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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
10.43.21-2210.43.24

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.43.23

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The peoplesince 10.43.23inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

एतौ भगवत: साक्षाद्धरेर्नारायणस्य हि । अवतीर्णाविहांशेन वसुदेवस्य वेश्मनि ॥ २३ ॥

etau bhagavataḥ sākṣād

dharer nārāyaṇasya hi

avatīrṇāv ihāṁśena

vasudevasya veśmani

Translation

[The people said:] These two boys are certainly expansions of the Supreme Lord Nārāyaṇa who have descended to this world in the home of Vasudeva.

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.

Recognizing the Lords’ Divine Descent

  1. 1

    The people recognized that the two boys were not ordinary children.

  2. 2

    They described Them as expansions of the Supreme Lord Nārāyaṇa.

  3. 3

    They said that the Lords had descended to this world in the home of Vasudeva.

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 people declared that Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma must be two expansions of the Supreme Lord Nārāyaṇa who had descended into the house of Vasudeva. Cāṇūra then stepped forward and challenged Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma to wrestle, saying King Kaṁsa wished to see such a match.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.43
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. etauthese two
  2. bhagavataḥof the Supreme Lord
  3. sākṣātdirectly
  4. hareḥof Lord Hari
  5. nārāyaṇasyaNārāyaṇa
  6. hicertainly
  7. avatīrṇauhave descended
  8. ihato this world
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 10.43

    In this verse: “children”

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 does the people’s recognition shape the way you think about the two Lords?

Practice

Read the verse slowly, pausing to reflect on the words “descended to this world.”

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayRecognizing the Lords’ Divine DescentThis 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 10.43.23? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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