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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
8.24.368.24.38

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.24.37

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Supreme Personality of Godheadsince 8.24.32inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

अहं त्वामृषिभि: सार्धं सहनावमुदन्वति ।

विकर्षन् विचरिष्यामि यावद् ब्राह्मी निशा प्रभो ॥ ३७ ॥

ahaṁ tvām ṛṣibhiḥ sārdhaṁ

saha-nāvam udanvati

vikarṣan vicariṣyāmi

yāvad brāhmī niśā prabho

Translation

Pulling the boat, with you and all the ṛṣis in it, O King, I shall travel in the water of devastation until the night of Lord Brahmā’s slumber is over.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Devastation Occurs by the Lord’s Supreme Will

  1. 1

    The Lord promises to pull the boat carrying the King and the ṛṣis until Lord Brahmā’s slumber ends.

  2. 2

    The purport explains that this devastation occurred during Brahmā’s day, in the time of Cākṣuṣa Manu. By the Lord’s supreme will, Brahmā briefly felt sleepy, and this interval is called his night.

  3. 3

    Devastation does not necessarily occur at the end of every Manu’s time. Here, the Supreme Personality of Godhead wanted to show Satyavrata its effects through His illusory energy.

Key points from the purport
  • This particular devastation actually took place not during the night of Lord Brahmā but during his day, for it was during the time of Cākṣuṣa Manu.
  • Therefore, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura comments that although it was daytime for Lord Brahmā, Brahmā felt sleepy for a short time by the supreme will of the Lord.
  • During the time of Cākṣuṣa Manu, by the supreme will of the Lord, there was suddenly another pralaya, or devastation.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

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 Personality of Godhead, being pleased with the King, informed him that within a week there would be an inundation throughout the universe and that the fish incarnation would protect the King, along with the ṛṣis, herbs, seeds and other living entities, in a boat, which would be attached to the fish’s horn. After saying this, the Lord disappeared.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.24
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. ahamI
  2. tvāmunto you
  3. ṛṣibhiḥwith all the saintly persons
  4. sārdhamall together
  5. sahawith
  6. nāvamthe boat
  7. udanvatiin the water of devastation
  8. vikarṣancontacting
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

  • 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 purport clarify my understanding of the Lord’s supreme will in this event?

Practice

Write one sentence explaining why this brief period is called Brahmā’s night.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 8.24's connections

Live this todayDevastation Occurs by the Lord’s Supreme WillThis 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 8.24.37? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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