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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 15: The Killing of Dhenuka, the Ass Demon
10.15.1510.15.17

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.15.16

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.15.9inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

क्‍वचित् पल्लवतल्पेषु नियुद्धश्रमकर्शित: ।

वृक्षमूलाश्रय: शेते गोपोत्सङ्गोपबर्हण: ॥ १६ ॥

kvacit pallava-talpeṣu

niyuddha-śrama-karśitaḥ

vṛkṣa-mūlāśrayaḥ śete

gopotsaṅgopabarhaṇaḥ

Translation

Sometimes Lord Kṛṣṇa grew tired from fighting and lay down at the base of a tree, resting upon a bed made of soft twigs and buds and using the lap of a cowherd friend as His pillow.

Read the purport on Vedabase.io

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.

Kṛṣṇa Accepts His Friends’ Enthusiastic Care

  1. 1

    Tired from fighting, Lord Kṛṣṇa rested at the base of a tree, using a cowherd friend’s lap as His pillow.

  2. 2

    His enthusiastic friends hastily prepared many beds of twigs, leaves and flowers.

  3. 3

    The purport explains that Kṛṣṇa expanded Himself into many forms and lay down upon those many beds.

Key points from the purport
  • The word pallava-talpeṣu implies that Lord Kṛṣṇa expanded Himself into many forms and lay down upon the many beds of twigs, leaves and flowers hastily constructed by His enthusiastic cowherd friends.

The purport'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 15: The Killing of Dhenuka, the Ass Demon

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

In this way Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and Their cowherd friends enjoyed various pastimes. During this play, Śrīdāmā, Subala, Stoka-kṛṣṇa and other cowherd boys described to Rāma and Kṛṣṇa a wicked and irrepressible demon named Dhenuka, who had assumed the form of a jackass and was living in the Tālavana forest near Govardhana Hill.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.15
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. kvacitsometimes
  2. pallavamade from new twigs and buds
  3. talpeṣuupon beds
  4. niyuddhafrom the fighting
  5. śramaby fatigue
  6. karśitaḥworn out
  7. vṛkṣaof a tree
  8. mūlaat the base
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 10.15

    In this verse: “friend”, “friend’s”

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 inspires you about the cowherd boys’ eagerness to prepare resting places for Kṛṣṇa?

Practice

Spend a minute remembering Kṛṣṇa accepting the beds His enthusiastic friends prepared.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa Accepts His Friends’ Enthusiastic CareThis 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 10.15.16? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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