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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 16: Kṛṣṇa Chastises the Serpent Kāliya
10.15.5210.16.2

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.16.1

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.16.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

श्रीशुक उवाच

विलोक्य दूषितां कृष्णां कृष्ण: कृष्णाहिना विभु: ।

तस्या विशुद्धिमन्विच्छन् सर्पं तमुदवासयत् ॥ १ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca

vilokya dūṣitāṁ kṛṣṇāṁ

kṛṣṇaḥ kṛṣṇāhinā vibhuḥ

tasyā viśuddhim anvicchan

sarpaṁ tam udavāsayat

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, seeing that the Yamunā River had been contaminated by the black snake Kāliya, desired to purify the river, and thus the Lord banished him from it.

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.

Kṛṣṇa Desires to Purify the Yamunā

  1. 1

    Śukadeva Gosvāmī identifies Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

  2. 2

    Kṛṣṇa saw that the black snake Kāliya had contaminated the Yamunā River.

  3. 3

    Desiring to purify the river, the Lord banished Kāliya from it.

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 16: Kṛṣṇa Chastises the Serpent Kāliya

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Within the water of the lake adjoining the river they saw Lord Kṛṣṇa, the very essence of their lives, enwrapped in the coils of a black snake. The residents thought the three worlds had become empty, and they all prepared to enter the water.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.16
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-śukaḥ uvācaŚrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said
  2. vilokyaseeing
  3. dūṣitāmcontaminated
  4. kṛṣṇāmthe river Yamunā
  5. kṛṣṇaḥLord Śrī Kṛṣṇa
  6. kṛṣṇa-ahināby the black serpent
  7. vibhuḥthe almighty Lord
  8. tasyāḥof the river
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Poṣaṇa · Protection by the Lord

    How does the Lord care for His devotees? · Subject 4 of 10

  • Śuddhi · Inner transformation

    The reorientation of the heart toward service. · Theme in SB 10.16

    In this verse: “purify”, “contaminated”

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 does Kṛṣṇa’s desire to purify the Yamunā help you appreciate about Him?

Practice

Read the translation slowly once, focusing on Kṛṣṇa’s desire to purify the river.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa Desires to Purify the YamunāThis 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 10.16.1? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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