1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

Or browse by canto and chapter
Canto

Canto 10 · The Summum Bonum · 90 chapters

123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990

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
10.43.26-2710.43.29

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.43.28

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The peoplesince 10.43.23inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

गोप्योऽस्य नित्यमुदितहसितप्रेक्षणं मुखम् । पश्यन्त्यो विविधांस्तापांस्तरन्ति स्माश्रमं मुदा ॥ २८ ॥

gopyo ’sya nitya-mudita-

hasita-prekṣaṇaṁ mukham

paśyantyo vividhāṁs tāpāṁs

taranti smāśramaṁ mudā

Translation

The gopīs overcame all kinds of distress and experienced great happiness by seeing His face, which is always cheerful with smiling glances and ever free of fatigue.

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.

Joy in Seeing Kṛṣṇa’s Face

  1. 1

    Kṛṣṇa’s face is always cheerful, with smiling glances.

  2. 2

    His face is ever free of fatigue.

  3. 3

    By seeing His face, the gopīs overcame all kinds of distress and experienced great happiness.

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:

When King Kaṁsa heard how Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma had killed Kuvalayāpīḍa, he realized They were invincible and became filled with anxiety. The members of the audience, on the other hand, became joyful as they reminded one another about the Lords’ amazing pastimes.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.43
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. gopyaḥthe young gopīs
  2. asyaHis
  3. nityaalways
  4. muditacheerful
  5. hasitasmiling
  6. prekṣaṇamwhose glance
  7. mukhamthe face
  8. paśyantyaḥseeing
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Poṣaṇa · Protection by the Lord

    How does the Lord care for His devotees? · Subject 4 of 10

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 10.43

    In this verse: “distress”

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 attracts you to the description of Kṛṣṇa’s cheerful face?

Practice

Pause for a minute to remember Kṛṣṇa’s smiling glances as described here.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 10.43's connections

Live this todayJoy in Seeing Kṛṣṇa’s FaceThis 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 10.43.28? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
  1. Learn
  2. Live
  3. Lead
Next in Learn · 5 of 11 · 2 minAsk the BhāgavatamBring your own question. Get an answer drawn only from the Bhāgavatam's translations, with every verse shown.Back · LearnCantos & stories