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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.
Read the full guide: how to hear the Bhāgavatam ›
Canto 10 · Chapter 26: Wonderful Kṛṣṇa
10.26.110.26.3

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.26.2

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The cowherd mensince 10.26.2inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

बालकस्य यदेतानि कर्माण्यत्यद्भ‍ुतानि वै । कथमर्हत्यसौ जन्म ग्राम्येष्वात्मजुगुप्सितम् ॥ २ ॥

bālakasya yad etāni

karmāṇy aty-adbhutāni vai

katham arhaty asau janma

grāmyeṣv ātma-jugupsitam

Translation

[The cowherd men said:] Since this boy performs such extraordinary activities, how could He warrant a birth among worldly men like us — a birth that for Him would seem contemptible?

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.

The Supreme Controller Chooses His Circumstances

  1. 1

    The cowherd men wondered why a boy who performed such extraordinary activities would take birth among worldly people like themselves.

  2. 2

    An ordinary living being cannot avoid unpleasant circumstances. The supreme controller is not subject to that limitation.

  3. 3

    The supreme controller can always make perfect arrangements for His pleasure. His circumstances should not be judged as though He were an ordinary living being.

Key points from the purport
  • An ordinary living being cannot avoid unpleasant circumstances, but the supreme controller can always make perfect arrangements for His pleasure.

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 26: Wonderful Kṛṣṇa

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

The cowherd men, unaware of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s power, were amazed to see His various extraordinary activities.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.26
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. bālakasyaof the boy
  2. yatbecause
  3. etānithese
  4. karmāṇiactivities
  5. ati-adbhutānimost amazing
  6. vaicertainly
  7. kathamhow
  8. arhatishould deserve
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

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 does this distinction change the way you think about Kṛṣṇa’s birth among the cowherd people?

Practice

Reread the purport and pause to reflect on Kṛṣṇa’s freedom to arrange His own pleasure.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Supreme Controller Chooses His CircumstancesThis 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 10.26.2? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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