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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.
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Canto 10 · Chapter 19: Swallowing the Forest Fire
10.19.810.19.10

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.19.9

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The cowherd boyssince 10.19.9inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

कृष्ण कृष्ण महावीर हे रामामोघविक्रम ।

दावाग्निना दह्यमानान् प्रपन्नांस्त्रातुमर्हथ: ॥ ९ ॥

kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa mahā-vīra

he rāmāmogha vikrama

dāvāgninā dahyamānān

prapannāṁs trātum arhathaḥ

Translation

[The cowherd boys said:] O Kṛṣṇa! Kṛṣṇa! Most powerful one! O Rāma! You whose prowess never fails! Please save Your devotees, who are about to be burned by this forest fire and have come to take shelter of You!

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.

The Devotees Pray for Protection

  1. 1

    The boys called out to Kṛṣṇa as the most powerful one.

  2. 2

    They addressed Rāma as one whose prowess never fails.

  3. 3

    Facing the forest fire, they asked Them to save Their devotees who had come to take shelter.

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 19: Swallowing the Forest Fire

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Thus the cowherd boys took shelter of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the master of all mystic power, who told them to close their eyes. They did so, and in a moment He had swallowed up the fierce forest fire and brought them all back to the Bhāṇḍīra tree mentioned in the last chapter.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.19
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇaO Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa
  2. mahā-vīraO most powerful one
  3. he rāmaO Rāma
  4. amogha-vikramaYou whose prowess is never thwarted
  5. dāva-agnināby the forest fire
  6. dahyamānānwho are being burned
  7. prapannānwho are surrendered
  8. trātum arhathaḥplease save
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

  • Sakhya · Sacred friendship

    The affection of companions and friends of the Lord. · Theme in SB 10.19

    In this verse: “cowherd boys”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 10.19

    In this verse: “devotees”

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

    Relinquishing ownership while entrusting oneself to the Lord. · Theme in SB 10.19

    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

Can I ask for the Lord’s shelter with the directness of the cowherd boys?

Practice

Read the boys’ prayer aloud once, attending to their appeal for shelter.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Devotees Pray for ProtectionThis 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 10.19.9? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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