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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
8.22.58.22.8

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Texts 8.22.6-7

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Bali Mahārājasince 8.22.2inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

यस्मिन् वैरानुबन्धेन व्यूढेन विबुधेतरा: ।

बहवो लेभिरे सिद्धिं यामु हैकान्तयोगिन: ॥ ६ ॥

तेनाहं निगृहीतोऽस्मि भवता भूरिकर्मणा ।

बद्धश्च वारुणै: पाशैर्नातिव्रीडे न च व्यथे ॥ ७ ॥

yasmin vairānubandhena

vyūḍhena vibudhetarāḥ

bahavo lebhire siddhiṁ

yām u haikānta-yoginaḥ

tenāhaṁ nigṛhīto ’smi

bhavatā bhūri-karmaṇā

baddhaś ca vāruṇaiḥ pāśair

nātivrīḍe na ca vyathe

Translation

Many demons who were continuously inimical toward You finally achieved the perfection of great mystic yogīs. Your Lordship can perform one work to serve many purposes, and consequently, although You have punished me in many ways, I do not feel ashamed of having been arrested by the ropes of Varuṇa, nor do I feel aggrieved.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Trust the All-Merciful Lord’s Purpose

  1. 1

    The Supreme Lord is called all-merciful because His mercy is liberally distributed. Even some demons who opposed Him attained the exalted position achieved by great mystic yogīs.

  2. 2

    Bali Mahārāja was a fully surrendered devotee who appreciated the Lord’s mercy toward himself and others.

  3. 3

    Understanding that the Lord had a hidden purpose in punishing him, Bali Mahārāja was neither unhappy nor ashamed of being bound by the ropes of Varuṇa.

Key points from the purport
  • Bali Mahārāja appreciated the Lord’s mercy not only upon him but upon many other demons.
  • Bali Mahārāja was indeed a fully surrendered devotee, but even some demons who were not at all devotees but merely enemies of the Lord attained the same exalted position achieved by many mystic yogīs.
  • Thus Bali Mahārāja could understand that the Lord had some hidden purpose in punishing him.

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:

In Bali Mahārāja’s dynasty there were many asuras who because of their enmity toward Viṣṇu had achieved a destination more exalted than that of many mystic yogīs. Bali Mahārāja specifically remembered the determination of Prahlāda Mahārāja in devotional service.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.22
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. yasminunto You
  2. vaira-anubandhenaby continuously treating as an enemy
  3. vyūḍhenafirmly fixed by such intelligence
  4. vibudha-itarāḥthe demons (those other than the demigods)
  5. bahavaḥmany of them
  6. lebhireachieved
  7. siddhimperfection
  8. yāmwhich
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

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

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

    In this verse: “devotee”

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 8.22

    In this verse: “mercy”

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

    Relinquishing ownership while entrusting oneself to the Lord. · Theme in SB 8.22

    In this verse: “surrendered”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Can I acknowledge the Lord’s mercy even when I cannot understand His purpose?

Practice

In a brief prayer, name one difficulty and express your wish to remain surrendered to the Lord.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayTrust the All-Merciful Lord’s PurposeThis 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 8.22.6-7? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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