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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
10.15.2010.15.22

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.15.21

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The cowherd boyssince 10.15.21inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

राम राम महाबाहो कृष्ण दुष्टनिबर्हण ।

इतोऽविदूरे सुमहद् वनं तालालिसङ्कुलम् ॥ २१ ॥

rāma rāma mahā-bāho

kṛṣṇa duṣṭa-nibarhaṇa

ito ’vidūre su-mahad

vanaṁ tālāli-saṅkulam

Translation

[The cowherd boys said:] O Rāma, Rāma, mighty-armed one! O Kṛṣṇa, destroyer of the miscreants! Not far from here is a very great forest filled with rows of palm trees.

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.

The Boys Describe Nearby Tālavana

  1. 1

    The boys addressed Rāma as mighty-armed and Kṛṣṇa as the destroyer of miscreants. They described a nearby, expansive forest filled with rows of palm trees.

  2. 2

    The purport places Tālavana about eight miles west of Mathurā, apparently midway between Mathurā and Govardhana Hill. Dhenukāsura guarded this forest.

  3. 3

    Tālavana’s land is described as even, smooth and expansive. Its black earth was densely covered with darbha grass and free of stones and pebbles.

Key points from the purport
  • Thus it appears that the Tālavana forest is located midway between Mathurā and Govardhana Hill.
  • The forest of Tālavana is described in the Śrī Hari-vaṁśa as follows:
  • The earth is black, densely covered with darbha grass and devoid of stones and pebbles.”

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:

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. This forest was full of many varieties of sweet fruits.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.15
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. rāma rāmaO Rāma
  2. mahā-bāhoO mighty-armed one
  3. kṛṣṇaO Kṛṣṇa
  4. duṣṭa-nibarhaṇaO eliminator of the miscreants
  5. itaḥfrom here
  6. avidūrenot far
  7. su-mahatvery expansive
  8. vanama forest
  9. tāla-āliwith rows of palm trees
  10. saṅkulamfilled
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: “cowherd boys”

  • Rakṣā · Divine protection

    Protection of devotees through the Lord’s intervention. · Theme in SB 10.15

    In this verse: “guarded”

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

How do these details help you picture the place the boys described to Rāma and Kṛṣṇa?

Practice

Read the boys’ address aloud once, attending to their words “mighty-armed one” and “destroyer of the miscreants.”

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 10.15's connections

Live this todayThe Boys Describe Nearby TālavanaThis 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 10.15.21? Get an answer from the verses themselves.