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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 24: Matsya, the Lord’s Fish Incarnation
8.24.98.24.11

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.24.10

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 8.24.5inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

तत्र राजऋषि: कश्चिन्नाम्ना सत्यव्रतो महान् ।

नारायणपरोऽतपत् तप: स सलिलाशन: ॥ १० ॥

tatra rāja-ṛṣiḥ kaścin

nāmnā satyavrato mahān

nārāyaṇa-paro ’tapat

tapaḥ sa salilāśanaḥ

Translation

During the Cākṣuṣa-manvantara there was a great king named Satyavrata who was a great devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Satyavrata performed austerities by subsisting only on water.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Lord Appears to Favor Satyavrata

  1. 1

    During the Cākṣuṣa-manvantara, King Satyavrata was a great devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He performed austerities by subsisting only on water.

  2. 2

    The purport explains that there were two fish incarnations. One appeared at the beginning of the Svāyambhuva-manvantara to save the Vedas by killing Hayagrīva.

  3. 3

    At the end of the Cākṣuṣa-manvantara, the Lord again assumed a fish form. This incarnation appeared to show favor to King Satyavrata.

Key points from the purport
  • The Lord assumed one fish incarnation to save the Vedas at the beginning of the Svāyambhuva-manvantara, and at the end of the Cākṣuṣa-manvantara the Lord again assumed the form of a fish just to favor the great king named Satyavrata.
  • As there were two incarnations of Varāha, there were also two incarnations of fish.

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

Catastrophe → Trust and protection. Divine guardianship amid destruction closes the canto.

Chapter 24 of Canto 8: Matsya preserves life and knowledge. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 24: Matsya, the Lord’s Fish Incarnation

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

During the reign of Cākṣuṣa Manu there was a king named Satyavrata, who was a great pious ruler. To save him, the Lord appeared as the fish incarnation for a second time.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.24
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tatrain that connection
  2. rāja-ṛṣiḥa king equally qualified as a great saintly person
  3. kaścitsomeone
  4. nāmnāby the name
  5. satyavrataḥSatyavrata
  6. mahāna great personality
  7. nārāyaṇa-paraḥa great devotee of Lord Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
  8. atapatperformed austerities
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

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 8.24

    In this verse: “devotee”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 8.24

    In this verse: “king”

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 8.24

    In this verse: “favor”

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

What does the Lord’s appearance for Satyavrata show you about His relationship with His devotees?

Practice

Set aside a few quiet minutes today to reflect on Satyavrata’s devotion and the Lord’s favor toward him.

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 8.24's connections

Live this todayThe Lord Appears to Favor SatyavrataThis 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 8.24.10? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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