FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.18.22

ते ऋत्विजो यजमान: सदस्या हतत्विषो वामनतेजसा नृप । सूर्य: किलायात्युत वा विभावसु: सनत्कुमारोऽथ दिद‍ृक्षया क्रतो: ॥ २२ ॥
te ṛtvijo yajamānaḥ sadasyā
[te ritvijo yajamaanah sadasyaa]
hata-tviṣo vāmana-tejasā nṛpa
[hata-tvisho vaamana-tejasaa nripa]
sūryaḥ kilāyāty uta vā vibhāvasuḥ
[sooryah kilaayaaty uta vaa vibhaavasuh]
sanat-kumāro ’tha didṛkṣayā kratoḥ
[sanat-kumaaro ’tha didrikshayaa kratoh]
te — all of them ṛtvijaḥ — the priests yajamānaḥ — as well as Bali Mahārāja, who had engaged them in performing the yajña sadasyāḥ — all the members of the assembly hata-tviṣaḥ — decreased in their bodily effulgence vāmana-tejasā — by the brilliant effulgence of Lord Vāmana nṛpa — O King sūryaḥ — the sun kila — whether āyāti — is coming uta vā — either vibhāvasuḥ — the fire-god sanat-kumāraḥ — the Kumāra known as Sanat-kumāra atha — either didṛkṣayā — with a desire to observe kratoḥ — the sacrificial ceremony.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
te ṛtvijo yajamānaḥ sadasyā
te
all of them
ṛtvijaḥ
the priests
yajamānaḥ
as well as Bali Mahārāja, who had engaged them in performing the yajña
sadasyāḥ
all the members of the assembly
hata-tviṣo vāmana-tejasā nṛpa
hata-tviṣaḥ
decreased in their bodily effulgence
vāmana-tejasā
by the brilliant effulgence of Lord Vāmana
nṛpa
O King
sūryaḥ kilāyāty uta vā vibhāvasuḥ
sūryaḥ
the sun
kila
whether
āyāti
is coming
uta vā
either
vibhāvasuḥ
the fire-god
sanat-kumāro ’tha didṛkṣayā kratoḥ
sanat-kumāraḥ
the Kumāra known as Sanat-kumāra
atha
either
didṛkṣayā
with a desire to observe
kratoḥ
the sacrificial ceremony.
O King, because of Vāmanadeva’s bright effulgence, the priests, along with Bali Mahārāja and all the members of the assembly, were robbed of their splendor. Thus they began to ask one another whether the sun-god himself, Sanat-kumāra or the fire-god had personally come to see the sacrificial ceremony.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O King! Because of Vāmanadeva's bright effulgence, the head priests, along with Bali Mahārāja and all the members of the assembly, were robbed of their splendor. Thus they began to ask one another whether the sun-god himself, Sanat-kumāra or the fire-god had personally come to see the sacrificial ceremony.
His effulgence robbed priests, Bali, and all the assembly of their splendor. They asked: is this the sun-god, Sanat-kumāra, or fire? Real divinity dims even those who shine. We may not recognize Him, but we feel the dimming.
Reflection Questions
  • Where did I feel suddenly 'dimmed' in a presence — and did I trace that dimming back to its source?
  • What previous explanations have I given for divine encounters that, in retrospect, were missing the obvious?
📝 My note

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