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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
10.16.210.16.4

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.16.3

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:King Parīkṣitsince 10.16.2inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

ब्रह्मन् भगवतस्तस्य भूम्न: स्वच्छन्दवर्तिन: ।

गोपालोदारचरितं कस्तृप्येतामृतं जुषन् ॥ ३ ॥

brahman bhagavatas tasya

bhūmnaḥ svacchanda-vartinaḥ

gopālodāra-caritaṁ

kas tṛpyetāmṛtaṁ juṣan

Translation

O brāhmaṇa, the unlimited Supreme Personality of Godhead freely acts according to His own desires. Who could be satiated when hearing the nectar of the magnanimous pastimes He performed as a cowherd boy in Vṛndāvana?

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.

Hear the Nectar of Kṛṣṇa’s Pastimes

  1. 1

    The Supreme Personality of Godhead is unlimited and freely acts according to His own desires.

  2. 2

    He performed magnanimous pastimes as a cowherd boy in Vṛndāvana.

  3. 3

    Hearing these pastimes is compared to tasting nectar. Parīkṣit expresses an eagerness to keep hearing.

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. brahmanO brāhmaṇa
  2. bhagavataḥof the Supreme Lord
  3. tasyaof Him
  4. bhūmnaḥthe unlimited
  5. sva-chanda-vartinaḥwho acts according to His own desires
  6. gopālaas a cowherd boy
  7. udāramagnanimous
  8. caritamthe pastimes
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

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 10.16

    In this verse: “hearing”

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 draws you to hear more about Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes?

Practice

Spend two quiet minutes rereading this translation with attention to the pleasure of hearing about Kṛṣṇa.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayHear the Nectar of Kṛṣṇa’s PastimesThis 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 10.16.3? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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