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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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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 38: Akrūra’s Arrival in Vṛndāvana
10.38.2410.38.26

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.38.25

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.38.24inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

पदानि तस्याखिललोकपाल-

किरीटजुष्टामलपादरेणो: ।

ददर्श गोष्ठे क्षितिकौतुकानि

विलक्षितान्यब्जयवाङ्कुशाद्यै: ॥ २५ ॥

padāni tasyākhila-loka-pāla-

kirīṭa-juṣṭāmala-pāda-reṇoḥ

dadarśa goṣṭhe kṣiti-kautukāni

vilakṣitāny abja-yavāṅkuśādyaiḥ

Translation

In the cowherd pasture Akrūra saw the footprints of those feet whose pure dust the rulers of all the planets in the universe hold on their crowns. Those footprints of the Lord, distinguished by such marks as the lotus, barleycorn and elephant goad, made the ground wonderfully beautiful.

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 Beauty of the Lord’s Footprints

  1. 1

    Akrūra saw the Lord’s footprints in the cowherd pasture.

  2. 2

    The rulers of all the planets hold the pure dust of those feet on their crowns. The verse reveals the great honor given to the Lord’s feet.

  3. 3

    The footprints bore marks such as the lotus, barleycorn and elephant goad. They made the ground wonderfully beautiful.

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 38: Akrūra’s Arrival in Vṛndāvana

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Alighting from his chariot in the cowherd pasture, he began rolling about in the dust in great ecstasy. Then Akrūra continued on to Vraja.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.38
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. padānithe footprints
  2. tasyaof Him
  3. akhilaall
  4. lokaof the planets
  5. pālaby the superintendents
  6. kirīṭaupon their crowns
  7. juṣṭaplaced
  8. amalapure
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

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 10.38

    In this verse: “rulers”

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 does the rulers’ reverence for the Lord’s foot dust teach me about humility?

Practice

Reread the description of the footprints and pause to remember the Lord’s feet with reverence.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Beauty of the Lord’s FootprintsThis 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 10.38.25? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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