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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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.16.20

Who is speaking and story frame

गोप्योऽनुरक्तमनसो भगवत्यनन्ते

तत्सौहृदस्मितविलोकगिर: स्मरन्त्य: ।

ग्रस्तेऽहिना प्रियतमे भृशदु:खतप्ता:

शून्यं प्रियव्यतिहृतं दद‍ृशुस्त्रिलोकम् ॥ २० ॥

gopyo ’nurakta-manaso bhagavaty anante

tat-sauhṛda-smita-viloka-giraḥ smarantyaḥ

graste ’hinā priyatame bhṛśa-duḥkha-taptāḥ

śūnyaṁ priya-vyatihṛtaṁ dadṛśus tri-lokam

Translation

When the young gopīs, whose minds were constantly attached to Kṛṣṇa, the unlimited Supreme Lord, saw that He was now within the grips of the serpent, they remembered His loving friendship, His smiling glances and His talks with them. Burning with great sorrow, they saw the entire universe as void.

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.

Without Kṛṣṇa, Everything Seemed Empty

  1. 1

    The young gopīs’ minds were constantly attached to Kṛṣṇa, the unlimited Supreme Lord.

  2. 2

    Seeing Him in the serpent’s grip, they remembered His loving friendship, smiling glances and talks with them.

  3. 3

    Their sorrow was so intense that the entire universe seemed empty without their dearmost Kṛṣṇa.

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:

The residents of Vṛndāvana thought, “Today Kṛṣṇa went to the forest without Balarāma, so we do not know what great misfortune may have befallen Him.” Thinking in this way, they traced the path of Kṛṣṇa’s footprints to the bank of the Yamunā.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.16
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. gopyaḥthe cowherd girls
  2. anurakta-manasaḥtheir minds very much attached to Him
  3. bhagavatithe Supreme Personality of Godhead
  4. anantethe unlimited one
  5. tatHis
  6. sauhṛdaloving
  7. smitasmiling
  8. vilokaglances
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 10.16

    In this verse: “friendship”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 10.16

    In this verse: “attached”

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 the gopīs’ remembrance reveal about Kṛṣṇa’s place in their lives?

Practice

Spend one minute remembering Kṛṣṇa’s loving friendship and smiling glances described here.

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.

Live this todayWithout Kṛṣṇa, Everything Seemed EmptyThis 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 10.16.20? Get an answer from the verses themselves.