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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
8.22.208.22.22

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.22.21

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Lord Brahmāsince 8.22.21inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

श्रीब्रह्मोवाच

भूतभावन भूतेश देवदेव जगन्मय ।

मुञ्चैनं हृतसर्वस्वं नायमर्हति निग्रहम् ॥ २१ ॥

śrī-brahmovāca

bhūta-bhāvana bhūteśa

deva-deva jaganmaya

muñcainaṁ hṛta-sarvasvaṁ

nāyam arhati nigraham

Translation

Lord Brahmā said: O well-wisher and master of all living entities, O worshipable Deity of all the demigods, O all-pervading Personality of Godhead, now this man has been sufficiently punished, for You have taken everything. Now You can release him. He does not deserve to be punished more.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
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Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Brahmā Appeals for Bali Mahārāja’s Release

  1. 1

    Lord Brahmā addressed the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the well-wisher and master of all living entities, the worshipable Deity of the demigods and the all-pervading Lord.

  2. 2

    He asked the Lord to release Bali Mahārāja, reasoning that everything had already been taken from him and no further punishment was deserved.

  3. 3

    Lord Brahmā joined Prahlāda Mahārāja and Vindhyāvali in asking mercy for Bali Mahārāja. The purport describes his recommendation as based on worldly calculations.

Key points from the purport
  • When Lord Brahmā saw that Prahlāda Mahārāja and Vindhyāvali had already approached the Lord to ask mercy for Bali Mahārāja, he joined them and recommended Bali Mahārāja’s release on the grounds of worldly calculations.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

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:

Since Bali Mahārāja had given everything to the Lord, they prayed for his release. The Lord then described how a nondevotee’s possession of wealth is a danger whereas a devotee’s opulence is a benediction from the Lord.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.22
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-brahmā uvācaLord Brahmā said
  2. bhūta-bhāvanaO Supreme Being, well-wisher of everyone, who can cause one to flourish
  3. bhūta-īśaO master of everyone
  4. deva-devaO worshipable Deity of the demigods
  5. jagat-mayaO all-pervading one
  6. muñcaplease release
  7. enamthis poor Bali Mahārāja
  8. hṛta-sarvasvamnow bereft of everything
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Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Poṣaṇa · Protection by the Lord

    How does the Lord care for His devotees? · Subject 4 of 10

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 8.22

    In this verse: “worshipable”

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 8.22

    In this verse: “mercy”

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Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Can I appeal to the Lord for another person’s welfare while recognizing the limits of my own judgment?

Practice

Offer a brief prayer to the Lord, the well-wisher of everyone, for someone facing difficulty.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

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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 todayBrahmā Appeals for Bali Mahārāja’s ReleaseThis 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 8.22.21? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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