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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 37: The Killing of the Demons Keśi and Vyoma
10.37.2510.37.27

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.37.26

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.37.24inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

एकदा ते पशून्पालाश्चारयन्तोऽद्रिसानुषु ।

चक्रुर्निलायनक्रीडाश्चोरपालापदेशत: ॥ २६ ॥

ekadā te paśūn pālāś’

cārayanto ’dri-sānuṣu

cakrur nilāyana-krīḍāś

cora-pālāpadeśataḥ

Translation

One day the cowherd boys, while grazing their animals on the mountain slopes, played the game of stealing and hiding, acting out the roles of rival thieves and herders.

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.

The Cowherd Boys Play While Grazing Animals

  1. 1

    One day the cowherd boys grazed their animals on the mountain slopes.

  2. 2

    While there, they played a game of stealing and hiding.

  3. 3

    They acted out the roles of rival thieves and herders.

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 37: The Killing of the Demons Keśi and Vyoma

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Taking advantage of this game, a demon named Vyoma, sent by Kaṁsa, dressed himself like a cowherd boy and joined the band of “thieves.” He abducted a few cowherd boys at a time and threw them into a mountain cave, keeping them there by blocking the entrance with a boulder.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.37
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. ekadāone day
  2. tethey
  3. paśūnthe animals
  4. pālāḥthe cowherd boys
  5. cārayantaḥgrazing
  6. adriof a mountain
  7. sānuṣuon the sides
  8. cakruḥthey enacted
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 10.37

    In this verse: “cowherd boys”

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 simple details help me attend closely to this scene of the cowherd boys’ play?

Practice

Reread the translation and recall its setting, activity and roles without adding details.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Cowherd Boys Play While Grazing AnimalsThis 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 10.37.26? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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