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

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90

Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

How to study this verse, in six steps

1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
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 49: Akrūra’s Mission in Hastināpura

10.49.27 10.49.29

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.49.28

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:Dhṛtarāṣṭrasince 10.49.26inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

ईश्वरस्य विधिं को नु विधुनोत्यन्यथा पुमान् ।

भूमेर्भारावताराय योऽवतीर्णो यदो: कुले ॥ २८ ॥

īśvarasya vidhiṁ ko nu

vidhunoty anyathā pumān

bhūmer bhārāvatārāya

yo ’vatīrṇo yadoḥ kule

Translation

Who can defy the injunctions of the Supreme Lord, who has now descended in the Yadu dynasty to diminish the earth’s burden?

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.

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Take Responsibility, Not Shelter in Fate

1
Dhṛtarāṣṭra acknowledges that no one can defy the Supreme Lord's injunctions. The Lord has descended in the Yadu dynasty to diminish the earth's burden.
2
Dhṛtarāṣṭra feels helpless because events are already in motion, but his own attachment and sinful tendencies helped set them in motion. The Supreme Lord does not accept responsibility for anyone's sinful activities.
3
Blaming improper conduct on destiny is dangerous; the Lord's pastimes teach us to act properly. Taking Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously creates an auspicious future for ourselves and our associates.

Key points from the purport

In fact, events have been set in motion by his attachment and sinful propensities, and therefore he should have taken responsibility for his own acts.
Finally, one may argue that, after all, Dhṛtarāṣṭra is involved in the Lord’s pastimes and is actually His eternal associate.
So, let us take the lesson the Lord wants to teach here and be instructed for our benefit.

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· 1

The purport of SB 10.49.28 quotesBG 5.15

Lord Kṛṣṇa clearly states in the Bhagavad-gītā (5.15), nādatte kasyacit pāpam: “The Supreme Lord does not accept responsibility for anyone’s sinful activities.”

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

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

Chapter 49: Akrūra’s Mission in Hastināpura

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

No one can transgress the arrangement of the Supreme Lord; His purpose for descending into the Yadu dynasty will inevitably be fulfilled.” Knowing now the mentality of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Akrūra took permission from his dear relatives and friends and returned to Mathurā, where he related everything to Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Balarāma.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 10.49

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

īśvarasyaof the Supreme Lord
vidhimthe law
kaḥwhat
nuat all
vidhunotican shake off
anyathāotherwise
pumānperson
bhūmeḥof the earth

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
Moha · Material attachment
The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 10.49
In this verse: “attachment”
Abhaya · Fearlessness
Steadiness through faith amid danger and death. · Theme in SB 10.49
In this verse: “dangerous”
Śuddhi · Inner transformation
The reorientation of the heart toward service. · Theme in SB 10.49
In this verse: “sinful”

Chapter themes come from the story phase this chapter belongs to.

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Where am I using circumstances or fate to avoid responsibility for my conduct?

Practice

Choose one improper action you have been excusing and take one concrete step to correct it today.

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Connected stories

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

Dhṛtarāṣṭra leaves homeSB 1.13 · Dhṛtarāṣṭra leaves homeNo one in the material world can prevent the approach of time and the decline of the body. Understanding this calls one away from bodily attachment toward spiritual realization.

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 10.49's connections

Live this todayTake Responsibility, Not Shelter in FateThis 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 10.49.28? Get an answer from the verses themselves.

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