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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
10.33.3110.33.33

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.33.32

Mukti· Liberation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.33.29inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

कुशलाचरितेनैषामिह स्वार्थो न विद्यते ।

विपर्ययेण वानर्थो निरहङ्कारिणां प्रभो ॥ ३२ ॥

kuśalācaritenaiṣām

iha svārtho na vidyate

viparyayeṇa vānartho

nirahaṅkāriṇāṁ prabho

Translation

My dear Prabhu, when these great persons who are free from false ego act piously in this world, they have no selfish motives to fulfill, and even when they act in apparent contradiction to the laws of piety, they are not subject to sinful reactions.

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.

Freedom From False Ego and Selfish Motives

  1. 1

    The great persons described here are free from false ego. Their pious actions have no selfish motives.

  2. 2

    Even when their actions appear to contradict the laws of piety, they are not subject to sinful reactions.

  3. 3

    The verse connects this freedom with freedom from false ego. It does not describe actions performed for selfish benefit.

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:

When Mahārāja Parīkṣit heard the narration of Kṛṣṇa’s conjugal pastimes with the gopīs, which superficially resemble the activities of lusty, wanton persons, he expressed a doubt to the great devotee Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Śukadeva dispelled this doubt by stating, “Since Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the absolute enjoyer, such pastimes as these can never be contaminated by any fault.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.33
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. kuśalapious
  2. ācaritenaby activity
  3. eṣāmfor them
  4. ihain this world
  5. sva-arthaḥselfish benefit
  6. na vidyatedoes not accrue
  7. viparyayeṇaby the opposite
  8. vāor
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Mukti · Liberation

    What is real freedom for the soul? · Subject 9 of 10

  • Vairāgya · Freedom from attachment

    Release from possessiveness and false identities. · Theme in SB 10.33

    In this verse: “free from”

  • Dainya · Humility

    Ego yields to insight, service and surrender. · Theme in SB 10.33

    In this verse: “false ego”

  • Śuddhi · Inner transformation

    The reorientation of the heart toward service. · Theme in SB 10.33

    In this verse: “sinful”

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

Where do I notice a desire for selfish benefit in an outwardly good action?

Practice

Before doing one helpful act today, pause and examine whether you are seeking personal credit.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayFreedom From False Ego and Selfish MotivesThis 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 10.33.32? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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