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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 2: The Elephant Gajendra’s Crisis
8.2.328.3.1

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.2.33

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 8.2.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

य: कश्चनेशो बलिनोऽन्तकोरगात्

प्रचण्डवेगादभिधावतो भृशम् ।

भीतं प्रपन्नं परिपाति यद्भ‍या-

न्मृत्यु: प्रधावत्यरणं तमीमहि ॥ ३३ ॥

yaḥ kaścaneśo balino ’ntakoragāt

pracaṇḍa-vegād abhidhāvato bhṛśam

bhītaṁ prapannaṁ paripāti yad-bhayān

mṛtyuḥ pradhāvaty araṇaṁ tam īmahi

Translation

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is certainly not known to everyone, but He is very powerful and influential. Therefore, although the serpent of eternal time, which is fearful in force, endlessly chases everyone, ready to swallow him, if one who fears this serpent seeks shelter of the Lord, the Lord gives him protection, for even death runs away in fear of the Lord. I therefore surrender unto Him, the great and powerful supreme authority who is the actual shelter of everyone.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Surrender to Kṛṣṇa Beyond Fear of Death

  1. 1

    An intelligent person recognizes the supreme authority above everything and surrenders to Him. The Lord appears to protect His devotees and instruct us by His own example.

  2. 2

    Even death acts out of fear of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Seeking Kṛṣṇa’s shelter does not mean that a devotee’s material body will never die.

  3. 3

    For one who fully surrenders to Kṛṣṇa and is protected by Him, the present body is the last material body. The devotee returns home, back to Godhead, rather than repeatedly taking birth and dying.

Key points from the purport
  • One must know that great Supreme Personality of Godhead and surrender unto Him.
  • It is out of fear of the Supreme Personality of Godhead that the wind is blowing, that the sun is distributing heat and light, and that death is chasing everyone.
  • However, one who seeks shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead can be saved from death.

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· 2

The purport of SB 8.2.33 quotesBG 9.10

Thus there is a supreme controller, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (9.10): mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sacarācaram.

The purport of SB 8.2.33 quotesBG 4.9

This is assured in Bhagavad-gītā (4.9). Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so ’rjuna: a devotee, after giving up his body, does not accept a material body, but returns home, back to Godhead.

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

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

Further reading

Chapter 2: The Elephant Gajendra’s Crisis

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Thus the crocodile became more and more encouraged. Then the elephant, being helpless and seeing that there was no other way for his protection, sought shelter at the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.2
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. yaḥHe who (the Supreme Personality of Godhead)
  2. kaścanasomeone
  3. īśaḥthe supreme controller
  4. balinaḥvery powerful
  5. antaka-uragātfrom the great serpent of time, which brings death
  6. pracaṇḍa-vegātwhose force is fearful
  7. abhidhāvataḥwho is chasing
  8. bhṛśamendlessly (every hour and every minute)
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Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Poṣaṇa · Protection by the Lord

    How does the Lord care for His devotees? · Subject 4 of 10

  • Abhaya · Fearlessness

    Steadiness through faith amid danger and death. · Theme in SB 8.2

    In this verse: “fearful”, “death”, “fear”

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

    Relinquishing ownership while entrusting oneself to the Lord. · Theme in SB 8.2

    In this verse: “surrender”, “shelter”, “surrenders”

  • Rakṣā · Divine protection

    Protection of devotees through the Lord’s intervention. · Theme in SB 8.2

    In this verse: “protection”, “protect”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How does knowing that Kṛṣṇa’s protection extends beyond the death of the body deepen my desire to surrender to Him?

Practice

Take one quiet minute today to pray to Kṛṣṇa for help in surrendering to Him and living as His devotee, rather than seeking only bodily safety.

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The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

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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 8.2's connections

Live this todaySurrender to Kṛṣṇa Beyond Fear of DeathThis 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 8.2.33? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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