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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
10.26.610.26.8

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.26.7

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

क्‍वचिद्धैयङ्गवस्तैन्ये मात्रा बद्ध उदूखले । गच्छन्नर्जुनयोर्मध्ये बाहुभ्यां तावपातयत् ॥ ७ ॥

kvacid dhaiyaṅgava-stainye

mātrā baddha udūkhale

gacchann arjunayor madhye

bāhubhyāṁ tāv apātayat

Translation

Once, His mother tied Him with ropes to a mortar because she had caught Him stealing butter. Then, crawling on His hands, He dragged the mortar between a pair of arjuna trees and pulled them down.

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.

Bound Kṛṣṇa Easily Pulls Down Trees

  1. 1

    Kṛṣṇa’s mother caught Him stealing butter and tied Him to a mortar.

  2. 2

    Crawling on His hands, He dragged the mortar between two arjuna trees and pulled them down.

  3. 3

    The trees were old, thick and towered above His courtyard. Nevertheless, the naughty child pulled them down quite easily.

Key points from the purport
  • The two arjuna trees were old and thick, and they towered above little Kṛṣṇa’s courtyard.
  • Nevertheless, they were pulled down quite easily by the naughty child.

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:

Nanda replied by relating to them what Garga Muni had told him about Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Garga Muni had said that in the previous three ages Nanda’s boy had manifested Himself in white, red and yellow forms, whereas now, in the Dvāpara age, He had assumed His darkish-blue form, kṛṣṇa-rūpa.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.26
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. kvacitonce
  2. haiyaṅgavabutter
  3. stainyeengaged in stealing
  4. mātrāby His mother
  5. baddhaḥbound up
  6. udūkhaleto a large mortar
  7. gacchanmoving
  8. arjunayoḥthe twin arjuna trees
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

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 10.26

    In this verse: “mother”, “child”

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 amazes you about Kṛṣṇa being tied to a mortar yet easily pulling down towering trees?

Practice

Recall the contrast between little Kṛṣṇa and the old, thick trees during a brief moment of devotional remembrance.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayBound Kṛṣṇa Easily Pulls Down TreesThis 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 10.26.7? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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