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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 34: Nanda Mahārāja Saved and Śaṅkhacūḍa Slain
10.33.3910.34.2

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.34.1

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.34.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

श्रीशुक उवाच

एकदा देवयात्रायां गोपाला जातकौतुका: ।

अनोभिरनडुद्युक्तै: प्रययुस्तेऽम्बिकावनम् ॥ १ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca

ekadā deva-yātrāyāṁ

gopālā jāta-kautukāḥ

anobhir anaḍud-yuktaiḥ

prayayus te ’mbikā-vanam

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: One day the cowherd men, eager to take a trip to worship Lord Śiva, traveled by bullock carts to the Ambikā forest.

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.

Eagerness to Make a Sacred Journey

  1. 1

    The cowherd men eagerly traveled by bullock carts to the Ambikā forest to worship Lord Śiva.

  2. 2

    Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī identifies this occasion as Śiva-rātri.

  3. 3

    Ambikāvana is notable for its deities of Śrī Śiva and his wife, goddess Umā.

Key points from the purport
  • According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, the word ekadā here indicates the occasion of Śiva-rātri.
  • Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī also quotes authorities who claim that Ambikāvana lies on the bank of the Sarasvatī River, northwest of Mathurā.
  • Ambikāvana is notable because within it are deities of Śrī Śiva and his wife, goddess Umā.

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

Attachment → Impending loss. The approach of departure gives pastoral love a poignant edge.

Chapters 34–38 of Canto 10: Further Vraja events and Akrūra's arrival. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 34: Nanda Mahārāja Saved and Śaṅkhacūḍa Slain

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

One day Nanda Mahārāja and the other cowherd men placed their family members on their bullock carts and went to the Ambikāvana forest to worship Lord Śiva. After bathing in the Sarasvatī River and worshiping Lord Sadāśiva, a form of Lord Viṣṇu, they decided to spend the night in the forest.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.34
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-śukaḥ uvācaŚrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said
  2. ekadāonce
  3. deva(to worship) the demigod, Lord Śiva
  4. yatrāyāmon a trip
  5. gopālāḥthe cowherd men
  6. jāta-kautukāḥeager
  7. anobhiḥwith wagons
  8. anaḍutto oxen
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

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 10.34

    In this verse: “worship”

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 much eagerness do I bring to time set aside for worship?

Practice

Set aside a few minutes for worship today, approaching it with deliberate attention and eagerness.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayEagerness to Make a Sacred JourneyThis 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 10.34.1? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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