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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 19: Lord Vāmanadeva Begs Charity from Bali Mahārāja

8.19.31 8.19.33

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.19.32

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:Śukrācāryasince 8.19.30inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

एष ते स्थानमैश्वर्यं श्रियं तेजो यश: श्रुतम् ।

दास्यत्याच्छिद्य शक्राय मायामाणवको हरि: ॥ ३२ ॥

eṣa te sthānam aiśvaryaṁ

śriyaṁ tejo yaśaḥ śrutam

dāsyaty ācchidya śakrāya

māyā-māṇavako hariḥ

Translation

This person falsely appearing as a brahmacārī is actually the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, who has come in this form to take away all your land, wealth, beauty, power, fame and education. After taking everything from you, He will deliver it to Indra, your enemy.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Hari Removes Attachments Through His Mercy

1
Hari means “one who takes away.” When one connects with Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He takes away one's miseries.
2
For a sincere devotee, material possessions may hinder advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The Lord may remove those attachments as His special favor.
3
By giving one's mind to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, one can naturally sacrifice everything to satisfy Him. Lord Vāmana kindly came to take Bali Mahārāja's possessions and his mind.

Key points from the purport

If one connects himself with Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Lord takes away all his miseries, and in the beginning the Lord also superficially appears to take away all his material possessions, reputation, education and beauty.
Thus he indicates that the Lord will take away all one’s material possessions and also one’s mind.
Although Bali Mahārāja was a devotee, he was attached to material possessions, and therefore the Lord, being very kind to him, showed him special favor by appearing as Lord Vāmana to take away all his material possessions, and his mind as well.

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· 1

The purport of SB 8.19.32 quotesSB 10.88.8

As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.88.8), yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ.

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

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:

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. By this philosophy, Śukrācārya tried to dissuade Bali Mahārāja from giving land to Lord Vāmanadeva.

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

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

eṣaḥthis person falsely appearing as a brahmacārī
teof you
sthānamthe land in possession
aiśvaryamthe riches
śriyamthe material beauty
tejaḥthe material power
yaśaḥthe reputation
śrutamthe education

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
Moha · Material attachment
The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 8.19
In this verse: “wealth”, “attachments”, “material”
Bhakti · Devotion and loving service
How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 8.19
In this verse: “devotee”
Kṛpā · Divine mercy
Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 8.19
In this verse: “favor”

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 attachment makes it difficult for me to put Kṛṣṇa first?

Practice

Spend a quiet minute offering your mind to Kṛṣṇa and asking to use your possessions for His satisfaction.

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.

The purport quotesSB 10.88.8

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

Live this todayHari Removes Attachments Through His MercyThis 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 8.19.32? Get an answer from the verses themselves.

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