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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 10.29.40

Who is speaking and story frame

का स्त्र्यङ्ग ते कलपदायतवेणुगीत-

सम्मोहितार्यचरितान्न चलेत्त्रिलोक्याम् ।

त्रैलोक्यसौभगमिदं च निरीक्ष्य रूपं

यद् गोद्विजद्रुममृगा: पुलकान्यबिभ्रन् ॥ ४० ॥

kā stry aṅga te kala-padāyata-veṇu-gīta-

sammohitārya-caritān na calet tri-lokyām

trailokya-saubhagam idaṁ ca nirīkṣya rūpaṁ

yad go-dvija-druma-mṛgāḥ pulakāny abibhran

Translation

Dear Kṛṣṇa, what woman in all the three worlds wouldn’t deviate from religious behavior when bewildered by the sweet, drawn-out melody of Your flute? Your beauty makes all three worlds auspicious. Indeed, even the cows, birds, trees and deer manifest the ecstatic symptom of bodily hair standing on end when they see Your beautiful form.

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.

Kṛṣṇa’s Beauty Makes All Worlds Auspicious

  1. 1

    The gopīs describe Kṛṣṇa’s flute melody as so sweet and captivating that they ask what woman could resist its attraction.

  2. 2

    Kṛṣṇa’s beautiful form makes all three worlds auspicious.

  3. 3

    Even cows, birds, trees and deer show ecstatic symptoms when they see Him. His beauty attracts more than human beings.

How it feels

Separation → Transcendental intimacy. The peak of longing reveals the intensity of selfless love.

Chapters 29–33 of Canto 10: The gopīs' yearning, reunion and rasa. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 29: Kṛṣṇa and the Gopīs Meet for the Rāsa Dance

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

What woman will not deviate from her prescribed duties as soon as she hears Your flute-song and sees Your form, which enchants the three worlds? Just as the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu protects the demigods, You destroy the unhappiness of the people of Vṛndāvana.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.29
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. kāwhich
  2. strīwoman
  3. aṅgadear Kṛṣṇa
  4. teYour
  5. kalasweet-sounding
  6. padahaving stanzas
  7. āyatadrawn-out
  8. veṇuof Your flute
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

  • Prema · Transcendental love

    The intimacy and sweetness of devotion to Kṛṣṇa. · Theme in SB 10.29

    In this verse: “ecstatic”, “sweet”

  • Dharma · Duty and righteous conduct

    Right action as duty, responsibility and devotion. · Theme in SB 10.29

    In this verse: “religious”

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 detail in this description helps you appreciate Kṛṣṇa’s beauty?

Practice

Read the translation slowly once, then spend a moment remembering Kṛṣṇa’s beautiful form.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa’s Beauty Makes All Worlds AuspiciousThis 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 10.29.40? Get an answer from the verses themselves.