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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

1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
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

8.21.18 8.21.20

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.21.19

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

हे विप्रचित्ते हे राहो हे नेमे श्रूयतां वच: ।

मा युध्यत निवर्तध्वं न न: कालोऽयमर्थकृत् ॥ १९ ॥

he vipracitte he rāho

he neme śrūyatāṁ vacaḥ

mā yudhyata nivartadhvaṁ

na naḥ kālo ’yam artha-kṛt

Translation

O Vipracitti, O Rāhu, O Nemi, please hear my words! Don’t fight. Stop immediately, for the present time is not in our favor.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

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

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Listen When It Is Time to Stop

1
Bali Mahārāja directly addressed Vipracitti, Rāhu and Nemi, asking them to hear his words.
2
His instruction was clear: do not fight, and stop immediately.
3
He explained that the present time was not in their favor.

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

Chapter 21: Bali Mahārāja Arrested by the Lord

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Understanding Lord Viṣṇu’s purpose, Garuḍa, the carrier of Lord Viṣṇu, immediately arrested Bali Mahārāja with the ropes of Varuṇa. When Bali Mahārāja was thus reduced to a helpless position, Lord Viṣṇu asked him for the third step of land.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 8.21

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

he vipracitteO Vipracitti
he rāhoO Rāhu
he nemeO Nemi
śrūyatāmkindly hear
vacaḥmy words
mādo not
yudhyatafight
nivartadhvamstop this fighting

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
Kṛpā · Divine mercy
Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 8.21
In this verse: “favor”

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

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How readily do I listen when I am advised to stop rather than push ahead?

Practice

Before pressing ahead with a disagreement today, pause and consider whether it is time to stop.

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayListen When It Is Time to StopThis 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 8.21.19? Get an answer from the verses themselves.

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