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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 22: Bali Mahārāja Surrenders His Life
8.22.178.22.19

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.22.18

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 8.22.18inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

श्रीशुक उवाच

तस्यानुश‍ृण्वतो राजन् प्रह्लादस्य कृताञ्जले: ।

हिरण्यगर्भो भगवानुवाच मधुसूदनम् ॥ १८ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca

tasyānuśṛṇvato rājan

prahrādasya kṛtāñjaleḥ

hiraṇyagarbho bhagavān

uvāca madhusūdanam

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: O King Parīkṣit, Lord Brahmā then began to speak to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, within the hearing of Prahlāda Mahārāja, who stood nearby with folded hands.

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.

Hearing with Folded Hands

  1. 1

    Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued his account to King Parīkṣit.

  2. 2

    Lord Brahmā began speaking to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

  3. 3

    Prahlāda Mahārāja stood nearby with folded hands, within hearing of Lord Brahmā’s words.

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 22: Bali Mahārāja Surrenders His Life

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

While Prahlāda Mahārāja was present, Lord Brahmā and Bali’s wife, Vindhyāvali, described the supremacy of the Supreme Lord. Since Bali Mahārāja had given everything to the Lord, they prayed for his release.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.22
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-śukaḥ uvācaŚrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said
  2. tasyaof Prahlāda Mahārāja
  3. anuśṛṇvataḥso that he could hear
  4. rājanO King Parīkṣit
  5. prahrādasyaof Prahlāda Mahārāja
  6. kṛta-añjaleḥwho was standing with folded hands
  7. hiraṇyagarbhaḥLord Brahmā
  8. bhagavānthe most powerful
  9. uvācasaid
  10. madhusūdanamunto Madhusūdana, the Personality of Godhead
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 8.22

    In this verse: “king”

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 8.22

    In this verse: “hearing”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What helps me listen with a respectful attitude?

Practice

Fold your hands briefly before reading today’s devotional study, recalling Prahlāda Mahārāja’s posture.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 8.22's connections

Live this todayHearing with Folded HandsThis 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 8.22.18? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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