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Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

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Canto 10 · The Summum Bonum · 90 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 10.1.64

Who is speaking and story frame

एतत् कंसाय भगवाञ्छशंसाभ्येत्य नारद: । भूमेर्भारायमाणानां दैत्यानां च वधोद्यमम् ॥ ६४ ॥

etat kaṁsāya bhagavāñ

chaśaṁsābhyetya nāradaḥ

bhūmer bhārāyamāṇānāṁ

daityānāṁ ca vadhodyamam

Translation

Once the great saint Nārada approached Kaṁsa and informed him of how the demoniac persons who were a great burden on the earth were going to be killed. Thus Kaṁsa was placed into great fear and doubt.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
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Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Chanting Removes Demoniac Tendencies

  1. 1

    Nārada’s news placed Kaṁsa in fear and doubt. The Lord appears when demoniac rulers burden the earth and distress innocent devotees.

  2. 2

    As parts of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, devotees should serve Kṛṣṇa as He wants. In Kali-yuga, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu sought to destroy demoniac activities through love of Kṛṣṇa, not weapons.

  3. 3

    Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu prescribed constant chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This removes demoniac tendencies and helps people become first-class devotees, happy in this life and the next.

Key points from the purport
  • Whenever there is a burden created by the demons and whenever the innocent devotees are distressed by demoniac rulers, the Lord appears in due course of time to kill the demons with the assistance of His real representatives, who are technically called demigods.
  • Rather, by spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness, love of Kṛṣṇa, He wanted to kill their nefarious, demoniac activities.
  • Then their demoniac tendencies will be killed, and they will become first-class devotees, happy in this life and in the next.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

Connected verses· 1

The purport of SB 10.1.64 quotesBG 4.8

Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā (4.8): Whenever there is a burden created by the demons and whenever the innocent devotees are distressed by demoniac rulers, the Lord appears in due course of time to kill the demons with the assistance of His real representatives, who are technically called demigods.

Each link is a verse the purport itself quotes, or a purport elsewhere that quotes this verse, shown with the purport's own words.

How it feels

Terror → Wonder and relief. The threat of destruction yields to divine appearance.

Chapters 1–4 of Canto 10: Threat from Kaṁsa and Kṛṣṇa's birth. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 1: The Advent of Lord Kṛṣṇa: Introduction

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Later, however, after Nārada approached Kaṁsa and disclosed to him that the demigods were appearing in the Yadu and Vṛṣṇi dynasties and conspiring to kill him, Kaṁsa decided to kill all the children born in these families, and he also decided that any child born from the womb of Devakī must be killed. Thus he arrested and imprisoned both Devakī and Vasudeva and killed six of their sons, one after another.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.1
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. etatall these words about the Yadu family and Vṛṣṇi family
  2. kaṁsāyaunto King Kaṁsa
  3. bhagavānthe most powerful representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
  4. śaśaṁsainformed (Kaṁsa, who was in doubt)
  5. abhyetyaafter approaching him
  6. nāradaḥthe great sage Nārada
  7. bhūmeḥon the surface of the earth
  8. bhārāyamāṇānāmof those who were a burden
  9. daityānām caand of the demons
  10. vadha-udyamamthe endeavor to kill
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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

  • Abhaya · Fearlessness

    Steadiness through faith amid danger and death. · Theme in SB 10.1

    In this verse: “fear”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 10.1

    In this verse: “devotees”

  • Prema · Transcendental love

    The intimacy and sweetness of devotion to Kṛṣṇa. · Theme in SB 10.1

    In this verse: “love”

Chapter themes come from the story phase this chapter belongs to.

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Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Which harmful tendency would I like to overcome through chanting and service to Kṛṣṇa?

Practice

Chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra attentively for a few minutes today.

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The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayChanting Removes Demoniac TendenciesThis 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 10.1.64? Get an answer from the verses themselves.