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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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.4.3

Who is speaking and story frame

स तल्पात् तूर्णमुत्थाय कालोऽयमिति विह्वल: ।

सूतीगृहमगात् तूर्णं प्रस्खलन् मुक्तमूर्धज: ॥ ३ ॥

sa talpāt tūrṇam utthāya

kālo ’yam iti vihvalaḥ

sūtī-gṛham agāt tūrṇaṁ

praskhalan mukta-mūrdhajaḥ

Translation

Kaṁsa immediately got up from bed, thinking, “Here is Kāla, the supreme time factor, which has taken birth to kill me!” Thus overwhelmed, Kaṁsa, his hair scattered on his head, at once approached the place where the child had been born.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Seek Kṛṣṇa’s Mercy Before Death

  1. 1

    Kaṁsa saw the child as Kāla, the supreme time factor, yet thought he could save himself by killing the child.

  2. 2

    Kāla is another name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead when He appears to kill. At death, even the atheist must submit, lose all possessions and accept another body.

  3. 3

    The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement teaches us not to waste our time merely acting as worldly protectors. We should seek Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, for without Kṛṣṇa consciousness we continue wandering through birth and death.

Key points from the purport
  • Death is but another feature of the supreme kāla, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
  • The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to teach them that although for a few years one may act as a great protector or great watchman, with the appearance of kāla, death, one must take another body by the laws of nature.
  • Not knowing this, they unnecessarily waste their time in their occupation as watchdogs and do not try to get the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Śrīla Prabhupāda'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

Terror → Wonder and relief. The threat of destruction yields to divine appearance.

Chapters 1–4 of Canto 10: Threat from Kaṁsa and Kṛṣṇa's birth. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 4: The Atrocities of King Kaṁsa

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

This crying awakened the doorkeepers, who immediately informed Kaṁsa that a child had been born to Devakī. Upon hearing this news, Kaṁsa appeared with great force in the maternity room, and in spite of Devakī’s pleas that the child be saved, the demon forcibly snatched the child from Devakī’s hands and dashed the child against a rock.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.4
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. saḥhe (King Kaṁsa)
  2. talpātfrom the bed
  3. tūrṇamvery quickly
  4. utthāyagetting up
  5. kālaḥ ayamhere is my death, the supreme time
  6. itiin this way
  7. vihvalaḥoverwhelmed
  8. sūtī-gṛhamto the maternity home
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

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 10.4

    In this verse: “child”

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 10.4

    In this verse: “mercy”

  • Rakṣā · Divine protection

    Protection of devotees through the Lord’s intervention. · Theme in SB 10.4

    In this verse: “protectors”

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

Am I making time to seek Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, or only attending to temporary concerns?

Practice

Set aside a few minutes today for devotional service to Kṛṣṇa rather than postponing it.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todaySeek Kṛṣṇa’s Mercy Before DeathThis 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 10.4.3? Get an answer from the verses themselves.