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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 41: Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma Enter Mathurā
10.41.1410.41.16

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.41.15

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Akrūrasince 10.41.11inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

आपस्तेऽङ्‌घ्य्रवनेजन्यस्त्रींल्लोकान् शुचयोऽपुनन् ।

शिरसाधत्त या: शर्व: स्वर्याता: सगरात्मजा: ॥ १५ ॥

āpas te ’ṅghry-avanejanyas

trīḻ lokān śucayo ’punan

śirasādhatta yāḥ śarvaḥ

svar yātāḥ sagarātmajāḥ

Translation

The water of the river Ganges has purified the three worlds, having become transcendental by bathing Your feet. Lord Śiva accepted that water on his head, and by that water’s grace the sons of King Sagara attained to heaven.

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 Lord’s Feet Make the Ganges Transcendental

  1. 1

    The Ganges water became transcendental by bathing the Lord’s feet and has purified the three worlds.

  2. 2

    Lord Śiva accepted that sacred water on his head.

  3. 3

    By the grace of that water, the sons of King Sagara attained heaven.

How it feels

Anxiety and conflict → Liberation and joy. Heroic victory is complicated by separation from Vraja.

Chapters 39–45 of Canto 10: Mathurā, Kaṁsa and reunion with parents. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 41: Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma Enter Mathurā

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Akrūra unhappily bid the Lord goodbye, went to King Kaṁsa to inform him that Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma had come, and went home. Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma took the cowherd boys with Them to see the splendorous city.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.41
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. āpaḥthe water (namely, the river Ganges)
  2. teYour
  3. aṅghriof the feet
  4. avanejanyaḥcoming from the bathing
  5. trīnthe three
  6. lokānworlds
  7. śucayaḥbeing purely spiritual
  8. apunanhas purified
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Poṣaṇa · Protection by the Lord

    How does the Lord care for His devotees? · Subject 4 of 10

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 10.41

    In this verse: “king”

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 10.41

    In this verse: “grace”

  • Śuddhi · Inner transformation

    The reorientation of the heart toward service. · Theme in SB 10.41

    In this verse: “purified”

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 Lord Śiva’s acceptance of this water teach me about reverence for the Lord?

Practice

Read this translation slowly once, remembering the purifying power of the Lord’s feet.

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 10.41's connections

Live this todayThe Lord’s Feet Make the Ganges TranscendentalThis 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 10.41.15? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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