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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 33: The Rāsa Dance
10.33.3810.34.1

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.33.39

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

विक्रीडितं व्रजवधूभिरिदं च विष्णो:

श्रद्धान्वितोऽनुश‍ृणुयादथ वर्णयेद् य: ।

भक्तिं परां भगवति प्रतिलभ्य कामं

हृद्रोगमाश्वपहिनोत्यचिरेण धीर: ॥ ३९ ॥

vikrīḍitaṁ vraja-vadhūbhir idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ

śraddhānvito ’nuśṛṇuyād atha varṇayed yaḥ

bhaktiṁ parāṁ bhagavati pratilabhya kāmaṁ

hṛd-rogam āśv apahinoty acireṇa dhīraḥ

Translation

Anyone who faithfully hears or describes the Lord’s playful affairs with the young gopīs of Vṛndāvana will attain the Lord’s pure devotional service. Thus he will quickly become sober and conquer lust, the disease of the heart.

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.

Faithful Hearing Leads to Pure Devotion

  1. 1

    Anyone who faithfully hears or describes Kṛṣṇa's playful affairs with the gopīs attains pure devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such a person quickly becomes sober and conquers lust, the disease of the heart.

  2. 2

    The Lord's spiritual loving pastimes are the opposite of material lustful affairs. Hearing material romance increases lust, whereas hearing His purely spiritual pastimes conquers it.

  3. 3

    Kṛṣṇa reveals His rāsa-līlā in this world out of causeless mercy. Attachment to this narration brings the bliss of spiritual love and helps one reject lust, its distorted reflection.

Key points from the purport
  • Qualitatively, the Lord’s spiritual, loving pastimes are the diametric opposite of material, lusty affairs, so much so that simply by hearing about the Lord’s pastimes a devotee conquers sex desire.
  • But hearing or reading about the Lord’s conjugal affairs has exactly the opposite effect because they are of the opposite nature, being purely spiritual.
  • If we become attached to this narration, we will experience the bliss of spiritual love and thus reject the perverted reflection of that love, which is called lust.

The purport's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

Connected verses· 3

The purport of SB 10.33.39 quotesBG 2.59

As nicely put by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā (2.59), paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate: “Once having directly experienced the Supreme, one will not return to material pleasures.”

Quoted in the purport ofSB 7.1.30

As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.33.39): If a bona fide listener hears of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes with the gopīs, which seem to be lusty affairs, the lusty desires in his heart, which constitute the heart disease of the conditioned soul, will be vanquished, and he will become a most exalted devotee of the Lord.

Quoted in the purport ofSB 9.19.13

hṛd-rogam āśv apahinoty acireṇa dhīraḥ. If one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, then he can give up this heart disease; otherwise this disease of lusty desires will continue, and one cannot have peace in his mind.

Each link is a verse the purport itself quotes, or a purport elsewhere that quotes this verse, shown with the purport's own words.

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 out of His mercy He exhibits His intimate pastimes to His devotees, these activities are never besmirched by mundane imperfection. Any living being who hears of the spontaneous loving attraction the gopīs felt for Lord Kṛṣṇa will have his desires for material sense gratification destroyed at the root and will develop his natural propensity for serving the Supreme Lord, the spiritual master, and the Lord’s devotees.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.33
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. vikrīḍitamthe sporting
  2. vraja-vadhūbhiḥwith the young women of Vṛndāvana
  3. idamthis
  4. caand
  5. viṣṇoḥby Lord Viṣṇu
  6. śraddhā-anvitaḥfaithfully
  7. anuśṛṇuyāthears
  8. athaor
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

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 10.33

    In this verse: “lust”, “attachment”, “material”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 10.33

    In this verse: “devotional service”

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 10.33

    In this verse: “hearing”, “narration”

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

Am I approaching these narrations with faith and a desire for pure devotional service?

Practice

Spend five minutes faithfully rereading the supplied narration, seeking devotional service rather than material excitement.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayFaithful Hearing Leads to Pure DevotionThis 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.

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