1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

Or browse by canto and chapter
Canto

Canto 8 · Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations · 24 chapters

123456789101112131415161718192021222324

Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

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 23: The Demigods Regain the Heavenly Planets
8.23.258.23.28

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Texts 8.23.26-27

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 8.23.18inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

ब्रह्मा शर्व: कुमारश्च भृग्वाद्या मुनयो नृप ।

पितर: सर्वभूतानि सिद्धा वैमानिकाश्च ये ॥ २६ ॥

सुमहत् कर्म तद् विष्णोर्गायन्त: परमद्भ‍ुतम् ।

धिष्ण्यानि स्वानि ते जग्मुरदितिं च शशंसिरे ॥ २७ ॥

brahmā śarvaḥ kumāraś ca

bhṛgv-ādyā munayo nṛpa

pitaraḥ sarva-bhūtāni

siddhā vaimānikāś ca ye

sumahat karma tad viṣṇor

gāyantaḥ param adbhutam

dhiṣṇyāni svāni te jagmur

aditiṁ ca śaśaṁsire

Translation

Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, Lord Kārttikeya, the great sage Bhṛgu, other saintly persons, the inhabitants of Pitṛloka and all other living entities present, including the inhabitants of Siddhaloka and living entities who travel in outer space by airplane, all glorified the uncommon activities of Lord Vāmanadeva. O King, while chanting about and glorifying the Lord, they returned to their respective heavenly planets. They also praised the position of Aditi.

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.

Glorifying the Lord’s Wonderful Activities

  1. 1

    Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, Lord Kārttikeya, Bhṛgu and the other beings present glorified Lord Vāmanadeva’s uncommon activities.

  2. 2

    They continued chanting about and glorifying the Lord as they returned to their respective heavenly planets.

  3. 3

    They also praised the position of Aditi.

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 23: The Demigods Regain the Heavenly Planets

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

All the great saintly persons accepted Lord Vāmanadeva as the benefactor of Lord Indra because He had returned Indra to his heavenly planet. They accepted the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the maintainer of all the affairs of the universe.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.23
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. brahmāLord Brahmā
  2. śarvaḥLord Śiva
  3. kumāraḥ caalso Lord Kārttikeya
  4. bhṛgu-ādyāḥheaded by Bhṛgu Muni, one of the seven ṛṣis
  5. munayaḥthe saintly persons
  6. nṛpaO King
  7. pitaraḥthe inhabitants of Pitṛloka
  8. sarva-bhūtāniother living entities
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

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 8.23

    In this verse: “chanting”, “glorified”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 8.23

    In this verse: “king”

Chapter themes come from the story phase this chapter belongs to.

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How can I carry remembrance of the Lord’s activities into my ordinary movements?

Practice

Read this translation aloud today, giving attention to its glorification of Lord Vāmanadeva.

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 8.23's connections

Live this todayGlorifying the Lord’s Wonderful ActivitiesThis 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 8.23.26-27? Get an answer from the verses themselves.