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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 47: The Song of the Bee
10.47.5210.47.54

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.47.53

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.47.53inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

श्रीशुक उवाच

ततस्ता: कृष्णसन्देशैर्व्यपेतविरहज्वरा: ।

उद्धवं पूजयां चक्रुर्ज्ञात्वात्मानमधोक्षजम् ॥ ५३ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca

tatas tāḥ kṛṣṇa-sandeśair

vyapeta-viraha-jvarāḥ

uddhavaṁ pūjayāṁ cakrur

jñātvātmānam adhokṣajam

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Lord Kṛṣṇa’s messages having relieved their fever of separation, the gopīs then worshiped Uddhava, recognizing him as nondifferent from their Lord, Kṛṣṇa.

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 Is the Soul of Their Lives

  1. 1

    Lord Kṛṣṇa’s messages relieve the gopīs’ fever of separation.

  2. 2

    The gopīs worship Uddhava, recognizing him as nondifferent from their Lord, Kṛṣṇa.

  3. 3

    Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that they also recognize Kṛṣṇa as the very soul of their lives and thus spiritually one with them.

Key points from the purport
  • Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī states that the words jñatvātmānam adhokṣajam also indicate that the gopīs recognize Lord Kṛṣṇa to be the very soul of their lives and thus spiritually one with them.

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

Heartache → Unbroken remembrance. Love endures and deepens despite visible absence.

Chapters 46–49 of Canto 10: Uddhava, the gopīs and the Song of the Bee. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 47: The Song of the Bee

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Uddhava then pacified the gopīs with statements that dispelled their pain of separation, and they in turn worshiped him as nondifferent from Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Uddhava stayed in the district of Vraja for several months, giving pleasure to the residents by reminding them about Kṛṣṇa in various ways.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.47
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-śukaḥ uvācaŚrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said
  2. tataḥthen
  3. tāḥthey
  4. kṛṣṇa-sandeśaiḥby the messages from Kṛṣṇa
  5. vyapetaremoved
  6. virahaof their separation
  7. jvarāḥthe fever
  8. uddhavamUddhava
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

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 10.47

    In this verse: “worshiped”, “worship”

  • Viraha · Longing in separation

    Love and remembrance experienced in apparent absence. · Theme in SB 10.47

    In this verse: “separation”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What would it mean to regard Kṛṣṇa as the very soul of your life?

Practice

Reread this translation slowly, pausing to appreciate the comfort brought by Kṛṣṇa’s messages.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa Is the Soul of Their LivesThis 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 10.47.53? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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