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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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.48.34

Who is speaking and story frame

तेषु राजाम्बिकापुत्रो भ्रातृपुत्रेषु दीनधी: ।

समो न वर्तते नूनं दुष्पुत्रवशगोऽन्धद‍ृक् ॥ ३४ ॥

teṣu rājāmbikā-putro

bhrātṛ-putreṣu dīna-dhīḥ

samo na vartate nūnaṁ

duṣputra-vaśa-go ’ndha-dṛk

Translation

Indeed, weak-minded Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the son of Ambikā, has come under the control of his wicked sons, and therefore that blind King is not treating his brother’s sons fairly.

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.

Wrong Influence Undermines Fairness

  1. 1

    Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the son of Ambikā, is described as weak-minded.

  2. 2

    He has come under the control of his wicked sons.

  3. 3

    Under their influence, the blind King is not treating his brother’s sons fairly.

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 48: Kṛṣṇa Pleases His Devotees

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Lord Kṛṣṇa then praised Akrūra as a saint and purifier of the sinful, and He asked him to visit Hastināpura to find out how the Pāṇḍavas, deprived of their father, were faring. Finally, the Lord returned home, taking Balarāma and Uddhava with Him.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.48
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. teṣutoward them
  2. rājāthe King (Dhṛtarāṣṭra)
  3. ambikāof Ambikā
  4. putraḥthe son
  5. bhrātṛof his brother
  6. putreṣutoward the sons
  7. dīna-dhīḥwhose mind is wretched
  8. samaḥequally disposed
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Ūti · The creative impetus

    Why do we act, and what keeps us bound? · Subject 5 of 10

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 10.48

    In this verse: “king”

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

Am I allowing someone’s influence to make me treat another person unfairly?

Practice

Review one decision involving others today and check whether you are treating everyone fairly.

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.

Live this todayWrong Influence Undermines FairnessThis 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 10.48.34? Get an answer from the verses themselves.