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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
8.24.248.24.26

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.24.25

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The fishsince 8.24.22inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

एवं विमोहितस्तेन वदता वल्गुभारतीम् ।

तमाह को भवानस्मान् मत्स्यरूपेण मोहयन् ॥ २५ ॥

evaṁ vimohitas tena

vadatā valgu-bhāratīm

tam āha ko bhavān asmān

matsya-rūpeṇa mohayan

Translation

After hearing these sweet words from the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the form of a fish, the King, being bewildered, asked Him: Who are You, sir? You simply bewilder us.

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.

Bewilderment Leads to Respectful Inquiry

  1. 1

    The speaker in the form of a fish is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

  2. 2

    The King hears His sweet words and becomes bewildered.

  3. 3

    Rather than pretending to understand, the King respectfully asks who He is.

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:

Thus He appears in various forms — sometimes as a fish, sometimes a boar, sometimes Nṛsiṁhadeva, sometimes Vāmanadeva and so on — but in any form or incarnation, although He comes within the atmosphere of the material modes of nature, He is unaffected. This is a sign of His supreme controlling power.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.24
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. evamthus
  2. vimohitaḥbewildered
  3. tenaby the fish
  4. vadatāspeaking
  5. valgu-bhāratīmsweet words
  6. tamunto him
  7. āhasaid
  8. kaḥwho
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 8.24

    In this verse: “hearing”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 8.24

    In this verse: “king”

  • Prema · Transcendental love

    The intimacy and sweetness of devotion to Kṛṣṇa. · Theme in SB 8.24

    In this verse: “sweet”

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

Can I acknowledge what I do not understand and ask about it respectfully?

Practice

Write down one sincere question you have about the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayBewilderment Leads to Respectful InquiryThis 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 8.24.25? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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