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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 ›
Canto 10 · Chapter 3: The Birth of Lord Kṛṣṇa
10.3.48-4910.3.51

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.3.50

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.3.46inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

मघोनि वर्षत्यसकृद् यमानुजा

गम्भीरतोयौघजवोर्मिफेनिला ।

भयानकावर्तशताकुला नदी

मागन ददौ सिन्धुरिव श्रिय: पते: ॥ ५० ॥

maghoni varṣaty asakṛd yamānujā

gambhīra-toyaugha-javormi-phenilā

bhayānakāvarta-śatākulā nadī

mārgaṁ dadau sindhur iva śriyaḥ pateḥ

Translation

Because of constant rain sent by the demigod Indra, the river Yamunā was filled with deep water, foaming about with fiercely whirling waves. But as the great Indian Ocean had formerly given way to Lord Rāmacandra by allowing Him to construct a bridge, the river Yamunā gave way to Vasudeva and allowed him to cross.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Yamunā Gives Way

  1. 1

    Constant rain sent by Indra had filled the Yamunā with deep water. Its foaming, fiercely whirling waves made the crossing formidable.

  2. 2

    Despite these conditions, the Yamunā gave way to Vasudeva and allowed him to cross.

  3. 3

    The translation compares this passage to the Indian Ocean allowing Lord Rāmacandra to construct a bridge. In both cases, the waters allowed passage.

How it feels

Terror → Wonder and relief. The threat of destruction yields to divine appearance.

Chapters 1–4 of Canto 10: Threat from Kaṁsa and Kṛṣṇa's birth. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 3: The Birth of Lord Kṛṣṇa

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

He placed Yoga-māyā on Devakī’s bed and prepared to be a prisoner as before. In Gokula, Yaśodā could not understand whether she had given birth to a male or a female child.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.3
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. maghoni varṣatibecause of Lord Indra’s showering rain
  2. asakṛtconstantly
  3. yama-anujāthe river Yamunā, who is considered the younger sister of Yamarāja
  4. gambhīra-toya-oghaof the very deep water
  5. javaby the force
  6. ūrmiby the waves
  7. phenilāfull of foam
  8. bhayānakafierce
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Poṣaṇa · Protection by the Lord

    How does the Lord care for His devotees? · Subject 4 of 10

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What contrast do I notice between the Yamunā’s fierce waves and its allowing Vasudeva to cross?

Practice

Reread the translation slowly, noticing both the danger of the river and the passage it provided.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 10.3's connections

Live this todayThe Yamunā Gives WayThis 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 10.3.50? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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