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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.
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Canto 10 · Chapter 11: The Childhood Pastimes of Kṛṣṇa
10.11.4610.11.48

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.11.47

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.11.21inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

ते तत्र दद‍ृशुर्बाला महासत्त्वमवस्थितम् ।

तत्रसुर्वज्रनिर्भिन्नं गिरे: श‍ृङ्गमिव च्युतम् ॥ ४७ ॥

te tatra dadṛśur bālā

mahā-sattvam avasthitam

tatrasur vajra-nirbhinnaṁ

gireḥ śṛṅgam iva cyutam

Translation

Right by the reservoir, the boys saw a gigantic body resembling a mountain peak broken and struck down by a thunderbolt. They were afraid even to see such a huge living being.

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.

The Boys Face a Frightening Sight

  1. 1

    Right beside the reservoir, the boys saw a gigantic living being.

  2. 2

    Its body resembled a mountain peak broken and struck down by a thunderbolt. This comparison conveys its enormous size.

  3. 3

    The boys were afraid simply to see such a huge being. The verse describes their immediate fear.

How it feels

Worry and play → Parental tenderness. The Supreme becomes the beloved child of His devotees.

Chapters 5–11 of Canto 10: Gokula, Yaśodā and the infant Lord. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 11: The Childhood Pastimes of Kṛṣṇa

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

They decided to go to Vṛndāvana, Vraja-dhāma, and the next day they all departed. In Vṛndāvana, both Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, after finishing Their childhood pastimes, began to take charge of the calves and send them to the pasturing grounds ( go-caraṇa).
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.11
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tethey
  2. tatrathere
  3. dadṛśuḥobserved
  4. bālāḥall the boys
  5. mahā-sattvama gigantic body
  6. avasthitamsituated
  7. tatrasuḥbecame afraid
  8. vajra-nirbhinnambroken by a thunderbolt
3

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 10.11

    In this verse: “afraid”, “fear”

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

What does the comparison to a fallen mountain peak help you understand about the boys' fear?

Practice

Reread the verse slowly and pause to consider how frightening the sight was for the boys.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Boys Face a Frightening SightThis 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 10.11.47? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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