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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 3: The Birth of Lord Kṛṣṇa
10.3.7-810.3.11

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Texts 10.3.9-10

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The demigodssince 10.2.26inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

तमद्भ‍ुतं बालकमम्बुजेक्षणं

चतुर्भुजं शङ्खगदाद्युदायुधम् ।

श्रीवत्सलक्ष्मं गलशोभिकौस्तुभं

पीताम्बरं सान्द्रपयोदसौभगम् ॥ ९ ॥

महार्हवैदूर्यकिरीटकुण्डल-

त्विषा परिष्वक्तसहस्रकुन्तलम् ।

उद्दामकाञ्‍च्यङ्गदकङ्कणादिभि-

र्विरोचमानं वसुदेव ऐक्षत ॥ १० ॥

tam adbhutaṁ bālakam ambujekṣaṇaṁ

catur-bhujaṁ śaṅkha-gadādy-udāyudham

śrīvatsa-lakṣmaṁ gala-śobhi-kaustubhaṁ

pītāmbaraṁ sāndra-payoda-saubhagam

mahārha-vaidūrya-kirīṭa-kuṇḍala-

tviṣā pariṣvakta-sahasra-kuntalam

uddāma-kāñcy-aṅgada-kaṅkaṇādibhir

virocamānaṁ vasudeva aikṣata

Translation

Vasudeva then saw the newborn child, who had very wonderful lotuslike eyes and who bore in His four hands the four weapons śaṅkha, cakra, gadā and padma. On His chest was the mark of Śrīvatsa and on His neck the brilliant Kaustubha gem. Dressed in yellow, His body blackish like a dense cloud, His scattered hair fully grown, and His helmet and earrings sparkling uncommonly with the valuable gem Vaidūrya, the child, decorated with a brilliant belt, armlets, bangles and other ornaments, appeared very wonderful.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
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Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Kṛṣṇa’s Wonderful Form Reveals His Divine Descent

  1. 1

    Kṛṣṇa first appeared with four hands as Lord Viṣṇu. His descent was completely distinct from the birth of an ordinary child.

  2. 2

    His beautiful form resembled the blackish color of dense clouds. He appeared with fully grown hair, yellow garments and wonderful ornaments.

  3. 3

    His helmet and earrings were decorated with the Vaidūrya gem, which is available in Vaikuṇṭhaloka. These decorations and opulences show why His appearance is described as wonderful.

Key points from the purport
  • To support the word adbhutam, meaning “wonderful,” the decorations and opulences of the newborn child are fully described.
  • No ordinary child in human society has ever been born with four hands.
  • And when is a child born with fully grown hair?

Śrīla Prabhupāda'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

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:

Mother Devakī, being fully transcendental, sac-cid-ānanda, does not belong to this material world. Thus the Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared with four hands, as if born from her womb.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.3
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tamthat
  2. adbhutamwonderful
  3. bālakamchild
  4. ambuja-īkṣaṇamwith eyes resembling lotuses
  5. catuḥ-bhujamwith four hands
  6. śaṅkha-gadā-ādibearing a conchshell, club, disc and lotus (in those four hands)
  7. udāyudhamdifferent weapons
  8. śrīvatsa-lakṣmamdecorated with a particular type of hair called Śrīvatsa, which is visible only on the chest of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
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 10.3

    In this verse: “child”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Which feature of the Lord’s form helps me appreciate that His appearance is not ordinary?

Practice

Read the description of the Lord’s form slowly, then spend a minute remembering one of its features with devotion.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa’s Wonderful Form Reveals His Divine DescentThis 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 10.3.9-10? Get an answer from the verses themselves.