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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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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
10.12.210.12.4

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.12.3

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.12.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

कृष्णवत्सैरसङ्ख्यातैर्यूथीकृत्य स्ववत्सकान् ।

चारयन्तोऽर्भलीलाभिर्विजह्रुस्तत्र तत्र ह ॥ ३ ॥

kṛṣṇa-vatsair asaṅkhyātair

yūthī-kṛtya sva-vatsakān

cārayanto ’rbha-līlābhir

vijahrus tatra tatra ha

Translation

Along with the cowherd boys and their own groups of calves, Kṛṣṇa came out with an unlimited number of calves assembled. Then all the boys began to sport in the forest in a greatly playful spirit.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Kṛṣṇa’s Potency Has No Limit

  1. 1

    The word asaṅkhyāta means “unlimited.” Kṛṣṇa’s calves were unlimited, not merely a very large number.

  2. 2

    Kṛṣṇa, His potency, His cows and calves, and His space are all unlimited. He is Parabrahman, the Supreme Unlimited.

  3. 3

    These descriptions are factual, though inconceivable to our limited senses and knowledge. Since everything about Kṛṣṇa is unlimited, nothing is impossible for Him.

Key points from the purport
  • Kṛṣṇa is unlimited, His potency is unlimited, His cows and calves are unlimited, and His space is unlimited.
  • The word brahman means “unlimited,” and Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Unlimited, Parabrahman.
  • Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, in the Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta, states that since everything about Kṛṣṇa is unlimited, nothing is impossible for Him.

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

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:

One day Kṛṣṇa wanted to enjoy a picnic lunch within the forest, and therefore He went out early into the forest with the other cowherd boys, accompanied by their respective groups of calves. While they were enjoying their picnic, Aghāsura, the younger brother of Pūtanā and Bakāsura, appeared there, desiring to kill Kṛṣṇa and His companions.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.12
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. kṛṣṇaof Lord Kṛṣṇa
  2. vatsaiḥalong with the calves
  3. asaṅkhyātaiḥunlimited
  4. yūthī-kṛtyaassembled them
  5. sva-vatsakānpersonal calves
  6. cārayantaḥexecuting
  7. arbha-līlābhiḥby boyhood pastimes
  8. vijahruḥenjoyed
  9. tatra tatrahere and there
  10. haindeed
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: “cowherd boys”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 10.12

    In this verse: “knowledge”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How might your limited experience affect the way you understand Kṛṣṇa’s unlimited potency?

Practice

Read the statement “Kṛṣṇa is unlimited” slowly, and pause to acknowledge the limits of your own understanding.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa’s Potency Has No LimitThis 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 10.12.3? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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