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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 31: The Gopīs’ Songs of Separation
10.31.1010.31.12

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.31.11

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The gopīssince 10.31.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

चलसि यद् व्रजाच्चारयन् पशून्

नलिनसुन्दरं नाथ ते पदम् ।

शिलतृणाङ्कुरै: सीदतीति न:

कलिलतां मन: कान्त गच्छति ॥ ११ ॥

calasi yad vrajāc cārayan paśūn

nalina-sundaraṁ nātha te padam

śila-tṛṇāṅkuraiḥ sīdatīti naḥ

kalilatāṁ manaḥ kānta gacchati

Translation

Dear master, dear lover, when You leave the cowherd village to herd the cows, our minds are disturbed with the thought that Your feet, more beautiful than a lotus, will be pricked by the spiked husks of grain and the rough grass and plants.

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.

Love Attends to Kṛṣṇa’s Tender Feet

  1. 1

    The gopīs address Kṛṣṇa as their dear master and lover. When He leaves the cowherd village, their thoughts follow Him.

  2. 2

    They describe His feet as more beautiful than a lotus. They fear that sharp grain husks, rough grass and plants will prick them.

  3. 3

    Thinking of possible pain to His feet disturbs their minds. Their concern centers on Kṛṣṇa’s well-being.

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 31: The Gopīs’ Songs of Separation

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Remembering Your lotus face, adorned with locks of blackish hair smeared with the dust of the cows, we become irrevocably attached to You. And when we remember how You followed the cows from forest to forest with Your tender feet, we feel great pain.”
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.31
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. calasiYou go
  2. yatwhen
  3. vrajātfrom the cowherd village
  4. cārayanherding
  5. paśūnthe animals
  6. nalinathan a lotus flower
  7. sundarammore beautiful
  8. nāthaO master
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 10.31

    In this verse: “lover”

  • Abhaya · Fearlessness

    Steadiness through faith amid danger and death. · Theme in SB 10.31

    In this verse: “fear”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What do the gopīs’ concerns reveal about their attention to Kṛṣṇa?

Practice

Spend one minute reflecting on the gopīs’ loving concern for Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayLove Attends to Kṛṣṇa’s Tender FeetThis 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 10.31.11? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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