1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

Or browse by canto and chapter
Canto

Canto 10 · The Summum Bonum · 90 chapters

123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990

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 36: The Slaying of Ariṣṭā, the Bull Demon
10.35.2610.36.2

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.36.1

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.36.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

श्री बादरायणिरुवाच

अथ तर्ह्यागतो गोष्ठमरिष्टो वृषभासुर: ।

महींमहाककुत्काय: कम्पयन्खुरविक्षताम् ॥ १ ॥

śrī bādarāyaṇir uvāca

atha tarhy āgato goṣṭham

ariṣṭo vṛṣabhāsuraḥ

mahīm mahā-kakut-kāyaḥ

kampayan khura-vikṣatām

Translation

Śukadeva Goswāmī said: The demon Ariṣṭa then came to the cowherd village. Appearing in the form of a bull with a large hump, he made the earth tremble as he tore it apart with his hooves.

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.

Ariṣṭa Disturbs the Cowherd Village

  1. 1

    Ariṣṭa entered the cowherd village in the form of a bull with a large hump. His hooves tore the earth and made it tremble.

  2. 2

    The purport explains that Ariṣṭāsura arrived at twilight, when Kṛṣṇa was preparing to dance with the gopīs.

  3. 3

    Lord Janārdana was eager to perform the rāsa dance, but the demon entered madly and terrified everyone.

Key points from the purport
  • According to the Śrī Viṣṇu Purāṇa, Ariṣṭāsura entered Kṛṣṇa’s village at twilight, as the Lord prepared to dance with the gopīs:

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 36: The Slaying of Ariṣṭā, the Bull Demon

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

The demon Ariṣṭa wanted to kill Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, and thus he assumed the form of a huge bull with sharp horns. Everyone in Kṛṣṇa’s cowherd village became terrified when Ariṣṭāsura approached it, but the Lord pacified them, and when the bull demon charged Him He seized him by the horns and threw him about six yards.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.36
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī bādarāyaṇiḥ uvācaŚrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said
  2. athanext
  3. tarhithen
  4. āgataḥcame
  5. goṣṭhamto the cowherd village
  6. ariṣṭaḥnamed Ariṣṭa
  7. vṛṣabha-asuraḥthe bull demon
  8. mahīmthe earth
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

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

What contrast do you notice between the Lord’s eagerness to dance and the demon’s arrival?

Practice

Read the verse once slowly, noting the contrast between Kṛṣṇa’s activity and Ariṣṭa’s disturbance.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 10.36's connections

Live this todayAriṣṭa Disturbs the Cowherd VillageThis 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 10.36.1? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
  1. Learn
  2. Live
  3. Lead
Next in Learn · 5 of 11 · 2 minAsk the BhāgavatamBring your own question. Get an answer drawn only from the Bhāgavatam's translations, with every verse shown.Back · LearnCantos & stories