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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
8.24.88.24.10

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.24.9

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 8.24.5inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

ज्ञात्वा तद् दानवेन्द्रस्य हयग्रीवस्य चेष्टितम् ।

दधार शफरीरूपं भगवान् हरिरीश्वर: ॥ ९ ॥

jñātvā tad dānavendrasya

hayagrīvasya ceṣṭitam

dadhāra śapharī-rūpaṁ

bhagavān harir īśvaraḥ

Translation

Understanding the acts of the great demon Hayagrīva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, who is full of all opulences, assumed the form of a fish and saved the Vedas by killing the demon.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Hari Takes Fish Form to Save Vedas

  1. 1

    Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, understood the activities of the great demon Hayagrīva.

  2. 2

    Because everything was inundated with water, the Lord assumed the form of a fish to save the Vedas.

  3. 3

    The Lord, who is full of all opulences, killed the demon and saved the Vedic knowledge.

Key points from the purport
  • Because everything was inundated by water, to save the Vedas it was necessary for the Lord to assume the form of a fish.

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:

Therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead took the incarnation of a fish at the beginning of the period of Svāyambhuva Manu and saved the Vedas. During the reign of Cākṣuṣa Manu there was a king named Satyavrata, who was a great pious ruler.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.24
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. jñātvāafter understanding
  2. tatthat
  3. dānava-indrasyaof the great demon
  4. hayagrīvasyaof Hayagrīva
  5. ceṣṭitamactivity
  6. dadhāraaccepted
  7. śapharī-rūpamthe form of a fish
  8. bhagavānthe Supreme Personality of Godhead
  9. hariḥthe Lord
  10. īśvaraḥthe supreme controller
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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

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

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

    In this verse: “understanding”, “knowledge”

  • Rakṣā · Divine protection

    Protection of devotees through the Lord’s intervention. · Theme in SB 8.24

    In this verse: “saved”

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 Lord’s choice of form reveal His purpose in this incarnation?

Practice

Write one sentence explaining why the Lord assumed a fish form to save the Vedas.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayHari Takes Fish Form to Save VedasThis 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 8.24.9? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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