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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
8.24.518.24.53

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.24.52

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Kingsince 8.24.46inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

त्वं सर्वलोकस्य सुहृत् प्रियेश्वरो

ह्यात्मा गुरुर्ज्ञानमभीष्टसिद्धि: ।

तथापि लोको न भवन्तमन्धधी-

र्जानाति सन्तं हृदि बद्धकाम: ॥ ५२ ॥

tvaṁ sarva-lokasya suhṛt priyeśvaro

hy ātmā gurur jñānam abhīṣṭa-siddhiḥ

tathāpi loko na bhavantam andha-dhīr

jānāti santaṁ hṛdi baddha-kāmaḥ

Translation

My Lord, You are the supreme well-wishing friend of everyone, the dearmost friend, the controller, the Supersoul, the supreme instructor and the giver of supreme knowledge and the fulfillment of all desires. But although You are within the heart, the foolish, because of lusty desires in the heart, cannot understand You.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Devotional Service Opens Us to Divine Guidance

  1. 1

    The Lord is everyone’s well-wishing friend and supreme instructor, present within the heart. Materialistic lusty desires prevent the conditioned soul from understanding Him.

  2. 2

    The Lord is ready to instruct everyone externally and internally. Through devotional service, one receives His guidance on returning home, back to Godhead.

  3. 3

    Knowing that one is a spirit soul rather than the body does not by itself fulfill life’s purpose. Only devotional service leads to spiritual happiness in living with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Key points from the purport
  • Because the conditioned soul in this material world is full of materialistic lusty desires, he cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although the Lord is situated in everyone’s heart (īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe ’rjuna tiṣṭhati).
  • In other words, the Lord can give instructions on devotional service by which one can return home, back to Godhead.
  • The Lord, being situated in everyone’s heart, can give one complete instructions on going back to Godhead, but because of lusty desires one engages himself in materialistic activities and does not render service to the Lord.

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 Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, and thus he taught Mahārāja Satyavrata and the saintly persons about Vedic knowledge from the core of the heart. King Satyavrata took his next birth as Vaivasvata Manu, who is mentioned in Bhagavad-gītā.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.24
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tvamYou, my dear Lord
  2. sarva-lokasyaof all planets and their inhabitants
  3. suhṛtthe most well-wishing friend
  4. priyathe most dear
  5. īśvaraḥthe supreme controller
  6. hialso
  7. ātmāthe supreme soul
  8. guruḥthe supreme teacher
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

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 8.24

    In this verse: “knowledge”, “understand”, “spirit soul”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 8.24

    In this verse: “lusty”, “materialistic”

  • Sakhya · Sacred friendship

    The affection of companions and friends of the Lord. · Theme in SB 8.24

    In this verse: “friend”

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

Which material desire distracts me from receiving the Lord’s instructions and serving Him?

Practice

Set aside one material distraction for five minutes and prayerfully read this verse, asking the Lord to guide you in His service.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayDevotional Service Opens Us to Divine GuidanceThis 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.

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