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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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.23.35

Who is speaking and story frame

तत्रैका विधृता भर्त्रा भगवन्तं यथाश्रुतम् ।

हृदोपगुह्य विजहौ देहं कर्मानुबन्धनम् ॥ ३५ ॥

tatraikā vidhṛtā bhartrā

bhagavantaṁ yathā-śrutam

hṛḍopaguhya vijahau

dehaṁ karmānubandhanam

Translation

One of the ladies had been forcibly kept back by her husband. When she heard the others describe the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, she embraced Him within her heart and gave up her material body, the basis of bondage to material activity.

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.

Embracing Kṛṣṇa Within the Heart

  1. 1

    One lady was forcibly kept back by her husband. She heard the others describe the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa.

  2. 2

    Especially devoted to Kṛṣṇa, she embraced Him within her heart and gave up her material body, the basis of bondage to material activity.

  3. 3

    The purport explains that she immediately attained a spiritual body and left the sacrificial arena to join the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Key points from the purport
  • The lady described here was especially devoted to Lord Kṛṣṇa.
  • Upon giving up her material body, she immediately attained a spiritual body and left the sacrificial arena to join the Supreme 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 23: The Brāhmaṇas’ Wives Blessed

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

When the ladies went back home, their brāhmaṇa husbands at once felt remorse, and they lamented, “For anyone inimical to Kṛṣṇa, his three births — seminal, brahminical and sacrificial — are all condemned. On the other hand, these womenfolk, who have not undergone the purificatory processes of the brahminical class or performed any austerity or pious rituals, have through devotion for Kṛṣṇa easily cut off the bondage of death.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.23
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tatrathere
  2. ekāone of them
  3. vidhṛtāheld back by force
  4. bhartrāby her husband
  5. bhagavantamthe Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa
  6. yathā-śrutamas she heard about Him from the others
  7. hṛdāwithin her heart
  8. upaguhyaembracing
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

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 10.23

    In this verse: “material”

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 10.23

    In this verse: “heard”

  • Vairāgya · Freedom from attachment

    Release from possessiveness and false identities. · Theme in SB 10.23

    In this verse: “gave up”

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

How can I remember Kṛṣṇa inwardly when circumstances limit what I can do outwardly?

Practice

Read this description slowly, then spend a quiet minute remembering Kṛṣṇa within your heart.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayEmbracing Kṛṣṇa Within the HeartThis 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 10.23.35? Get an answer from the verses themselves.