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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.
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Canto 10 · Chapter 33: The Rāsa Dance
10.33.2910.33.31

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.33.30

Manvantara· The Manus and right duty
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.33.29inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

नैतत् समाचरेज्जातु मनसापि ह्यनीश्वर: ।

विनश्यत्याचरन् मौढ्याद्यथारुद्रोऽब्धिजं विषम् ॥ ३० ॥

naitat samācarej jātu

manasāpi hy anīśvaraḥ

vinaśyaty ācaran mauḍhyād

yathārudro ’bdhi-jaṁ viṣam

Translation

One who is not a great controller should never imitate the behavior of ruling personalities, even mentally. If out of foolishness an ordinary person does imitate such behavior, he will simply destroy himself, just as a person who is not Rudra would destroy himself if he tried to drink an ocean of poison.

Read the purport on Vedabase.io

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 Is God; We Must Not Imitate

  1. 1

    An ordinary person should never imitate the behavior of great controllers, even mentally. Imitating such actions out of foolishness leads to destruction.

  2. 2

    Rudra drank an ocean of poison, but even a drop would kill an ordinary person. Likewise, we must not imitate Kṛṣṇa’s activities with the gopīs.

  3. 3

    Kṛṣṇa descends both to demonstrate religious principles and to show that He is God and we are not. He enjoys with His internal potency and attracts us to the spiritual platform.

Key points from the purport
  • Lord Śiva, or Rudra, once drank an ocean of poison, and the result was that an attractive blue mark appeared on his neck.
  • Just as we should not imitate this pastime of Śiva’s, we should not imitate Lord Kṛṣṇa’s activities with the gopīs.
  • We should not try to imitate Kṛṣṇa, for we will suffer severely.

The purport'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

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 33: The Rāsa Dance

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

But if anyone other than the Supreme Personality of Godhead tries to enjoy such pastimes, he will suffer the same fate that someone other than Lord Rudra would suffer if he attempted to drink an ocean of poison. Moreover, even one who only thinks of imitating Lord Kṛṣṇa’s rāsa-līlā will certainly suffer misfortune.”
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.33
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. nanot
  2. etatthis
  3. samācaretshould perform
  4. jātuever
  5. manasāwith the mind
  6. apieven
  7. hicertainly
  8. anīśvaraḥone who is not a controller
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Manvantara · The change of Manus

    What gives human life its right direction? · Subject 6 of 10

  • Dharma · Duty and righteous conduct

    Right action as duty, responsibility and devotion. · Theme in SB 10.33

    In this verse: “religious”, “principles”

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 can remembering that Kṛṣṇa is God help you approach His pastimes with humility?

Practice

Pause before reading these pastimes and remind yourself: “Kṛṣṇa is God; I am not. I will seek spiritual attraction, not imitation.”

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa Is God; We Must Not ImitateThis 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 10.33.30? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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