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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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.9.5

Who is speaking and story frame

नूनं त्वं विधिना सुभ्रू: प्रेषितासि शरीरिणाम् ।

सर्वेन्द्रियमन:प्रीतिं विधातुं सघृणेन किम् ॥ ५ ॥

nūnaṁ tvaṁ vidhinā subhrūḥ

preṣitāsi śarīriṇām

sarvendriya-manaḥ-prītiṁ

vidhātuṁ saghṛṇena kim

Translation

O beautiful girl with beautiful eyebrows, certainly Providence, by His causeless mercy, has sent You to please the senses and minds of all of us. Is this not a fact?

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.

Assuming Mercy Means Personal Enjoyment

  1. 1

    The demons suggested that Providence had sent the beautiful girl to them.

  2. 2

    They described Her arrival as an act of His causeless mercy.

  3. 3

    Their appeal centered on the belief that She had come to please their senses and minds.

How it feels

Danger and ambition → Divine rescue and surprise. Cooperation, rivalry and revelation alternate rapidly.

Chapters 5–12 of Canto 8: Churning the ocean, poison and nectar. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 9: The Lord Incarnates as Mohinī-Mūrti

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Now, because the demons were fighting among themselves to possess the nectar, they selected this beautiful woman as a mediator to settle their quarrel. Taking advantage of their weakness in this regard, Mohinī, the incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, got the demons to promise that whatever decision She might give, they would not refuse to accept it.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.9
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. nūnamindeed
  2. tvamYou
  3. vidhināby Providence
  4. su-bhrūḥO You with the beautiful eyebrows
  5. preṣitāsent
  6. asicertainly You are so
  7. śarīriṇāmof all embodied living entities
  8. sarvaall
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Ūti · The creative impetus

    Why do we act, and what keeps us bound? · Subject 5 of 10

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 8.9

    In this verse: “mercy”, “causeless”

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

Do I sometimes assume that a welcome opportunity exists simply for my enjoyment?

Practice

Notice one pleasant experience today and examine whether you immediately treat it as something meant to satisfy you.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayAssuming Mercy Means Personal EnjoymentThis 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 8.9.5? Get an answer from the verses themselves.