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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
8.24.188.24.20

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.24.19

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

स एनां तत आदाय न्यधादौदञ्चनोदके ।

तत्र क्षिप्ता मुहूर्तेन हस्तत्रयमवर्धत ॥ १९ ॥

sa enāṁ tata ādāya

nyadhād audañcanodake

tatra kṣiptā muhūrtena

hasta-trayam avardhata

Translation

Then, taking the fish out of the waterpot, the King threw Him in a large well. But within a moment the fish developed to the length of three cubits.

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.

Rapid Growth in a Larger Shelter

  1. 1

    The King took the fish out of the waterpot.

  2. 2

    He placed Him in a large well.

  3. 3

    Within a moment, the fish grew to a length of three cubits.

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:

The King then put the fish in a big well, but the well was also too small. Then the King put the fish in a lake, but the lake was also unsuitable.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.24
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. saḥthe King
  2. enāmunto the fish
  3. tataḥthereafter
  4. ādāyataking out
  5. nyadhātplaced
  6. audañcana-udakein a well of water
  7. tatratherein
  8. kṣiptābeing thrown
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

  • 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.

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What do I notice about the speed of the fish’s growth?

Practice

Reread the translation and pause over the words “within a moment.”

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayRapid Growth in a Larger ShelterThis 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 8.24.19? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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