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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 21: Bali Mahārāja Arrested by the Lord
8.20.348.21.2-3

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.21.1

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 8.21.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

श्रीशुक उवाच

सत्यं समीक्ष्याब्जभवो नखेन्दुभि-

र्हतस्वधामद्युतिरावृतोऽभ्यगात् ।

मरीचिमिश्रा ऋषयो बृहद्‌व्रता:

सनन्दनाद्या नरदेव योगिन: ॥ १ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca

satyaṁ samīkṣyābja-bhavo nakhendubhir

hata-svadhāma-dyutir āvṛto ’bhyagāt

marīci-miśrā ṛṣayo bṛhad-vratāḥ

sanandanādyā nara-deva yoginaḥ

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: When Lord Brahmā, who was born of a lotus flower, saw that the effulgence of his residence, Brahmaloka, had been reduced by the glaring effulgence from the toenails of Lord Vāmanadeva, he approached the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Lord Brahmā was accompanied by all the great sages, headed by Marīci, and by yogīs like Sanandana, but in the presence of that glaring effulgence, O King, even Lord Brahmā and his associates seemed insignificant.

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 Glory Surpasses Brahmā’s

  1. 1

    The effulgence from Lord Vāmanadeva’s toenails outshone the light of Brahmaloka, Lord Brahmā’s residence.

  2. 2

    Lord Brahmā approached the Supreme Personality of Godhead with great sages headed by Marīci and yogīs like Sanandana.

  3. 3

    Even Lord Brahmā and his great associates seemed insignificant before the Lord’s glaring effulgence.

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 21: Bali Mahārāja Arrested by the Lord

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

With the second step the Supreme Personality of Godhead reached the topmost planet of the universe, Brahmaloka, which He diminished in beauty by the effulgence of His toenails. Thus Lord Brahmā, accompanied by great sages like Marīci and the predominating deities of all the higher planets, offered humble prayers and worship to the Lord.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.21
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-śukaḥ uvācaŚrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said
  2. satyamthe planet Satyaloka
  3. samīkṣyaby observing
  4. abja-bhavaḥLord Brahmā, who appeared on the lotus flower
  5. nakha-indubhiḥby the effulgence of the nails
  6. hatahaving been reduced
  7. sva-dhāma-dyutiḥthe illumination of his own residence
  8. āvṛtaḥbeing covered
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 8.21

    In this verse: “king”

Chapter themes come from the story phase this chapter belongs to.

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How does Brahmā’s position before the Lord help me approach Him with humility?

Practice

Offer a brief prayer acknowledging the Lord’s greatness and your small position.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Lord’s Glory Surpasses Brahmā’sThis 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 8.21.1? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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