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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 2: The Elephant Gajendra’s Crisis

8.1.33 8.2.2-3

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.2.1

Sthāna· The universe in order

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 8.2.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

श्रीशुक उवाच

आसीद् गिरिवरो राजंस्त्रिकूट इति विश्रुत: ।

क्षीरोदेनावृत: श्रीमान्योजनायुतमुच्छ्रित: ॥ १ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca

āsīd girivaro rājaṁs

trikūṭa iti viśrutaḥ

kṣīrodenāvṛtaḥ śrīmān

yojanāyutam ucchritaḥ

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King, there is a very large mountain called Trikūṭa. It is ten thousand yojanas [eighty thousand miles] high. Being surrounded by the Ocean of Milk, it is very beautifully situated.

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.

Trikūṭa Stands Amid the Ocean of Milk

1
Śukadeva Gosvāmī tells the King about a very large mountain called Trikūṭa.
2
The mountain rises ten thousand yojanas, or eighty thousand miles.
3
Surrounded by the Ocean of Milk, Trikūṭa is very beautifully situated.

How it feels

Helplessness → Surrender and rescue. A mighty animal finally realizes the limits of strength.

Chapters 1–4 of Canto 8: Gajendra's struggle and prayers. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Chapter 2: The Elephant Gajendra’s Crisis

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

In the midst of the Ocean of Milk, there is a very high and beautiful mountain that has an altitude of ten thousand yojanas, or eighty thousand miles. This mountain is known as Trikūṭa.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 8.2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

śrī-śukaḥ uvācaŚrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said
āsītthere was
girivaraḥa very big mountain
rājanO King
tri-kūṭaḥTrikūṭa
itithus
viśrutaḥcelebrated
kṣīra-udenaby the Ocean of Milk

Key ideas in this verse

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

Sthāna · Planetary systems
How is the universe arranged, and what is our right place in it? · Subject 3 of 10
Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership
Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 8.2
In this verse: “king”

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Which detail helps you picture the setting Śukadeva Gosvāmī describes?

Practice

Read the translation slowly and recall the mountain’s name, height and surroundings.

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayTrikūṭa Stands Amid the Ocean of MilkThis 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 8.2.1? 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