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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
8.24.268.24.28

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.24.27

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The fishsince 8.24.22inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

नूनं त्वं भगवान् साक्षाद्धरिर्नारायणोऽव्यय: ।

अनुग्रहाय भूतानां धत्से रूपं जलौकसाम् ॥ २७ ॥

nūnaṁ tvaṁ bhagavān sākṣād

dharir nārāyaṇo ’vyayaḥ

anugrahāya bhūtānāṁ

dhatse rūpaṁ jalaukasām

Translation

My Lord, You are certainly the inexhaustible Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, Śrī Hari. It is to show Your mercy to the living entities that You have now assumed the form of an aquatic.

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 Appears to Show Mercy

  1. 1

    The King recognizes the fish as the inexhaustible Supreme Personality of Godhead.

  2. 2

    He addresses Him as Nārāyaṇa and Śrī Hari.

  3. 3

    The Lord has assumed an aquatic form to show mercy to the living entities.

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 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 summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.24
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. nūnamcertainly
  2. tvamYou (are)
  3. bhagavānthe Supreme Personality of Godhead
  4. sākṣātdirectly
  5. hariḥthe Lord
  6. nārāyaṇaḥthe Personality of Godhead
  7. avyayaḥinexhaustible
  8. anugrahāyato show mercy
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Poṣaṇa · Protection by the Lord

    How does the Lord care for His devotees? · Subject 4 of 10

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 8.24

    In this verse: “mercy”

  • 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 knowing the merciful purpose of the Lord’s appearance shape my response to Him?

Practice

Offer a short prayer of gratitude to Śrī Hari for His mercy to living entities.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Lord Appears to Show MercyThis 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 8.24.27? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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