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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 20: Bali Mahārāja Surrenders the Universe
8.20.168.20.18

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.20.17

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 8.20.16inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

विन्ध्यावलिस्तदागत्य पत्नी जालकमालिनी ।

आनिन्ये कलशं हैममवनेजन्यपां भृतम् ॥ १७ ॥

vindhyāvalis tadāgatya

patnī jālaka-mālinī

āninye kalaśaṁ haimam

avanejany-apāṁ bhṛtam

Translation

Bali Mahārāja’s wife, known as Vindhyāvali, who was decorated with a necklace of pearls, immediately came and had a large golden waterpot brought there, full of water with which to worship the Lord by washing His feet.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Help Prepare the Lord’s Worship

  1. 1

    Bali Mahārāja’s wife, Vindhyāvali, immediately came to assist in worshiping the Lord.

  2. 2

    She had a large golden waterpot brought there, filled with water.

  3. 3

    The water was intended for washing the Lord’s feet. Her assistance supplied what was needed for His worship.

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 20: Bali Mahārāja Surrenders the Universe

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Lord Vāmanadeva then immediately extended Himself into a universal body. By the mercy of Lord Vāmanadeva, Bali Mahārāja could see that the Lord is all-pervading and that everything rests in His body.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.20
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. vindhyāvaliḥVindhyāvali
  2. tadāat that time
  3. āgatyacoming there
  4. patnīthe wife of Mahārāja Bali
  5. jālaka-mālinīdecorated with a necklace of pearls
  6. āninyecaused to be brought
  7. kalaśama waterpot
  8. haimammade of gold
  9. avanejani-apāmwith water for the sake of washing the Lord’s feet
  10. bhṛtamfilled
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

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 8.20

    In this verse: “worship”, “worshiping”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What practical help can I offer to support the Lord’s worship?

Practice

Prepare one needed item or clean one space for the Lord’s worship today.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayHelp Prepare the Lord’s WorshipThis 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 8.20.17? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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