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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
  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
10.36.1410.36.16

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.36.15

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

एवं कुकुद्मिनं हत्वा स्तूयमान: द्विजातिभि: ।

विवेश गोष्ठं सबलो गोपीनां नयनोत्सव: ॥ १५ ॥

evaṁ kukudminaṁ hatvā

stūyamānaḥ dvijātibhiḥ

viveśa goṣṭhaṁ sa-balo

gopīnāṁ nayanotsavaḥ

Translation

Having thus killed the bull demon Ariṣṭa, He who is a festival for the gopīs’ eyes entered the cowherd village with Balarāma.

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.

Kṛṣṇa’s Strength and Tenderness

  1. 1

    This verse shows a sublime contrast in Śrī Kṛṣṇa: He kills a powerful, wicked demon, yet His boyish beauty gives festive pleasure to the gopīs.

  2. 2

    Lord Kṛṣṇa is as hard as a thunderbolt or as soft as a rose, depending on our attitude toward Him.

  3. 3

    Ariṣṭa wanted to kill Kṛṣṇa and His friends, while the gopīs loved Him. The Lord defeated the demon and lovingly reciprocated the gopīs’ conjugal feelings.

Key points from the purport
  • In one four-line verse we simultaneously learn that Lord Kṛṣṇa killed a powerful and wicked demon and that His boyish beauty gave festive pleasure to His young girlfriends.
  • The demon Ariṣṭa wanted to kill Kṛṣṇa and all His friends, so the Lord beat him into a wet rag and killed him.
  • The gopīs, however, loved Kṛṣṇa, and thus the Lord boyishly reciprocated their conjugal feelings.

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:

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. Though weakened, Ariṣṭa still wanted to attack Kṛṣṇa.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.36
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. evamthus
  2. kukudminamthe humped (bull demon)
  3. hatvākilling
  4. stūyamānaḥbeing praised
  5. dvijātibhiḥby the brāhmaṇas
  6. viveśaHe entered
  7. goṣṭhamthe cowherd village
  8. sa-balaḥtogether with Lord Balarāma
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

  • Sakhya · Sacred friendship

    The affection of companions and friends of the Lord. · Theme in SB 10.36

    In this verse: “friends”

  • Prema · Transcendental love

    The intimacy and sweetness of devotion to Kṛṣṇa. · Theme in SB 10.36

    In this verse: “loved”

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 attitude am I bringing to my relationship with Kṛṣṇa?

Practice

Take a quiet minute to express your wish to approach Kṛṣṇa with love rather than opposition.

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 todayKṛṣṇa’s Strength and TendernessThis 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 10.36.15? Get an answer from the verses themselves.