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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
8.24.258.24.27

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.24.26

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

नैवंवीर्यो जलचरो द‍ृष्टोऽस्माभि: श्रुतोऽपि वा ।

यो भवान् योजनशतमह्नाभिव्यानशे सर: ॥ २६ ॥

naivaṁ vīryo jalacaro

dṛṣṭo ’smābhiḥ śruto ’pi vā

yo bhavān yojana-śatam

ahnābhivyānaśe saraḥ

Translation

My Lord, in one day You have expanded Yourself for hundreds of miles, covering the water of the river and the ocean. Before this I had never seen or heard of such an aquatic animal.

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.

The Lord’s Extraordinary Expansion

  1. 1

    The King addresses the fish as his Lord.

  2. 2

    In one day, the Lord has expanded for hundreds of miles, covering the water of the river and the ocean.

  3. 3

    The King has never seen or heard of such an aquatic animal.

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:

Once, while performing this austerity on the bank of the Kṛtamālā River and offering oblations of water with the palm of his hand, he found a small fish. The fish appealed to the King for protection, asking the King to keep Him in a safe place.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.24
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. nanot
  2. evamthus
  3. vīryaḥpowerful
  4. jala-caraḥaquatic
  5. dṛṣṭaḥseen
  6. asmābhiḥby us
  7. śrutaḥ apinor heard of
  8. vāeither
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: “heard”

  • 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

How does the King’s description help me appreciate the Lord’s extraordinary power?

Practice

Pause for a minute to reflect on the Lord’s expansion described in this verse.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Lord’s Extraordinary ExpansionThis 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 8.24.26? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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