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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 50: Kṛṣṇa Establishes the City of Dvārakā
10.50.1010.50.12

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.50.11

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.50.11inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

एवं ध्यायति गोविन्द आकाशात् सूर्यवर्चसौ ।

रथावुपस्थितौ सद्य: ससूतौ सपरिच्छदौ ॥ ११ ॥

evaṁ dhyāyati govinda

ākāśāt sūrya-varcasau

rathāv upasthitau sadyaḥ

sa-sūtau sa-paricchadau

Translation

[Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued:] As Lord Govinda was thinking in this way, two chariots as effulgent as the sun suddenly descended from the sky. They were complete with drivers and equipment.

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.

Divine Chariots Delight the Lord’s Devotees

  1. 1

    As Lord Govinda considered His response, two chariots as effulgent as the sun suddenly descended from the sky, complete with drivers and equipment.

  2. 2

    Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī and Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī agree that the chariots came from Vaikuṇṭha-loka, the Lord’s own abode.

  3. 3

    Faithful devotees derive tremendous pleasure from observing the Lord’s incomparable technology.

Key points from the purport
  • Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī and Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī agree that the chariots came down from the Lord’s own abode, Vaikuṇṭha-loka, the kingdom of God.
  • The faithful devotees of the Lord derive tremendous pleasure by observing the Lord’s incomparable technology.

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

Yearning and danger → Marriage and reciprocity. A wider range of divine relationships appears.

Chapters 50–59 of Canto 10: Dvārakā, Rukmiṇī and royal rescues. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 50: Kṛṣṇa Establishes the City of Dvārakā

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Two effulgent chariots suddenly appeared, equipped with drivers and furnishings, together with all the Lord’s personal weapons. Seeing this, Lord Kṛṣṇa addressed Lord Baladeva, “My dear brother, Jarāsandha is now attacking Mathurā-purī, so please mount Your chariot and let Us go destroy the enemy’s army.”
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.50
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. evamin this manner
  2. dhyāyatiwhile He was meditating
  3. govindeLord Kṛṣṇa
  4. ākāśātfrom the sky
  5. sūryalike the sun
  6. varcasauhaving effulgence
  7. rathautwo chariots
  8. upasthitauappeared
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

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 10.50

    In this verse: “devotees”

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 helps you read this account with a devotee’s appreciation and delight?

Practice

Reread the description of the chariots and spend a moment appreciating the Lord’s incomparable technology.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayDivine Chariots Delight the Lord’s DevoteesThis 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 10.50.11? Get an answer from the verses themselves.