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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
10.36.2410.36.26

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.36.25

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Nārada Munisince 10.36.17inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

महामात्र त्वया भद्र रङ्गद्वार्युपनीयताम् ।

द्विप: कुवलयापीडो जहि तेन ममाहितौ ॥ २५ ॥

mahāmātra tvayā bhadra

raṅga-dvāry upanīyatām

dvipaḥ kuvalayāpīḍo

jahi tena mamāhitau

Translation

You, elephant-keeper, my good man, should position the elephant Kuvalayāpīḍa at the entrance to the wrestling arena and have him kill my two enemies.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

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.

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

A Courteous Address, a Cruel Order

  1. 1

    The elephant-keeper is addressed politely as “my good man.”

  2. 2

    He is ordered to position the elephant Kuvalayāpīḍa at the entrance to the wrestling arena.

  3. 3

    The elephant is to kill the speaker’s two enemies. The courteous address does not soften the cruelty of the command.

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:

He called for the demons Cāṇūra and Muṣṭika and instructed them to kill the two brothers in a wrestling match. Then he spoke to Akrūra, who was expert at executing his duties.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.36
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. mahā-mātraO elephant-keeper
  2. tvayāby you
  3. bhadramy good man
  4. raṅgaof the arena
  5. dvārito the doorway
  6. upanīyatāmshould be brought
  7. dvipaḥthe elephant
  8. kuvalayāpīḍaḥnamed Kuvalayāpīḍa
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Ūti · The creative impetus

    Why do we act, and what keeps us bound? · Subject 5 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

Do I judge a request by its actual purpose, rather than merely its polite wording?

Practice

Before agreeing to one request today, consider whether carrying it out could harm someone.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayA Courteous Address, a Cruel OrderThis 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 10.36.25? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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