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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.
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Canto 10 · Chapter 51: The Deliverance of Mucukunda
10.51.1510.51.17

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.51.16

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.51.14inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

लब्ध्वा गुहं ते स्व:पालं मुचुकुन्दमथाब्रुवन् ।

राजन् विरमतां कृच्छ्राद् भवान् न: परिपालनात् ॥ १६ ॥

labdhvā guhaṁ te svaḥ-pālaṁ

mucukundam athābruvan

rājan viramatāṁ kṛcchrād

bhavān naḥ paripālanāt

Translation

When the demigods obtained Kārttikeya as their general, they told Mucukunda, “O King, you may now give up your troublesome duty of guarding us.

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.

Release From a Troublesome Duty

  1. 1

    The demigods obtained Kārttikeya as their general.

  2. 2

    They told Mucukunda that he could now stop guarding them.

  3. 3

    They acknowledged that his duty of protecting them had been troublesome.

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 51: The Deliverance of Mucukunda

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

When the demigods had eventually obtained Kārttikeya as their protector, they allowed Mucukunda to retire, offering him any boon other than liberation, which only Lord Viṣṇu can bestow. Mucukunda had chosen from the demigods the benediction of being covered by sleep, and thus since then he had been lying asleep within the cave.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.51
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. labdhvāafter obtaining
  2. guhamKārttikeya
  3. tethey
  4. svaḥof heaven
  5. pālamas the protector
  6. mucukundamto Mucukunda
  7. athathen
  8. abruvansaid
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

  • Rakṣā · Divine protection

    Protection of devotees through the Lord’s intervention. · Theme in SB 10.51

    In this verse: “guarding”, “protecting”

  • Dharma · Duty and righteous conduct

    Right action as duty, responsibility and devotion. · Theme in SB 10.51

    In this verse: “duty”

  • Vairāgya · Freedom from attachment

    Release from possessiveness and false identities. · Theme in SB 10.51

    In this verse: “give up”

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

How do you respond when a demanding responsibility has been completed?

Practice

Thank someone today for a demanding duty they have carried out.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayRelease From a Troublesome DutyThis 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 10.51.16? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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