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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
10.22.3610.22.38

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.22.37

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Lord Kṛṣṇasince 10.22.31-32inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

तत्र गा: पाययित्वाप: सुमृष्टा: शीतला: शिवा: ।

ततो नृप स्वयं गोपा: कामं स्वादु पपुर्जलम् ॥ ३७ ॥

tatra gāḥ pāyayitvāpaḥ

su-mṛṣṭāḥ śītalāḥ śivāḥ

tato nṛpa svayaṁ gopāḥ

kāmaṁ svādu papur jalam

Translation

The cowherd boys let the cows drink the clear, cool and wholesome water of the Yamunā. O King Parīkṣit, the cowherd boys themselves also drank that sweet water to their full satisfaction.

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 Boys Give the Cows Water First

  1. 1

    The cowherd boys let the cows drink the water of the Yamunā.

  2. 2

    The water was clear, cool and wholesome.

  3. 3

    After watering the cows, the boys themselves drank the sweet water to their full satisfaction.

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:

Indeed, said Kṛṣṇa, the perfection of life is to act with one’s vital energy, wealth, intelligence and words for the benefit of all. After the Lord had glorified the trees in this way, the entire company went to the Yamunā, where the cowherd boys let the cows drink the sweet water and also drank some themselves.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.22
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tatrathere
  2. gāḥthe cows
  3. pāyayitvāmaking drink
  4. apaḥthe water
  5. su-mṛṣṭāḥvery clear
  6. śītalāḥcool
  7. śivāḥwholesome
  8. tataḥthen
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

  • Sakhya · Sacred friendship

    The affection of companions and friends of the Lord. · Theme in SB 10.22

    In this verse: “cowherd boys”

  • Prema · Transcendental love

    The intimacy and sweetness of devotion to Kṛṣṇa. · Theme in SB 10.22

    In this verse: “sweet”

  • 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

Whose needs can I attend to before meeting my own?

Practice

Make sure someone in your care has drinking water before taking your own drink.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Boys Give the Cows Water FirstThis 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 10.22.37? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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