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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
8.20.228.20.24

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.20.23

Sthāna· The universe in order
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 8.20.16inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

रसामचष्टाङ्‍‍घ्रितलेऽथ पादयो-

र्महीं महीध्रान्पुरुषस्य जङ्घयो: ।

पतत्‍त्रिणो जानुनि विश्वमूर्ते-

रूर्वोर्गणं मारुतमिन्द्रसेन: ॥ २३ ॥

rasām acaṣṭāṅghri-tale ’tha pādayor

mahīṁ mahīdhrān puruṣasya jaṅghayoḥ

patattriṇo jānuni viśva-mūrter

ūrvor gaṇaṁ mārutam indrasenaḥ

Translation

Thereafter, Bali Mahārāja, who was occupying the seat of King Indra, could see the lower planetary systems, such as Rasātala, on the soles of the feet of the Lord’s universal form. He saw on the Lord’s feet the surface of the globe, on the surface of His calves all the mountains, on His knees the various birds, and on His thighs the varieties of air.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Study the Universal Form From His Feet

  1. 1

    The study of the Lord’s gigantic universal form begins from the soles. Bali Mahārāja saw the lower planetary systems, including Rasātala, there.

  2. 2

    He saw the earth on the Lord’s feet and the mountains on His calves. The description proceeds upward, part by part.

  3. 3

    The birds were on the Lord’s knees, and varieties of air were on His thighs. The purport explains that birds fly above mountains, with varieties of air above the birds.

Key points from the purport
  • The universal situation is described herein in regard to the complete constitution of the Lord’s gigantic universal form.
  • Above the soles are the feet, above the feet are the calves, above the calves are the knees, and above the knees are the thighs.
  • The birds can fly over the mountains, and above the birds are varieties of air.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

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
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. rasāmthe lower planetary system
  2. acaṣṭaobserved
  3. aṅghri-talebeneath the feet, or on the sole
  4. athathereafter
  5. pādayoḥon the feet
  6. mahīmthe surface of the land
  7. mahīdhrānthe mountains
  8. puruṣasyaof the giant Personality of Godhead
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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 8.20

    In this verse: “king”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What helps you study this vast description patiently, one part at a time?

Practice

Reread the verse slowly, following the description from the Lord’s soles to His thighs.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayStudy the Universal Form From His FeetThis 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 8.20.23? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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