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

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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.45.3

Who is speaking and story frame

नास्मत्तो युवयोस्तात नित्योत्कण्ठितयोरपि ।

बाल्यपौगण्डकैशोरा: पुत्राभ्यामभवन्‍क्‍वचित् ॥ ३ ॥

nāsmatto yuvayos tāta

nityotkaṇṭhitayor api

bālya-paugaṇḍa-kaiśorāḥ

putrābhyām abhavan kvacit

Translation

[Lord Kṛṣṇa said:] Dear Father, because of Us, your two sons, you and mother Devakī always remained in anxiety and could never enjoy Our childhood, boyhood or youth.

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.

Kṛṣṇa’s Growth Transcends Ordinary Measures

  1. 1

    Kṛṣṇa acknowledged that His parents had remained in anxiety because of their two sons. They had been unable to enjoy Their childhood, boyhood or youth.

  2. 2

    Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains that Kṛṣṇa’s growth cannot be judged by ordinary measurements of age. He passed through the stages of childhood with exceptional speed.

  3. 3

    Kṛṣṇa completed His kaiśora period at age ten. From that point onward, the Lord eternally remains a kiśora, a youthful boy.

Key points from the purport
  • Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī discusses this verse as follows: “One may object that at this point Lord Kṛṣṇa had not actually passed the kaiśora stage [age ten to fifteen], since the women of Mathurā had stated, kva cāti-sukumārāṅgau kiśorau nāpta-yauvanau: ‘Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma have very tender limbs, being still at the kiśora stage, not having reached adolescence.’
  • The period from then to the age of six years and eight months, during which He lived in Vṛndāvana, constitutes His paugaṇḍa stage.
  • Thus He completed His kaiśora period at age ten, and He eternally remains at that age.

The purport's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

Connected verses· 2

The purport of SB 10.45.3 quotesSB 10.44.8

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī discusses this verse as follows: “One may object that at this point Lord Kṛṣṇa had not actually passed the kaiśora stage [age ten to fifteen], since the women of Mathurā had stated, kva cāti-sukumārāṅgau kiśorau nāpta-yauvanau: ‘Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma have very tender limbs, being still at the kiśora stage, not having reached adolescence.’

The purport of SB 10.45.3 quotesSB 3.2.26

‘Like a covered flame, Lord Kṛṣṇa remained there incognito with Balarāma for eleven years.’

Each link is a verse the purport itself quotes, or a purport elsewhere that quotes this verse, shown with the purport's own words.

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 45: Kṛṣṇa Rescues His Teacher’s Son

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Having thus satisfied His mother and father, Lord Kṛṣṇa offered Kaṁsa’s kingdom to His maternal grandfather, Ugrasena, and then arranged for all His family members who had fled in fear of Kaṁsa to return to their homes. Protected by the mighty arms of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, the Yādavas began to enjoy supreme bliss.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.45
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. nanot
  2. asmattaḥbecause of Us
  3. yuvayoḥfor you two
  4. tātaO dear father
  5. nityaalways
  6. utkaṇṭhitayoḥwho have been in anxiety
  7. apiindeed
  8. bālya(the pleasures of) the toddler age
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 10.45

    In this verse: “mother”, “father”, “childhood”

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 this explanation teach me about judging Kṛṣṇa by ordinary human measures?

Practice

Write one sentence recalling that Kṛṣṇa’s youthful form is eternal.

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.

The purport quotesSB 10.44.8SB 3.2.26

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 10.45's connections

Live this todayKṛṣṇa’s Growth Transcends Ordinary MeasuresThis 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 10.45.3? Get an answer from the verses themselves.