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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

1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
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

8.24.16 8.24.18

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.24.17

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:With an appealing voice, the poor small fishsince 8.24.14inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

सा तु तत्रैकरात्रेण वर्धमाना कमण्डलौ ।

अलब्ध्वात्मावकाशं वा इदमाह महीपतिम् ॥ १७ ॥

sā tu tatraika-rātreṇa

vardhamānā kamaṇḍalau

alabdhvātmāvakāśaṁ vā

idam āha mahīpatim

Translation

But in one night that fish grew so much that He could not move His body comfortably in the water of the pot. He then spoke to the King as follows.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Fish Outgrows the Pot

1
In just one night, the fish grew greatly.
2
His body no longer had enough room to move comfortably in the waterpot.
3
The fish then spoke to the King about His situation.

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

Chapter 24: Matsya, the Lord’s Fish Incarnation

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

The fish, being the Supreme Personality of Godhead, wanted to show His potency to King Satyavrata, and thus He immediately expanded His body in such a way that He could no longer be kept in the jug of water. The King then put the fish in a big well, but the well was also too small.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 8.24

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

sāthat fish
tubut
tatratherein
eka-rātreṇain one night
vardhamānāexpanding
kamaṇḍalauin the waterpot
alabdhvāwithout attaining
ātma-avakāśama comfortable position for His body

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
Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership
Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 8.24
In this verse: “king”

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

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Do I notice when the care I have provided no longer meets a need?

Practice

Check one arrangement you have made for someone’s comfort and see whether it still meets their needs.

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Fish Outgrows the PotThis 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 8.24.17? Get an answer from the verses themselves.

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