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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 20: The Rainy Season and Autumn in Vṛndāvana
10.20.1710.20.19

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.20.18

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.20.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

धनुर्वियति माहेन्द्रं निर्गुणं च गुणिन्यभात् ।

व्यक्ते गुणव्यतिकरेऽगुणवान् पुरुषो यथा ॥ १८ ॥

dhanur viyati māhendraṁ

nirguṇaṁ ca guṇiny abhāt

vyakte guṇa-vyatikare

’guṇavān puruṣo yathā

Translation

When the curved bow of Indra [the rainbow] appeared in the sky, which had the quality of thundering sound, it was unlike ordinary bows because it did not rest upon a string. Similarly, when the Supreme Lord appears in this world, which is the interaction of the material qualities, He is unlike ordinary persons because He remains free from all material qualities and independent of all material conditions.

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.

The Supreme Lord Is Materially Unbound

  1. 1

    The rainbow appears as a curved bow without a string, unlike an ordinary bow that depends on a bowstring.

  2. 2

    Similarly, the Supreme Personality of Godhead may appear like an ordinary human being when He descends, but He does not depend on any material condition.

  3. 3

    The Lord appears by His internal potency, free from the bondage of the external potency. What binds an ordinary living creature does not bind Him.

Key points from the purport
  • Actually, a bow is in the curved position because it is tied at its two ends by the bowstring; but in the rainbow there is no such string, and yet it rests in the sky so beautifully.
  • Similarly, when the Supreme Personality of Godhead descends to this material world, He appears just like an ordinary human being, but He is not resting on any material condition.
  • What is bondage for the ordinary creature is freedom for the Personality of Godhead.”

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

Attraction and threat → Joy and trust. The pastoral world becomes the setting for protection and love.

Chapters 20–28 of Canto 10: Forest seasons, flute and Govardhana. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 20: The Rainy Season and Autumn in Vṛndāvana

Summary of this chapter:

To enhance the description of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī describes in this chapter the beauty of Vṛndāvana during autumn and the rainy season. In the course of his presentation he gives various charming instructions in metaphorical terms.
Back to this verse in chapter 10.20
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. dhanuḥthe bow (rainbow)
  2. viyatiwithin the sky
  3. māhā-indramof Lord Indra
  4. nirguṇamwithout qualities (or without a bowstring)
  5. caalthough
  6. guṇiniwithin the sky, which has definite qualities like sound
  7. abhātappeared
  8. vyaktewithin the manifest material nature
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

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 10.20

    In this verse: “material”

  • Vairāgya · Freedom from attachment

    Release from possessiveness and false identities. · Theme in SB 10.20

    In this verse: “free from”

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

Do I mistakenly think the Supreme Lord is limited by the conditions that limit me?

Practice

Reread the translation today and pause over the Lord’s independence from all material conditions.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Supreme Lord Is Materially UnboundThis 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 10.20.18? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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