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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 42: The Breaking of the Sacrificial Bow
10.42.3410.42.36

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.42.35

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Lord Kṛṣṇasince 10.42.12inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

कंस: परिवृतोऽमात्यै राजमञ्च उपाविशत् । मण्डलेश्वरमध्यस्थो हृदयेन विदूयता ॥ ३५ ॥

kaṁsaḥ parivṛto ’mātyai

rāja-mañca upāviśat

maṇḍaleśvara-madhya-stho

hṛdayena vidūyatā

Translation

Surrounded by his ministers, Kaṁsa took his seat on the imperial dais. But even as he sat amidst his various provincial rulers, his heart trembled.

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.

Royal Position Does Not Remove Fear

  1. 1

    Kaṁsa took his seat on the imperial dais, surrounded by his ministers.

  2. 2

    Various provincial rulers sat around him, showing his royal position.

  3. 3

    Yet his heart trembled. His outward position did not free him from inward fear.

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 42: The Breaking of the Sacrificial Bow

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Kaṁsa, his heart trembling, sat down on the royal dais and invited Nanda Mahārāja and the other cowherd men to come sit in their places, and they did so after offering him their gifts. The musical overture then began as the sounds of the wrestlers slapping their arms resounded.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.42
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. kaṁsaḥKaṁsa
  2. parivṛtaḥsurrounded
  3. amātyaiḥby his ministers
  4. rāja-mañceon the King’s platform
  5. upāviśatisat
  6. maṇḍala-īśvaraof secondary rulers of various regions
  7. madhyain the midst
  8. sthaḥsituated
  9. hṛdayenawith his heart
  10. vidūyatātrembling
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

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 10.42

    In this verse: “rulers”

  • Abhaya · Fearlessness

    Steadiness through faith amid danger and death. · Theme in SB 10.42

    In this verse: “fear”

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

When have I appeared secure outwardly while feeling afraid within?

Practice

Take a quiet moment today to notice any difference between your outward appearance and your inward feelings.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayRoyal Position Does Not Remove FearThis 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.

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