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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 51: The Deliverance of Mucukunda
10.51.1610.51.18

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.51.17

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

नरलोकं परित्यज्य राज्यं निहतकण्टकम् ।

अस्मान् पालयतो वीर कामास्ते सर्व उज्झिता: ॥ १७ ॥

nara-lokaṁ parityajya

rājyaṁ nihata-kaṇṭakam

asmān pālayato vīra

kāmās te sarva ujjhitāḥ

Translation

“Abandoning an unopposed kingdom in the world of men, O valiant one, you neglected all your personal desires while engaged in protecting 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.

Recognizing Sacrifice in Service

  1. 1

    Mucukunda had left an unopposed kingdom in the world of men.

  2. 2

    While protecting the demigods, he had neglected all his personal desires.

  3. 3

    The demigods addressed him as valiant and acknowledged what he had given up for them.

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:

Śrī Kṛṣṇa ran from the Yavana, staying just barely beyond Kālayavana’s grasp at every step and eventually leading him a long distance toward a mountain cave. As Kālayavana ran, he hurled insults at the Lord, but he could not grasp Him, since his stock of impious karma was not yet depleted.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.51
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. nara-lokamin the world of men
  2. parityajyaabandoning
  3. rājyama kingdom
  4. nihataremoved
  5. kaṇṭakamwhose thorns
  6. asmānus
  7. pālayataḥwho was protecting
  8. vīraO hero
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: “protecting”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 10.51

    In this verse: “kingdom”

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

Whose personal sacrifice for your benefit have you not yet acknowledged?

Practice

Offer a specific word of thanks to someone who set aside personal comfort to help you.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayRecognizing Sacrifice in ServiceThis 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 10.51.17? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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