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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 22: Kṛṣṇa Steals the Garments of the Unmarried Gopīs
10.22.1410.22.16

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.22.15

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The gopīssince 10.22.14inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

श्यामसुन्दर ते दास्य: करवाम तवोदितम् ।

देहि वासांसि धर्मज्ञ नो चेद् राज्ञे ब्रुवाम हे ॥ १५ ॥

śyāmasundara te dāsyaḥ

karavāma tavoditam

dehi vāsāṁsi dharma-jña

no ced rājñe bruvāma he

Translation

O Śyāmasundara, we are Your maidservants and must do whatever You say. But give us back our clothing. You know what the religious principles are, and if You don’t give us our clothes we will have to tell the king. Please!

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.

We Are Your Maidservants

  1. 1

    The gopīs addressed Kṛṣṇa as Śyāmasundara and declared themselves His maidservants.

  2. 2

    They said they must do whatever He instructed. Alongside this declaration, they asked for their clothing back.

  3. 3

    They acknowledged that Kṛṣṇa knew religious principles. In their appeal, they also said they would tell the king if He did not return their clothes.

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 22: Kṛṣṇa Steals the Garments of the Unmarried Gopīs

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Śrī Kṛṣṇa replied that He had no fear of King Kaṁsa, and that if the girls really intended to follow His command and be His maidservants they should each immediately come onto the shore and take their respective garments. The girls, trembling from the cold, climbed out of the water with their two hands covering their private parts.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.22
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śyāmasundaraO Lord Śyāmasundara
  2. teYour
  3. dāsyaḥmaidservants
  4. karavāmawe shall do
  5. tavaby You
  6. uditamwhat is spoken
  7. dehiplease give
  8. vāsāṁsiour clothing
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

  • Dharma · Duty and righteous conduct

    Right action as duty, responsibility and devotion. · Theme in SB 10.22

    In this verse: “religious”, “principles”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 10.22

    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 it mean for me to approach Kṛṣṇa with a desire to serve?

Practice

Offer a short prayer to Śyāmasundara expressing your wish to serve Him.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayWe Are Your MaidservantsThis 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 10.22.15? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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