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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 10.17.20

Who is speaking and story frame

तां रात्रिं तत्र राजेन्द्र क्षुत्तृड्भ्यां श्रमकर्षिता: ।

ऊषुर्व्रयौकसो गाव: कालिन्द्या उपकूलत: ॥ २० ॥

tāṁ rātriṁ tatra rājendra

kṣut-tṛḍbhyāṁ śrama-karṣitāḥ

ūṣur vrayaukaso gāvaḥ

kālindyā upakūlataḥ

Translation

O best of kings [Parīkṣit], because the residents of Vṛndāvana were feeling very weak from hunger, thirst and fatigue, they and the cows spent the night where they were, lying down near the bank of the Kālindī.

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.

Wanting to Stay Close to Kṛṣṇa

  1. 1

    Weak from hunger, thirst and fatigue, the residents of Vṛndāvana and their cows spent the night near the bank of the Kālindī.

  2. 2

    Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī explains that they did not drink the cows’ milk because they feared it had been contaminated by the serpent’s poison.

  3. 3

    Overjoyed to regain their beloved Kṛṣṇa, they did not want to return home. They rested near the Yamunā so they could continuously see Him.

Key points from the purport
  • Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī points out that although the people were weak from hunger and thirst, they did not drink the milk from the cows present there because they feared it had been contaminated by the serpent’s poison.
  • The residents of Vṛndāvana were so overjoyed to get back their beloved Kṛṣṇa that they did not want to go back to their houses.
  • Thus they decided to take rest near the riverbank.

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 17: The History of Kāliya

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Because the people of Vṛndāvana were quite worn out by hunger, thirst and fatigue, they spent that night on the banks of the Yamunā. In the middle of the night, a fire happened to blaze up within the forest, which had become dry during the hot season.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.17
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tāmthat
  2. rātrimnight
  3. tatrathere
  4. rāja-indraO most exalted of kings
  5. kṣut-tṛḍbhyāmby hunger and thirst
  6. śramaand by fatigue
  7. karṣitāḥweakened
  8. ūṣuḥthey remained
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

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 10.17

    In this verse: “kings”

  • Abhaya · Fearlessness

    Steadiness through faith amid danger and death. · Theme in SB 10.17

    In this verse: “feared”

  • Śuddhi · Inner transformation

    The reorientation of the heart toward service. · Theme in SB 10.17

    In this verse: “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 their wish to remain with Kṛṣṇa reveal about their love for Him?

Practice

Set aside one quiet minute today simply to remember beloved Kṛṣṇa, without rushing to another activity.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayWanting to Stay Close to KṛṣṇaThis 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 10.17.20? Get an answer from the verses themselves.