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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 ›
Canto 10 · Chapter 20: The Rainy Season and Autumn in Vṛndāvana
10.20.3410.20.36

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.20.35

Mukti· Liberation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.20.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

सर्वस्वं जलदा हित्वा विरेजु: शुभ्रवर्चस: ।

यथा त्यक्तैषणा: शान्ता मुनयो मुक्तकिल्बिषा: ॥ ३५ ॥

sarva-svaṁ jaladā hitvā

virejuḥ śubhra-varcasaḥ

yathā tyaktaiṣaṇāḥ śāntā

munayo mukta-kilbiṣāḥ

Translation

The clouds, having given up all they possessed, shone forth with purified effulgence, just like peaceful sages who have given up all material desires and are thus free of all sinful propensities.

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.

Giving Up Material Desires Reveals Inner Purity

  1. 1

    Water-filled clouds are dark and cover the sun’s rays. Similarly, an impure material mind covers the soul shining within.

  2. 2

    After pouring down their rain, clouds become white and brilliantly reflect the sun.

  3. 3

    A person who gives up material desires and sinful propensities becomes peaceful and purified, reflecting the soul and the Supreme Soul within.

Key points from the purport
  • When the clouds are filled with water, they are dark and cover the sun’s rays, just as the material mind of an impure man covers the soul shining within.
  • But when the clouds pour down their rain, they become white and then brilliantly reflect the shining sun, just as a man who gives up all material desires and sinful propensities becomes purified and then brilliantly reflects his own soul and the Supreme Soul within.

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. sarva-svameverything they possess
  2. jala-dāḥthe clouds
  3. hitvāhaving given up
  4. virejuḥshone forth
  5. śubhrapure
  6. varcasaḥtheir effulgence
  7. yathājust as
  8. tyakta-eṣaṇāḥwho have given up all desires
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Mukti · Liberation

    What is real freedom for the soul? · Subject 9 of 10

  • Śuddhi · Inner transformation

    The reorientation of the heart toward service. · Theme in SB 10.20

    In this verse: “purified”, “sinful”

  • Moha · Material attachment

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

    In this verse: “material”

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

Which material desire most disturbs your inner peace?

Practice

Choose one unnecessary material indulgence to forgo today, reflecting on the clouds that shine after giving up their water.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayGiving Up Material Desires Reveals Inner PurityThis 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 10.20.35? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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