1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

Or browse by canto and chapter
Canto

Canto 10 · The Summum Bonum · 90 chapters

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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Texts 10.29.45-46

Who is speaking and story frame

नद्या: पुलिनमाविश्य गोपीभिर्हिमवालुकम् ।

जुष्टं तत्तरलानन्दिकुमुदामोदवायुना ॥ ४५ ॥

बाहुप्रसारपरिरम्भकरालकोरु-

नीवीस्तनालभननर्मनखाग्रपातै: ।

क्ष्वेल्यावलोकहसितैर्व्रजसुन्दरीणा-

मुत्तम्भयन् रतिपतिं रमयां चकार ॥ ४६ ॥

nadyāḥ pulinam āviśya

gopībhir hima-vālukam

juṣṭaṁ tat-taralānandi

kumudāmoda-vāyunā

bāhu-prasāra-parirambha-karālakoru

nīvī-stanālabhana-narma-nakhāgra-pātaiḥ

kṣvelyāvaloka-hasitair vraja-sundarīṇām

uttambhayan rati-patiṁ ramayāṁ cakāra

Translation

Śrī Kṛṣṇa went with the gopīs to the bank of the Yamunā, where the sand was cooling and the wind, enlivened by the river’s waves, bore the fragrance of lotuses. There Kṛṣṇa threw His arms around the gopīs and embraced them. He aroused Cupid in the beautiful young ladies of Vraja by touching their hands, hair, thighs, belts and breasts, by playfully scratching them with His fingernails, and also by joking with them, glancing at them and laughing with them. In this way the Lord enjoyed His pastimes.

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 Shares Affectionate Pastimes with the Gopīs

  1. 1

    Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs went to the bank of the Yamunā, where the sand was cooling.

  2. 2

    The wind, enlivened by the river’s waves, carried the fragrance of lotuses. This was the setting for the Lord’s pastimes.

  3. 3

    Kṛṣṇa embraced the gopīs and awakened their romantic love through affectionate touches, playful joking, glances and laughter.

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:

Wanting to please the gopīs, Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is always satisfied in Himself, responded to their appeals by playing with them in various pastimes. But when this show of attention made them a little proud, He humbled them by suddenly disappearing from the arena of the rāsa dance.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.29
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. nadyāḥof the river
  2. pulinamthe bank
  3. āviśyaentering upon
  4. gopībhiḥtogether with the gopīs
  5. himacool
  6. vālukamby its sand
  7. juṣṭamserved
  8. tatof it
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: “love”

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 description help you appreciate the personal affection in Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes?

Practice

Read these verses attentively as a small act of devotional service, noticing the setting and the Lord’s affection.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa Shares Affectionate Pastimes with the GopīsThis 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 10.29.45-46? Get an answer from the verses themselves.