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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

1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
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

10.42.36 10.42.38

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.42.37

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

चाणूरो मुष्टिक: कूट: शलस्तोशल एव च । त आसेदुरुपस्थानं वल्गुवाद्यप्रहर्षिता: ॥ ३७ ॥

cāṇūro muṣṭikaḥ kūtaḥ

śalas tośala eva ca

ta āsedur upasthānaṁ

valgu-vādya-praharṣitāḥ

Translation

Enthused by the pleasing music, Canura, Muṣṭika, Kūṭa, Śala and Tośala sat down on the wrestling mat.

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.

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Pleasing Music Enthuses the Wrestlers

1
Cāṇūra, Muṣṭika, Kūṭa, Śala and Tośala were the wrestlers named in this scene.
2
They were enthused by the pleasing music.
3
They sat down on the wrestling mat, taking their places for the match.

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

Chapter 42: The Breaking of the Sacrificial Bow

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

At dawn the wrestling festival began. Crowds of people from the city and outlying districts entered the arena and took their seats in the lavishly decorated galleries.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 10.42