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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 5: The Meeting of Nanda Mahārāja and Vasudeva
10.5.610.5.8

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.5.7

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.5.1-2inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

गावो वृषा वत्सतरा हरिद्रातैलरूषिता: ।

विचित्रधातुबर्हस्रग्वस्‍त्रकाञ्चनमालिन: ॥ ७ ॥

gāvo vṛṣā vatsatarā

haridrā-taila-rūṣitāḥ

vicitra-dhātu-barhasrag-

vastra-kāñcana-mālinaḥ

Translation

The cows, the bulls and the calves were thoroughly smeared with a mixture of turmeric and oil, mixed with varieties of minerals. Their heads were bedecked with peacock feathers, and they were garlanded and covered with cloth and golden ornaments.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Cow Protection Brings Care and Happiness

  1. 1

    The Supreme Personality of Godhead instructs that farming, cow protection, and trade are the work of the vaiśyas. Nanda Mahārāja belonged to this agricultural community.

  2. 2

    The cows, bulls, and calves were carefully adorned with turmeric, oil, colored minerals, feathers, garlands, cloth, and gold ornaments. Their care showed the community’s wealth and their happiness.

  3. 3

    The purport contrasts this care with the suffering caused by abandoning the Vedic way of life. It urges understanding the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā.

Key points from the purport
  • How to protect the cows and how rich this community was are explained in these verses.
  • We can hardly imagine that cows, bulls and calves could be cared for so nicely and decorated so well with cloths and valuable golden ornaments.
  • As described elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam, during Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira’s time the cows were so happy that they used to muddy the pasturing ground with milk.

Śrīla Prabhupāda'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 10.5.7 quotesBG 18.44

The Supreme Personality of Godhead has instructed in Bhagavad-gītā (18.44), kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma-svabhāvajam: “Farming, cow protection and trade are the qualities of work for the vaiśyas.”

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

Worry and play → Parental tenderness. The Supreme becomes the beloved child of His devotees.

Chapters 5–11 of Canto 10: Gokula, Yaśodā and the infant Lord. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 5: The Meeting of Nanda Mahārāja and Vasudeva

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

There was great jubilation all over Vṛndāvana due to Kṛṣṇa’s birth. Everyone was overwhelmed with joy.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.5
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. gāvaḥthe cows
  2. vṛṣāḥthe bulls
  3. vatsatarāḥthe calves
  4. haridrāwith a mixture of turmeric
  5. tailaand oil
  6. rūṣitāḥtheir entire bodies smeared
  7. vicitradecorated varieties of
  8. dhātucolored minerals
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 10.5

    In this verse: “nanda”

  • Rakṣā · Divine protection

    Protection of devotees through the Lord’s intervention. · Theme in SB 10.5

    In this verse: “protection”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 10.5

    In this verse: “wealth”

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 description teach me about the importance of protecting cows?

Practice

Write down one concrete way you could support the care and protection of cows.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayCow Protection Brings Care and HappinessThis 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.

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