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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.
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Canto 10 · Chapter 15: The Killing of Dhenuka, the Ass Demon
10.15.3710.15.39

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.15.38

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

फलप्रकरसङ्कीर्णं दैत्यदेहैर्गतासुभि: ।

रराज भू: सतालाग्रैर्घनैरिव नभस्तलम् ॥ ३८ ॥

phala-prakara-saṅkīrṇaṁ

daitya-dehair gatāsubhiḥ

rarāja bhūḥ sa-tālāgrair

ghanair iva nabhas-talam

Translation

The earth then appeared beautifully covered with heaps of fruits and with the dead bodies of the demons, which were entangled in the broken tops of the palm trees. Indeed, the earth shone like the sky decorated with clouds.

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 Lord’s Pastimes Are Always Transcendental

  1. 1

    The earth was covered with heaps of fruits and the demons’ bodies entangled in broken palm treetops. It shone like a sky decorated with clouds.

  2. 2

    Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura compares the dark bodies to dark blue clouds and the blood to bright red clouds.

  3. 3

    The Supreme Personality of Godhead, in forms such as Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, is always transcendental. Even His killing of the stubborn ass demons has a beautiful and transcendental result.

Key points from the purport
  • According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, the bodies of the demons were dark, like dark blue clouds, and the large quantity of blood that had flowed from their bodies appeared like bright red clouds.
  • The Supreme Personality of Godhead in His various forms, such as Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, is always transcendental, and when He enacts His transcendental pastimes the result is always beautiful and transcendental, even when the Lord performs violent acts like killing the stubborn ass demons.

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:

Arriving at the Tālavana, Lord Balarāma shook many fruits out of the palm trees, and as soon as He did so the jackass demon, Dhenuka, ran swiftly to attack Him. But Balarāma grabbed his hind legs with one hand, whirled him around and threw him into the top of a tree, thus slaying him.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.15
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. phala-prakarawith heaps of fruits
  2. saṅkīrṇamcovered
  3. daitya-dehaiḥwith the bodies of the demons
  4. gata-asubhiḥwhich were lifeless
  5. rarājashone forth
  6. bhūḥthe earth
  7. sa-tāla-agraiḥwith the tops of the palm trees
  8. ghanaiḥwith clouds
  9. ivaas
  10. nabhaḥ-talamthe sky
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

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 does the purport guide your understanding of the Lord’s seemingly violent acts?

Practice

Reread the purport’s conclusion and reflect for a moment on the Lord’s transcendental nature.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Lord’s Pastimes Are Always TranscendentalThis 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 10.15.38? Get an answer from the verses themselves.