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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 ›
Canto 10 · Chapter 14: Brahmā’s Prayers to Lord Kṛṣṇa
10.14.5110.14.53

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.14.52

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.14.50inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

देहात्मवादिनां पुंसामपि राजन्यसत्तम ।

यथा देह: प्रियतमस्तथा न ह्यनु ये च तम् ॥ ५२ ॥

dehātma-vādināṁ puṁsām

api rājanya-sattama

yathā dehaḥ priyatamas

tathā na hy anu ye ca tam

Translation

Indeed, for persons who think the body is the self, O best of kings, those things whose importance lies only in their relationship to the body are never as dear as the body itself.

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.

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Bodily Identity Shapes What We Value

  1. 1

    This verse describes people who think the body is the self.

  2. 2

    For them, things related to the body gain their importance through that relationship.

  3. 3

    Those related things are never as dear to them as the body itself.

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 14: Brahmā’s Prayers to Lord Kṛṣṇa

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Indeed, later they related to the residents of Vṛndāvana the incident of Kṛṣṇa’s killing the Agha demon. In this way, the cowherd boys described pastimes that Lord Kṛṣṇa had performed in His bālya age (one to five), even though His paugaṇḍa age (six to ten) had begun.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.14
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. deha-ātma-vādināmwho ascribe to the view that the body is the self
  2. puṁsāmfor persons
  3. apiindeed
  4. rājanya-sat-tamaO best of kings
  5. yathāas
  6. dehaḥthe body
  7. priya-tamaḥmost dear
  8. tathāthus
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Ūti · The creative impetus

    Why do we act, and what keeps us bound? · Subject 5 of 10

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 10.14

    In this verse: “kings”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Which things do I value mainly because of their relationship to my body?

Practice

Choose one possession and consider how much of its importance comes from its use for your body.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayBodily Identity Shapes What We ValueThis 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 10.14.52? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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