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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
  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 43: Kṛṣṇa Kills the Elephant Kuvalayāpīḍa
10.43.110.43.3

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.43.2

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.43.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

रङ्गद्वारं समासाद्य तस्मिन् नागमवस्थितम् । अपश्यत्कुवलयापीडं कृष्णोऽम्बष्ठप्रचोदितम् ॥ २ ॥

raṅga-dvāraṁ samāsādya

tasmin nāgam avasthitam

apaśyat kuvalayāpīḍaṁ

kṛṣṇo ’mbaṣṭha-pracoditam

Translation

When Lord Kṛṣṇa reached the entrance to the arena, He saw the elephant Kuvalayāpīḍa blocking His way at the urging of his keeper.

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.

The Keeper Reveals His Malicious Intent

  1. 1

    Lord Kṛṣṇa reached the entrance to the wrestling arena.

  2. 2

    There He saw Kuvalayāpīḍa blocking His way at the urging of the elephant-keeper.

  3. 3

    The purport explains that blocking Lord Kṛṣṇa’s entrance revealed the keeper’s malicious intent.

Key points from the purport
  • The elephant-keeper revealed his malicious intent by blocking Lord Kṛṣṇa’s entrance into the arena.

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 43: Kṛṣṇa Kills the Elephant Kuvalayāpīḍa

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

At the gate of the wrestling arena They encountered an elephant named Kuvalayāpīḍa, who attacked Kṛṣṇa at the urging of his keeper. The mighty elephant grabbed at Kṛṣṇa with his trunk, but the Lord struck back and then disappeared from the beast’s sight among his legs.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.43
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. raṅgaof the arena
  2. dvāramthe gate
  3. samāsādyareaching
  4. tasminin that place
  5. nāgaman elephant
  6. avasthitamstanding
  7. apaśyatHe saw
  8. kuvalayāpīḍamnamed Kuvalayāpīḍa
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

What does the keeper’s deliberate obstruction reveal about his attitude toward Lord Kṛṣṇa?

Practice

Pause over this scene and reflect on your own desire to welcome, rather than oppose, Lord Kṛṣṇa.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Keeper Reveals His Malicious IntentThis 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 10.43.2? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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