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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
8.22.29-308.22.32

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.22.31

Manvantara· The Manus and right duty
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Lordsince 8.22.31inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

एष मे प्रापित: स्थानं दुष्प्रापममरैरपि ।

सावर्णेरन्तरस्यायं भवितेन्द्रो मदाश्रय: ॥ ३१ ॥

eṣa me prāpitaḥ sthānaṁ

duṣprāpam amarair api

sāvarṇer antarasyāyaṁ

bhavitendro mad-āśrayaḥ

Translation

The Lord continued: Because of his great tolerance, I have given him a place not obtainable even by the demigods. He will become King of the heavenly planets during the period of the Manu known as Sāvarṇi.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Lord Protects His Steadfast Devotee

  1. 1

    Because of Bali Mahārāja’s great tolerance, the Lord awarded him a position difficult even for demigods to obtain. He would become King of heaven during the period of Sāvarṇi Manu.

  2. 2

    Sudāmā Vipra also remained undisturbed in severe material scarcity and did not leave devotional service. By Lord Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, he received an exalted position.

  3. 3

    The Supreme Personality of Godhead assured Bali Mahārāja that he would always remain under His protection. Even possible envy from the demigods would not leave him without the Lord’s shelter.

Key points from the purport
  • Even if the Lord takes away a devotee’s material opulences, the Lord immediately offers him a position of which the demigods cannot even dream.
  • Thus he was ultimately given an exalted position by the mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
  • Because the Lord wanted to give Bali Mahārāja the exalted position of Indra, the demigods might naturally have been envious of him and might have fought to disturb his position.

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
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. eṣaḥBali Mahārāja
  2. meby Me
  3. prāpitaḥhas achieved
  4. sthānama place
  5. duṣprāpamextremely difficult to obtain
  6. amaraiḥ apieven by the demigods
  7. sāvarṇeḥ antarasyaduring the period of the Manu known as Sāvarṇi
  8. ayamthis Bali Mahārāja
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Manvantara · The change of Manus

    What gives human life its right direction? · Subject 6 of 10

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 8.22

    In this verse: “king”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

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

    In this verse: “devotional service”

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 8.22

    In this verse: “mercy”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How can I seek the Lord’s shelter while remaining steady in service?

Practice

Spend a quiet minute asking Lord Kṛṣṇa for shelter and steadiness in devotional service.

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 todayThe Lord Protects His Steadfast DevoteeThis 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 8.22.31? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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