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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
8.20.25-298.20.31

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.20.30

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

सर्वात्मनीदं भुवनं निरीक्ष्य

सर्वेऽसुरा: कश्मलमापुरङ्ग ।

सुदर्शनं चक्रमसह्यतेजो

धनुश्च शार्ङ्गं स्तनयित्नुघोषम् ॥ ३० ॥

sarvātmanīdaṁ bhuvanaṁ nirīkṣya

sarve ’surāḥ kaśmalam āpur aṅga

sudarśanaṁ cakram asahya-tejo

dhanuś ca śārṅgaṁ stanayitnu-ghoṣam

Translation

O King, when all the demons, the followers of Mahārāja Bali, saw the universal form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who held everything within His body, when they saw in the Lord’s hand His disc, known as the Sudarśana cakra, which generates intolerable heat, and when they heard the tumultuous sound of His bow, all of these caused lamentation within their hearts.

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.

The Lord’s Power Brings the Demons Lamentation

  1. 1

    The demons following Mahārāja Bali saw the universal form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Everything was held within His body.

  2. 2

    They saw the Sudarśana cakra in the Lord’s hand. Its heat was intolerable.

  3. 3

    They also heard the tumultuous sound of the Lord’s bow. These sights and sounds caused lamentation within their hearts.

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:

Bali Mahārāja could see Lord Vāmanadeva as the Supreme Viṣṇu, wearing a helmet, yellow garments, the mark of Śrīvatsa, the Kaustubha jewel, a flower garland, and ornaments decorating His entire body. The Lord gradually covered the entire surface of the world, and by extending His body He covered the entire sky.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.20
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. sarva-ātmaniin the supreme whole, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
  2. idamthis universe
  3. bhuvanamthe three worlds
  4. nirīkṣyaby observing
  5. sarveall
  6. asurāḥthe demons, the associates of Bali Mahārāja
  7. kaśmalamlamentation
  8. āpuḥreceived
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

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 8.20

    In this verse: “king”

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 8.20

    In this verse: “heard”

  • Viraha · Longing in separation

    Love and remembrance experienced in apparent absence. · Theme in SB 8.20

    In this verse: “lamentation”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does the followers’ reaction reveal about the overwhelming power of the Lord?

Practice

Reread the verse and pause to acknowledge the power of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Lord’s Power Brings the Demons LamentationThis 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 8.20.30? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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