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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 43: Kṛṣṇa Kills the Elephant Kuvalayāpīḍa
10.43.2010.43.23

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Texts 10.43.21-22

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Lord Kṛṣṇasince 10.43.4inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

पिबन्त इव चक्षुर्भ्यां लिहन्त इव जिह्वया । जिघ्रन्त इव नासाभ्यां श्लिष्यन्त इव बाहुभि: ॥ २१ ॥ ऊचु: परस्परं ते वै यथाद‍ृष्टं यथाश्रुतम् । तद्रूपगुणमाधुर्यप्रागल्भ्यस्मारिता इव ॥ २२ ॥

pibanta iva cakṣurbhyāṁ

lihanta iva jihvayā

jighranta iva nāsābhyāṁ

śliṣyanta iva bāhubhiḥ

ūcuḥ parasparaṁ te vai

yathā-dṛṣṭaṁ yathā-śrutam

tad-rūpa-guṇa-mādhurya-

prāgalbhya-smāritā iva

Translation

The people seemed to be drinking Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma with their eyes, licking Them with their tongues, smelling Them with their nostrils and embracing Them with their arms. Reminded of the Lords’ beauty, character, charm and bravery, the members of the audience began describing these features to one another according to what they had seen and heard.

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.

Satisfaction in Glorifying Kṛṣṇa

  1. 1

    The people gazed at Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma as if drinking Them with their eyes and embracing Them with their arms.

  2. 2

    They described the Lords’ beauty, character, charm and bravery according to what they had seen and heard.

  3. 3

    Kṛṣṇa is the embodiment of all beauty, fame and opulence. The audience became fully satisfied by glorifying Him.

Key points from the purport
  • Naturally, those who assembled in Mathurā for the wrestling festival had heard the latest news of Kṛṣṇa’s and Balarāma’s adventures in the city — how the Lords had broken the sacrificial bow, defeated the police and killed the elephant Kuvalayāpīḍa.
  • And now that the people were seeing Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma enter the arena, their greatest expectations were confirmed.
  • Kṛṣṇa is the embodiment of all beauty, fame and opulence, and therefore those assembled in the wrestling arena became fully satisfied by glorifying what they had heard of Him and were now seeing.

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:

The members of the audience, on the other hand, became joyful as they reminded one another about the Lords’ amazing pastimes. The people declared that Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma must be two expansions of the Supreme Lord Nārāyaṇa who had descended into the house of Vasudeva.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.43
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. pibantaḥdrinking
  2. ivaas if
  3. cakṣurbhyāmwith their eyes
  4. lihantaḥlicking
  5. ivaas if
  6. jihvayāwith their tongues
  7. jighrantaḥsmelling
  8. ivaas if
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

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 10.43

    In this verse: “heard”, “glorifying”

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

Which quality of Kṛṣṇa mentioned here would you like to remember more often?

Practice

As a small act of devotional service, tell someone one quality of Kṛṣṇa described in this passage.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todaySatisfaction in Glorifying KṛṣṇaThis 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 10.43.21-22? Get an answer from the verses themselves.