis 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 8.18.22? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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