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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
8.21.138.21.15

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.21.14

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 8.21.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

ते सर्वे वामनं हन्तुं शूलपट्टिशपाणय: ।

अनिच्छन्तो बले राजन् प्राद्रवञ्जातमन्यव: ॥ १४ ॥

te sarve vāmanaṁ hantuṁ

śūla-paṭṭiśa-pāṇayaḥ

anicchanto bale rājan

prādravañ jāta-manyavaḥ

Translation

O King, the demons, aggravated by their usual anger, took their lances and tridents in hand, and against the will of Bali Mahārāja they pushed forward to kill Lord Vāmanadeva.

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.

Anger Overrides Their Master's Will

  1. 1

    The demons were aggravated by their usual anger.

  2. 2

    With lances and tridents in hand, they pushed forward to kill Lord Vāmanadeva.

  3. 3

    They acted against the will of Bali Mahārāja. Their angry action did not follow their master's wishes.

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:

Although Bali Mahārāja warned them not to do so, they took up weapons against Lord Viṣṇu. All of them were defeated, however, by Lord Viṣṇu’s eternal associates, and, in accordance with Bali Mahārāja’s order, they all entered the lower planets of the universe.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.21
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tethe demons
  2. sarveall of them
  3. vāmanamLord Vāmanadeva
  4. hantumto kill
  5. śūlatridents
  6. paṭṭiśalances
  7. pāṇayaḥall taking in hand
  8. anicchantaḥagainst the will
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Ūti · The creative impetus

    Why do we act, and what keeps us bound? · Subject 5 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

When does anger keep me from listening to someone I intend to serve?

Practice

If anger arises today, pause before acting and listen carefully to the other person's wishes.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayAnger Overrides Their Master's WillThis 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 8.21.14? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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