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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 19: Lord Vāmanadeva Begs Charity from Bali Mahārāja
8.19.158.19.17

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.19.16

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Lord Vāmanadevasince 8.19.10inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit
A turning point forBali Mahārāja· A small request

तस्मात् त्वत्तो महीमीषद् वृणेऽहं वरदर्षभात् ।

पदानि त्रीणि दैत्येन्द्र सम्मितानि पदा मम ॥ १६ ॥

tasmāt tvatto mahīm īṣad

vṛṇe ’haṁ varadarṣabhāt

padāni trīṇi daityendra

sammitāni padā mama

Translation

O King of the Daityas, from Your Majesty, who come from such a noble family and who are able to give charity munificently, I ask only three paces of land, to the measurement of My steps.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Three Steps Reveal the Lord’s Prowess

  1. 1

    Lord Vāmanadeva asked the generous king for only three paces of land, measured by His own footsteps.

  2. 2

    He did not want more than necessary, although He appeared to be an ordinary human child.

  3. 3

    His request actually embraced the upper, middle and lower planetary systems. This was to show the prowess of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Key points from the purport
  • Lord Vāmanadeva wanted three paces of land according to the measurement of His footsteps.
  • But although He pretended to be an ordinary human child, He actually wanted the land comprising the upper, middle and lower planetary systems.
  • This was just to show the prowess of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

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

Public loss and humiliation → Total surrender. An apparent external defeat conceals a devotional triumph.

Chapters 19–23 of Canto 8: Vāmana tests Bali; Bali offers everything. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 19: Lord Vāmanadeva Begs Charity from Bali Mahārāja

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

When Bali Mahārāja, thinking Vāmanadeva to be the son of a brāhmaṇa, told Him to ask for anything He liked, Lord Vāmanadeva praised Hiraṇyakaśipu and Hiraṇyākṣa for their heroic activities, and after thus praising the family in which Bali Mahārāja had been born, He begged the King for three paces of land.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.19
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tasmātfrom such a person
  2. tvattaḥfrom Your Majesty
  3. mahīmland
  4. īṣatvery little
  5. vṛṇeam asking for
  6. ahamI
  7. varada-ṛṣabhātfrom the personality who can give charity munificently
  8. padānifootsteps
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 8.19

    In this verse: “king”

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 8.19

    In this verse: “child”

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 contrast between the Lord’s small request and His actual power deepen your appreciation of Him?

Practice

Spend a minute today remembering that Vāmanadeva’s childlike appearance did not limit His supreme power.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThree Steps Reveal the Lord’s ProwessThis 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 8.19.16? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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