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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

1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
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 14: Brahmā’s Prayers to Lord Kṛṣṇa

10.14.48 10.14.50

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.14.49

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:King Parīkṣitsince 10.14.49inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

श्रीराजोवाच

ब्रह्मन् परोद्भ‍वे कृष्णे इयान् प्रेमा कथं भवेत् ।

योऽभूतपूर्वस्तोकेषु स्वोद्भ‍वेष्वपि कथ्यताम् ॥ ४९ ॥

śrī-rājovāca

brahman parodbhave kṛṣṇe

iyān premā kathaṁ bhavet

yo ’bhūta-pūrvas tokeṣu

svodbhaveṣv api kathyatām

Translation

King Parīkṣit said: O brāhmaṇa, how could the cowherd women have developed for Kṛṣṇa, someone else’s son, such unprecedented pure love — love they never felt even for their own children? Please explain this.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

An Extraordinary Love for Kṛṣṇa

1
King Parīkṣit asks how the cowherd women developed such unprecedented pure love for Kṛṣṇa.
2
Although Kṛṣṇa was someone else’s son, their love for Him exceeded even their love for their own children.
3
Parīkṣit asks for an explanation of this extraordinary affection. He wants to understand their love for Kṛṣṇa more deeply.

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

Chapter 14: Brahmā’s Prayers to Lord Kṛṣṇa

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Laughing at the words of the cowherd boys, Lord Kṛṣṇa began taking His meal in their company. While eating, Kṛṣṇa pointed out to His young friends the skin of the python, and the boys thought, “Kṛṣṇa has just now killed this terrible snake.”

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 10.14

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

śrī-rājā uvācathe King said
brahmanO brāhmaṇa, Śukadeva
para-udbhavefor the offspring of another
kṛṣṇeLord Kṛṣṇa
iyānso much
premālove
kathamhow
bhavetcan be

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
Prema · Transcendental love
The intimacy and sweetness of devotion to Kṛṣṇa. · Theme in SB 10.14
In this verse: “love”
Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership
Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 10.14
In this verse: “king”
Vātsalya · Parental affection
Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 10.14
In this verse: “children”

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What would you like to understand about the cowherd women’s pure love for Kṛṣṇa?

Practice

Write one sincere question about the extraordinary love described in this verse.

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayAn Extraordinary Love for KṛṣṇaThis 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 10.14.49? Get an answer from the verses themselves.

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