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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.
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Canto 10 · Chapter 17: The History of Kāliya
10.17.710.17.9

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.17.8

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.17.2-3inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

सुपर्णपक्षाभिहत: कालियोऽतीव विह्वल: ।

ह्रदं विवेश कालिन्द्यास्तदगम्यं दुरासदम् ॥ ८ ॥

suparṇa-pakṣābhihataḥ

kāliyo ’tīva vihvalaḥ

hradaṁ viveśa kālindyās

tad-agamyaṁ durāsadam

Translation

Beaten by Garuḍa’s wing, Kāliya was extremely distraught, and thus he took shelter of a lake adjoining the river Yamunā. Garuḍa could not enter this lake. Indeed, he could not even approach 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.

Kāliya Seeks an Inaccessible Shelter

  1. 1

    Beaten by Garuḍa’s wing, Kāliya became extremely distraught.

  2. 2

    He took shelter of a lake adjoining the river Yamunā.

  3. 3

    Garuḍa could not enter that lake or even approach 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 17: The History of Kāliya

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Garuḍa fiercely beat him with his wing, sending Kāliya fleeing for his life to a lake adjoining the Yamunā River. Prior to the above incident, Garuḍa had once come to the Yamunā and started eating some fish.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.17
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. suparṇaof Garuḍa
  2. pakṣaby the wing
  3. abhihataḥbeaten
  4. kāliyaḥKāliya
  5. atīvaextremely
  6. vihvalaḥdistraught
  7. hradama lake
  8. viveśahe entered
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

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

    Relinquishing ownership while entrusting oneself to the Lord. · Theme in SB 10.17

    In this verse: “shelter”

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 made this lake a place of shelter for the distraught Kāliya?

Practice

Summarize in one sentence why Kāliya entered the lake.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayKāliya Seeks an Inaccessible ShelterThis 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 10.17.8? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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