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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 52: Rukmiṇī’s Message to Lord Kṛṣṇa
10.52.1010.52.12

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.52.11

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.52.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

गिरौ निलीनावाज्ञाय नाधिगम्य पदं नृप ।

ददाह गिरिमेधोभि: समन्तादग्निमुत्सृजन् ॥ ११ ॥

girau nilīnāv ājñāya

nādhigamya padaṁ nṛpa

dadāha girim edhobhiḥ

samantād agnim utsṛjan

Translation

Although he knew They were hiding on the mountain, Jarāsandha could find no trace of Them. Therefore, O King, he placed firewood on all sides and set the mountain ablaze.

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.

See the Lord’s Pastimes Without Envy

  1. 1

    Jarāsandha could not find the two Lords on the mountain, so he surrounded it with firewood and set it ablaze.

  2. 2

    Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma’s apparent exhaustion belongs to Their transcendental pastimes. We are seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not an ordinary human being.

  3. 3

    The purport asks us to consider the whole account rather than isolate descriptions. Seen without envy or quarrelsomeness, the Lord’s pastimes are immensely entertaining.

Key points from the purport
  • Clearly we are observing one of the Supreme Lord’s transcendental pastimes.
  • Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Balarāma were still quite young men when this pastime took place, and one can easily see in these descriptions how They must have been enjoying Themselves, eagerly fleeing from the somewhat ridiculous King Jarāsandha, racing up a mountain, jumping off and totally befuddling the constantly failing demon, who somehow or other never lost confidence in himself.
  • Seen without envy or quarrelsomeness, the Lord’s pastimes are immensely entertaining.

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 52: Rukmiṇī’s Message to Lord Kṛṣṇa

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Unable to find Them, he built fires on all sides of the mountain. As the vegetation on the mountain slopes burst into flame, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma jumped off the peak.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.52
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. girauon the mountain
  2. nilīnauhiding
  3. ājñāyabeing aware
  4. na adhigamyanot finding
  5. padamTheir location
  6. nṛpaO King (Parīkṣit)
  7. dadāhahe set ablaze
  8. girimthe mountain
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

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 10.52

    In this verse: “king”

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 might considering the whole account help me appreciate the Lord’s actions?

Practice

Reread the purport once, paying attention to how it explains the Lords’ apparent exhaustion.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todaySee the Lord’s Pastimes Without EnvyThis 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 10.52.11? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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