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

123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990

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
10.50.310.50.5-6

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.50.4

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.50.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

अक्षौहिणीभिर्विंशत्या तिसृभिश्चापि संवृत: ।

यदुराजधानीं मथुरां न्यरुधत् सर्वतोदिशम् ॥ ४ ॥

akṣauhiṇībhir viṁśatyā

tisṛbhiś cāpi saṁvṛtaḥ

yadu-rājadhānīṁ mathurāṁ

nyarudhat sarvato diśam

Translation

With a force of twenty-three akṣauhiṇī divisions, he laid siege to the Yadu capital, Mathurā, on all sides.

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.

Mathurā Surrounded by a Vast Army

  1. 1

    Jarāsandha brought twenty-three akṣauhiṇī divisions against Mathurā.

  2. 2

    An akṣauhiṇī was a standard fighting force in ancient times.

  3. 3

    His forces besieged Mathurā, the Yadu capital, on all sides.

Key points from the purport
  • The numbers involved in an akṣauhiṇī division are given in the word meanings.
  • An akṣauhiṇī was a standard fighting force in ancient times.

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:

He vowed to rid the earth of all the Yādavas, and he gathered an immense army to lay siege to Mathurā. When Śrī Kṛṣṇa saw Jarāsandha attacking, the Lord considered the reasons for His descent to this world and then decided to destroy Jarāsandha’s army, which was a burden to the earth.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.50
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. akṣauhiṇībhiḥby akṣauhiṇī divisions (each consisting of 21,870 soldiers on elephants, 21,870 charioteers, 65,610 cavalrymen and 109,350 infantry soldiers)
  2. viṁśatyātwenty
  3. tisṛbhiḥ ca apiplus three
  4. saṁvṛtaḥsurrounded
  5. yaduof the dynasty of Yadu
  6. rājadhānīmthe royal capital
  7. mathurāmMathurā
  8. nyarudhathe besieged
  9. sarvataḥ diśamon all sides
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 does the city being surrounded on all sides help you understand about this siege?

Practice

Reread the translation and note the army’s size and the extent of the siege.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayMathurā Surrounded by a Vast ArmyThis 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 10.50.4? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
  1. Learn
  2. Live
  3. Lead
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