1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

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

Or browse by canto and chapter
Canto

Canto 10 · The Summum Bonum · 90 chapters

123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990

Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

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 10 · Chapter 12: The Killing of the Demon Aghāsura
10.12.1910.12.21

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.12.20

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The boyssince 10.12.19inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

सत्यमर्ककरारक्तमुत्तराहनुवद् धनम् ।

अधराहनुवद्रोधस्तत्प्रतिच्छाययारुणम् ॥ २० ॥

satyam arka-karāraktam

uttarā-hanuvad ghanam

adharā-hanuvad rodhas

tat-praticchāyayāruṇam

Translation

Thereafter they decided: Dear friends, this is certainly an animal sitting here to swallow us all. Its upper lip resembles a cloud reddened by the sunshine, and its lower lip resembles the reddish shadows of a cloud.

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 Recognized a Living Animal

  1. 1

    The boys decided that this was indeed an animal waiting to swallow them all.

  2. 2

    They described its upper lip as resembling a cloud reddened by sunshine.

  3. 3

    They described its lower lip as resembling the reddish shadows of a cloud.

How it feels

Peril and pride → Friendship and humility. Divinity is revealed amid intimate childhood play.

Chapters 12–19 of Canto 10: Childhood dangers and Brahmā's amazement. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 12: The Killing of the Demon Aghāsura

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Kṛṣṇa knew everything about Aghāsura, and therefore He wanted to forbid His friends to enter the demon’s mouth, but in the meantime all the cowherd boys, along with their groups of calves, entered the mouth of that gigantic figure. Kṛṣṇa was waiting outside, and Aghāsura was waiting for Kṛṣṇa, thinking that as soon as Kṛṣṇa entered he would close his mouth so that everyone would die.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.12
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. satyamnow the boys decided that it was in fact a living python
  2. arka-kara-āraktamappearing like the sunshine
  3. uttarā-hanuvat ghanamon the cloud resembling the upper lips
  4. adharā-hanuvatresembling the lower lips
  5. rodhaḥbig bank
  6. tat-praticchāyayāby the reflection of sunshine
  7. aruṇamreddish
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

  • Sakhya · Sacred friendship

    The affection of companions and friends of the Lord. · Theme in SB 10.12

    In this verse: “friends”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How do the comparisons with clouds help you picture what the boys saw?

Practice

Reread the verse and identify the boys’ conclusion and the two comparisons they used.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Boys Recognized a Living AnimalThis 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 10.12.20? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
  1. Learn
  2. Live
  3. Lead
Next in Learn · 5 of 11 · 2 minAsk the BhāgavatamBring your own question. Get an answer drawn only from the Bhāgavatam's translations, with every verse shown.Back · LearnCantos & stories