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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
8.24.278.24.29

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.24.28

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The fishsince 8.24.22inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

नमस्ते पुरुषश्रेष्ठ स्थित्युत्पत्त्यप्ययेश्वर ।

भक्तानां न: प्रपन्नानां मुख्यो ह्यात्मगतिर्विभो ॥ २८ ॥

namas te puruṣa-śreṣṭha

sthity-utpatty-apyayeśvara

bhaktānāṁ naḥ prapannānāṁ

mukhyo hy ātma-gatir vibho

Translation

O my Lord, master of creation, maintenance and annihilation, O best of enjoyers, Lord Viṣṇu, You are the leader and destination of surrendered devotees like us. Therefore let me offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

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 Is the Devotees’ Destination

  1. 1

    Lord Viṣṇu is the master of creation, maintenance and annihilation.

  2. 2

    He is the best of enjoyers and the leader of surrendered devotees.

  3. 3

    He is their destination, and the King offers Him respectful obeisances.

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:

King Satyavrata offered respectful obeisances to the Supreme Lord and continued to meditate upon Him. In due course of time, annihilation took place, and the King saw a boat coming near.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.24
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. namaḥI offer my respectful obeisances
  2. teunto You
  3. puruṣa-śreṣṭhathe best of all living entities, the best of all enjoyers
  4. sthitiof maintenance
  5. utpatticreation
  6. apyayaand destruction
  7. īśvarathe Supreme Lord
  8. bhaktānāmof Your devotees
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Āśraya · The summum bonum

    Who is the shelter of everything? · Subject 10 of 10

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 8.24

    In this verse: “devotees”

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

    Relinquishing ownership while entrusting oneself to the Lord. · Theme in SB 8.24

    In this verse: “surrendered”

  • 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 would it mean for me to regard the Lord as both my leader and my destination?

Practice

Offer respectful obeisances to Lord Viṣṇu, asking to follow His guidance.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Lord Is the Devotees’ DestinationThis 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 8.24.28? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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