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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.
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Canto 10 · Chapter 21: The Gopīs Glorify the Song of Kṛṣṇa’s Flute
10.21.310.21.5

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.21.4

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.21.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

तद्वर्णयितुमारब्धा: स्मरन्त्य: कृष्णचेष्टितम् ।

नाशकन् स्मरवेगेन विक्षिप्तमनसो नृप ॥ ४ ॥

tad varṇayitum ārabdhāḥ

smarantyaḥ kṛṣṇa-ceṣṭitam

nāśakan smara-vegena

vikṣipta-manaso nṛpa

Translation

The cowherd girls began to speak about Kṛṣṇa, but when they remembered His activities, O King, the power of Cupid disturbed their minds, and thus they could not speak.

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.

Remembering Kṛṣṇa Leaves the Gopīs Speechless

  1. 1

    The cowherd girls began to speak about Kṛṣṇa.

  2. 2

    As they remembered His activities, the power of Cupid disturbed their minds.

  3. 3

    Their feelings became so powerful that they could no longer speak.

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 21: The Gopīs Glorify the Song of Kṛṣṇa’s Flute

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

As Lord Kṛṣṇa, Lord Balarāma and Their cowherd friends entered the forest to graze the cows, Kṛṣṇa began playing His flute. The gopīs heard the enchanting flute-song and understood that Kṛṣṇa was entering the forest.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.21
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tatthat
  2. varṇayitumto describe
  3. ārabdhāḥbeginning
  4. smarantyaḥremembering
  5. kṛṣṇa-ceṣṭitamthe activities of Kṛṣṇa
  6. na aśakanthey were incapable
  7. smara-vegenaby the force of Cupid
  8. vikṣiptaagitated
  9. manasaḥwhose minds
  10. nṛpaO King Parīkṣit
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 10.21

    In this verse: “king”

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 the gopīs’ speechlessness reveal about the depth of their feelings for Kṛṣṇa?

Practice

After reading the verse, pause quietly for a moment to remember Kṛṣṇa’s activities.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayRemembering Kṛṣṇa Leaves the Gopīs SpeechlessThis 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 10.21.4? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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