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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
8.22.238.22.25

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.22.24

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Supreme Personality of Godheadsince 8.22.24inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

श्रीभगवानुवाच

ब्रह्मन् यमनुगृह्णामि तद्विशो विधुनोम्यहम् ।

यन्मद: पुरुष: स्तब्धो लोकं मां चावमन्यते ॥ २४ ॥

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

brahman yam anugṛhṇāmi

tad-viśo vidhunomy aham

yan-madaḥ puruṣaḥ stabdho

lokaṁ māṁ cāvamanyate

Translation

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Lord Brahmā, because of material opulence a foolish person becomes dull-witted and mad. Thus he has no respect for anyone within the three worlds and defies even My authority. To such a person I show special favor by first taking away all his possessions.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Wealth Must Not Obscure the Lord

  1. 1

    Material opulence can make a foolish person proud and dull-minded. He may lose respect for others and even reject the Lord’s authority.

  2. 2

    Śrīla Prabhupāda warns that a civilization made godless by material advancement is extremely dangerous.

  3. 3

    To show special favor, the Lord sometimes takes away a person’s possessions. Here He gives Bali Mahārāja as an example.

Key points from the purport
  • A civilization that has become godless because of material advancement in opulence is extremely dangerous.
  • Because of great opulence, a materialist becomes so proud that he has no regard for anyone and even refuses to accept the authority of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
  • To show special favor, the Lord sometimes makes an example of someone like Bali Mahārāja, who was now bereft of all his possessions.

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:

While Bali Mahārāja, having been arrested by the ropes of Varuṇa, was offering prayers to the Lord, his grandfather Prahlāda Mahārāja appeared there and described how the Supreme Personality of Godhead had delivered Bali Mahārāja by taking his possessions in a tricky way. While Prahlāda Mahārāja was present, Lord Brahmā and Bali’s wife, Vindhyāvali, described the supremacy of the Supreme Lord.
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-bhagavān uvācathe Supreme Personality of Godhead said
  2. brahmanO Lord Brahmā
  3. yamunto anyone to whom
  4. anugṛhṇāmiI show My mercy
  5. tathis
  6. viśaḥmaterial opulence or riches
  7. vidhunomitake away
  8. ahamI
3

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

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 8.22

    In this verse: “favor”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 8.22

    In this verse: “material”

  • Abhaya · Fearlessness

    Steadiness through faith amid danger and death. · Theme in SB 8.22

    In this verse: “dangerous”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Do my possessions ever make me feel independent of the Lord?

Practice

Name one possession you feel proud of and pause to acknowledge the Lord’s authority over your life.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayWealth Must Not Obscure the LordThis 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 8.22.24? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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