1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

Or browse by canto and chapter

Canto

Canto 8 · Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations · 24 chapters

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

How to study this verse, in six steps

1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
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

8.24.37 8.24.39

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.24.38

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

मदीयं महिमानं च परं ब्रह्मेति शब्दितम् ।

वेत्स्यस्यनुगृहीतं मे सम्प्रश्नैर्विवृतं हृदि ॥ ३८ ॥

madīyaṁ mahimānaṁ ca

paraṁ brahmeti śabditam

vetsyasy anugṛhītaṁ me

sampraśnair vivṛtaṁ hṛdi

Translation

You will be thoroughly advised and favored by Me, and because of your inquiries, everything about My glories, which are known as paraṁ brahma, will be manifest within your heart. Thus you will know everything about Me.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Lord Reveals Himself Through Surrender

1
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Paramātmā, is situated in everyone’s heart. From Him come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness.
2
The Lord reveals Himself in proportion to one’s surrender. A fully surrendered soul receives His direct favor and has no fear of the modes of material nature.
3
The more one is purified and desires to know the Supreme, the more the Lord reveals. Full knowledge of Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān is revealed to pure devotees.

Key points from the purport

Such a fully surrendered soul is favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly.
One who has fully surrendered to the Lord has no fear of the modes of material nature, for everything is but an expansion of the Lord’s glories (sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma), and these glories are gradually revealed and realized.
The more one is purified and the more he wants to know about the Supreme, the more the Lord reveals to him.

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

Connected verses· 3

The purport of SB 8.24.38 quotesBG 15.15

As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (15.15), sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Paramātmā, is situated in everyone’s heart, and from Him come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness.

The purport of SB 8.24.38 quotesBG 10.11

The Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (10.11): “Out of compassion for them, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.”

Quoted in the purport ofSB 10.87.2

Thus you will know everything about Me.”

Each link is a verse the purport itself quotes, or a purport elsewhere that quotes this verse, shown with the purport's own words.

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

Chapter 24: Matsya, the Lord’s Fish Incarnation

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Although the King did not know that the small fish was the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, as a king he gave shelter to the fish and kept Him in a water jug. 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.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 8.24

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

madīyampertaining to Me
mahimānamglories
caand
param brahmathe Supreme Brahman, the Absolute Truth
itithus
śabditamcelebrated
vetsyasiyou shall understand
anugṛhītambeing favored

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: “favored”, “favor”
Jñāna · Spiritual insight
Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 8.24
In this verse: “inquiries”, “knowledge”
Moha · Material attachment
The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 8.24
In this verse: “material”

Chapter themes come from the story phase this chapter belongs to.

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Where could I become more willing to surrender to the Lord rather than hold back?

Practice

Write one sincere question about the Lord’s glories, then offer a brief prayer for understanding and deeper surrender.

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Lord Reveals Himself Through SurrenderThis 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 8.24.38? Get an answer from the verses themselves.

Next in Learn · 5 of 11 · 2 minAsk the BhāgavatamBring your own question. Get an answer drawn only from the Bhāgavatam's translations, with every verse shown.Back · LearnCantos & stories