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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 50: Kṛṣṇa Establishes the City of Dvārakā
10.50.2310.50.25-28

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.50.24

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.50.20inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

निर्भिन्नकुम्भा: करिणो निपेतु-

रनेकशोऽश्वा: शरवृक्णकन्धरा: ।

रथा हताश्वध्वजसूतनायका:

पदायतश्छिन्नभुजोरुकन्धरा: ॥ २४ ॥

nirbhinna-kumbhāḥ kariṇo nipetur

anekaśo ’śvāḥ śara-vṛkṇa-kandharāḥ

rathā hatāśva-dhvaja-sūta-nāyakāḥ

padāyataś chinna-bhujoru-kandharāḥ

Translation

Elephants fell to the ground, their foreheads split open, cavalry horses fell with severed necks, chariots fell with their horses, flags, drivers and masters all shattered, and foot soldiers collapsed with severed arms, thighs and shoulders.

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.

The Battlefield Reveals Devastating Defeat

  1. 1

    Elephants and cavalry horses fell to the ground with fatal wounds.

  2. 2

    Chariots were shattered along with their horses, flags, drivers and masters.

  3. 3

    Foot soldiers also collapsed. The description shows destruction throughout the opposing army.

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. nirbhinnasplit
  2. kumbhāḥthe protuberances of their foreheads
  3. kariṇaḥelephants
  4. nipetuḥfell
  5. anekaśaḥmany at a time
  6. aśvāḥhorses
  7. śaraby the arrows
  8. vṛkṇasevered
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

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 strikes you about the extent of the destruction described here?

Practice

Read the verse slowly once, noticing how each part of the army was struck down.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Battlefield Reveals Devastating DefeatThis 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 10.50.24? Get an answer from the verses themselves.