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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 41: Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma Enter Mathurā
10.41.3610.41.38

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.41.37

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The washermansince 10.41.35inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

एवं विकत्थमानस्य कुपितो देवकीसुत: ।

रजकस्य कराग्रेण शिर: कायादपातयत् ॥ ३७ ॥

evaṁ vikatthamānasya

kupito devakī-sutaḥ

rajakasya karāgreṇa

śiraḥ kāyād apātayat

Translation

As the washerman thus spoke brazenly, the son of Devakī became angry, and then merely with His fingertips He separated the man’s head from his body.

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 Responds to Brazen Speech

  1. 1

    The washerman continued speaking brazenly.

  2. 2

    The son of Devakī became angry at his speech.

  3. 3

    Merely with His fingertips, the Lord separated the washerman’s head from his body. The action displays His extraordinary power.

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:

At this Kṛṣṇa became very angry and beheaded the man with His fingertips. The washerman’s assistants, seeing his untimely end, dropped their bundles of clothes on the spot and ran off in all directions.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.41
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. evamthus
  2. vikatthamānasyawho was brazenly speaking
  3. kupitaḥangered
  4. devakī-sutaḥKṛṣṇa, the son of Devakī
  5. rajakasyaof the washerman
  6. karaof one hand
  7. agreṇawith the front
  8. śiraḥthe head
  9. kāyātfrom his body
  10. apātayatmade fall
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

  • Viraha · Longing in separation

    Love and remembrance experienced in apparent absence. · Theme in SB 10.41

    In this verse: “separated”

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

How does this account deepen my sense of reverence for the Lord?

Practice

Reread the verse slowly, then take a moment to approach the Lord with respectful words.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Lord Responds to Brazen SpeechThis 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 10.41.37? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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