1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

Or browse by canto and chapter

Canto

Canto 8 · Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations · 24 chapters

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

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 19: Lord Vāmanadeva Begs Charity from Bali Mahārāja

8.19.22 8.19.24

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.19.23

Ūti· What drives us to act

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:The Personality of Godheadsince 8.19.21inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

सप्तद्वीपाधिपतयो नृपा वैन्यगयादय: ।

अर्थै: कामैर्गता नान्तं तृष्णाया इति न: श्रुतम् ॥ २३ ॥

sapta-dvīpādhipatayo

nṛpā vaiṇya-gayādayaḥ

arthaiḥ kāmair gatā nāntaṁ

tṛṣṇāyā iti naḥ śrutam

Translation

We have heard that although powerful kings like Mahārāja Pṛthu and Mahārāja Gaya achieved proprietorship over the seven dvīpas, they could not achieve satisfaction or find the end of their ambitions.

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.

Great Wealth Does Not End Ambition

1
Powerful kings such as Mahārāja Pṛthu and Mahārāja Gaya possessed the seven dvīpas.
2
Even such extensive ownership did not bring them satisfaction.
3
Their ambitions did not come to an end through their achievements. Great power and possessions do not guarantee contentment.

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

Chapter 19: Lord Vāmanadeva Begs Charity from Bali Mahārāja

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Śukrācārya advised Bali Mahārāja to withdraw his promise. He explained that in subduing others, in joking, in responding to danger, in acting for the welfare of others, and so on, one could refuse to fulfill one’s promise, and there would be no fault.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 8.19

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

sapta-dvīpa-adhipatayaḥthose who are proprietors of the seven islands
nṛpāḥsuch kings
vaiṇya-gaya-ādayaḥMahārāja Pṛthu, Mahārāja Gaya and others
arthaiḥfor fulfillment of ambition
kāmaiḥfor satisfying one’s desires
gatāḥ nacould not reach
antamthe end
tṛṣṇāyāḥof their ambitions

Key ideas in this verse

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

Ūti · The creative impetus
Why do we act, and what keeps us bound? · Subject 5 of 10
Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership
Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 8.19
In this verse: “kings”
Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting
Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 8.19
In this verse: “heard”

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

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Are you expecting a future achievement to put an end to all your wanting?

Practice

Write down one ambition and reflect on whether achieving it would truly end your desire for more.

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

Mahārāja PṛthuSB 4.15–18 · Pṛthu provides for his citizensPṛthu’s example joins humility with practical care for others. A king should act like an affectionate father, providing for his citizens.

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 8.19's connections

Live this todayGreat Wealth Does Not End AmbitionThis 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 8.19.23? Get an answer from the verses themselves.

Next in Learn · 5 of 11 · 2 minAsk the BhāgavatamBring your own question. Get an answer drawn only from the Bhāgavatam's translations, with every verse shown.Back · LearnCantos & stories