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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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How to study this verse, in six steps

1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
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

10.34.2 10.34.4

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.34.3

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

गावो हिरण्यं वासांसि मधु मध्वन्नमाद‍ृता: ।

ब्राह्मणेभ्यो ददु: सर्वे देवो न: प्रीयतामिति ॥ ३ ॥

gāvo hiraṇyaṁ vāsāṁsi

madhu madhv-annam ādṛtāḥ

brāhmaṇebhyo daduḥ sarve

devo naḥ prīyatām iti

Translation

The cowherd men gave the brāhmaṇas gifts of cows, gold, clothing and cooked grains mixed with honey. Then the cowherds prayed, “May the lord be pleased with us.”

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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.

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Giving with a Prayer to Please

1
The cowherd men gave gifts to the brāhmaṇas.
2
Their gifts included cows, gold, clothing and cooked grains mixed with honey.
3
They accompanied their giving with the prayer, “May the lord be pleased with us.”

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

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 summary Back to this verse in chapter 10.34