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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
8.24.438.24.45

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.24.44

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The saintly brāhmaṇas, being pleased with the Kingsince 8.24.43inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

सोऽनुध्यातस्ततो राज्ञा प्रादुरासीन्महार्णवे ।

एकश‍ृङ्गधरो मत्स्यो हैमो नियुतयोजन: ॥ ४४ ॥

so ’nudhyātas tato rājñā

prādurāsīn mahārṇave

eka-śṛṅga-dharo matsyo

haimo niyuta-yojanaḥ

Translation

Then, while the King constantly meditated upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead, a large golden fish appeared in the ocean of inundation. The fish had one horn and was eight million miles long.

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 During Constant Meditation

  1. 1

    The King constantly meditated upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

  2. 2

    While he meditated, the Lord appeared as a large golden fish in the ocean of inundation.

  3. 3

    The fish had one horn and was eight million miles long. This was the extraordinary form in which the Lord appeared.

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. saḥthe Lord
  2. anudhyātaḥbeing meditated upon
  3. tataḥthereafter (hearing the words of the saintly brāhmaṇas)
  4. rājñāby the King
  5. prādurāsītappeared (before him)
  6. mahā-arṇavein the great ocean of inundation
  7. eka-śṛṅga-dharaḥwith one horn
  8. matsyaḥa big fish
  9. haimaḥmade of gold
  10. niyuta-yojanaḥeight million miles long
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

  • 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 might help me give the Lord my steady attention?

Practice

Set aside one uninterrupted minute to remember the Lord’s golden fish form described in this verse.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Lord Appears During Constant MeditationThis 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 8.24.44? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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