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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
10.43.3310.43.35

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.43.34

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Cāṇūrasince 10.43.32inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

नित्यं प्रमुदिता गोपा वत्सपाला यथास्फुटम् । वनेषु मल्लयुद्धेन क्रीडन्तश्चारयन्ति गा: ॥ ३४ ॥

nityaṁ pramuditā gopā

vatsa-pālā yathā-sphuṭam

vaneṣu malla-yuddhena

krīḍantaś cārayanti gāḥ

Translation

It is well known that cowherd boys are always joyful as they tend their calves, and that the boys playfully wrestle with each other while grazing their animals in the various forests.

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.

Joyful Play Develops Wrestling Skill

  1. 1

    The cowherd boys are always joyful as they tend their calves.

  2. 2

    While grazing their animals in the forests, they playfully wrestle with one another.

  3. 3

    Cāṇūra explains that this playful wrestling made the two brothers expert wrestlers.

Key points from the purport
  • Here Cāṇūra explains how the two brothers came to be expert at wrestling.

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. nityamalways
  2. pramuditāḥvery happy
  3. gopāḥcowherds
  4. vatsapālāḥtending the calves
  5. yathā-sphuṭamobviously
  6. vaneṣuin the various forests
  7. malla-yuddhenawith wrestling
  8. krīḍantaḥplaying
  9. cārayantithey graze
  10. gāḥthe cows
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

  • Sakhya · Sacred friendship

    The affection of companions and friends of the Lord. · Theme in SB 10.43

    In this verse: “cowherd boys”

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 can I bring a little more joy to my daily responsibilities?

Practice

Carry out one ordinary task today with a cheerful, attentive spirit.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayJoyful Play Develops Wrestling SkillThis 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 10.43.34? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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