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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
10.41.3010.41.32

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.41.31

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.41.18inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

ऊचु: पौरा अहो गोप्यस्तप: किमचरन्महत् ।

या ह्येतावनुपश्यन्ति नरलोकमहोत्सवौ ॥ ३१ ॥

ūcuḥ paurā aho gopyas

tapaḥ kim acaran mahat

yā hy etāv anupaśyanti

nara-loka-mahotsavau

Translation

The women of Mathurā exclaimed: Oh, what severe austerities the gopīs must have performed to be able to regularly see Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, who are the greatest source of pleasure for all mankind!

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.

Seeing the Lords Is Great Fortune

  1. 1

    The women of Mathurā marveled that the gopīs could regularly see Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma.

  2. 2

    They exclaimed that the gopīs must have performed severe austerities to receive such an opportunity.

  3. 3

    They described Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma as the greatest source of pleasure for all mankind.

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:

As they all entered Mathurā, the women of the city eagerly came out of their houses to see Kṛṣṇa. They had often heard about Him and had long since developed a deep attraction for Him.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.41
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. ūcuḥsaid
  2. paurāḥthe women of the city
  3. ahoah
  4. gopyaḥthe cowherd girls (of Vṛndāvana)
  5. tapaḥausterity
  6. kimwhat
  7. acaranhave executed
  8. mahatgreat
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

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 value opportunities to turn my attention toward Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma?

Practice

Read the women’s exclamation aloud and reflect for a moment on the fortune of regularly seeing the Lords.

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 todaySeeing the Lords Is Great FortuneThis 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 10.41.31? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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