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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
10.41.710.41.9

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.41.8

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Akrūrasince 10.41.4inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

तावद् व्रजौकसस्तत्र नन्दगोपादयोऽग्रत: ।

पुरोपवनमासाद्य प्रतीक्षन्तोऽवतस्थिरे ॥ ८ ॥

tāvad vrajaukasas tatra

nanda-gopādayo ’grataḥ

puropavanam āsādya

pratīkṣanto ’vatasthire

Translation

Nanda Mahārāja and the other residents of Vṛndāvana, having reached Mathurā ahead of the chariot, had stopped at a garden on the outskirts of the city to wait for Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma.

Read the purport on Vedabase.io

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.

Waiting for Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma

  1. 1

    Nanda Mahārāja and the other residents of Vṛndāvana reached Mathurā before the chariot.

  2. 2

    The chariot carrying Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma had been delayed by Akrūra’s bathing.

  3. 3

    Nanda and the others stopped in a garden on the city’s outskirts to wait for Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma.

Key points from the purport
  • Nanda and the others reached Mathurā first because the chariot carrying Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma was delayed by Akrūra’s bathing.

The purport'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

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:

After meeting up with Nanda Mahārāja and the other cowherds, who had gone on ahead, Kṛṣṇa asked Akrūra to return home, promising to visit him there after He had killed Kaṁsa. Akrūra unhappily bid the Lord goodbye, went to King Kaṁsa to inform him that Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma had come, and went home.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.41
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tāvatby then
  2. vraja-okasaḥthe inhabitants of Vraja
  3. tatrathere
  4. nanda-gopa-ādayaḥheaded by Nanda, the king of the cowherds
  5. agrataḥbefore
  6. puraof the city
  7. upavanama garden
  8. āsādyacoming upon
  9. pratīkṣantaḥwaiting
  10. avatasthirethey stayed there
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 10.41

    In this verse: “nanda”

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 can this scene help you keep Kṛṣṇa in mind during a time of waiting?

Practice

During one wait today, quietly remember Nanda and the others waiting for Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayWaiting for Kṛṣṇa and BalarāmaThis 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 10.41.8? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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