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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 52: Rukmiṇī’s Message to Lord Kṛṣṇa
10.52.1810.52.20

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.52.19

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:King Parīkṣitsince 10.52.18inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

भगवन् श्रोतुमिच्छामि कृष्णस्यामिततेजस: ।

यथा मागधशाल्वादीन् जित्वा कन्यामुपाहरत् ॥ १९ ॥

bhagavan śrotum icchāmi

kṛṣṇasyāmita-tejasaḥ

yathā māgadha-śālvādīn

jitvā kanyām upāharat

Translation

My lord, I wish to hear how the immeasurably powerful Lord Kṛṣṇa took away His bride while defeating such kings as Māgadha and Sālva.

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.

Never Doubt Kṛṣṇa’s Supreme Power

  1. 1

    The speaker wishes to hear how the immeasurably powerful Lord Kṛṣṇa took His bride while defeating opposing kings.

  2. 2

    The purport warns us not to think that Kṛṣṇa was actually afraid of Jarāsandha.

  3. 3

    Kṛṣṇa easily defeats Jarāsandha and his soldiers. We should therefore never doubt the Lord’s supreme prowess.

Key points from the purport
  • We should not think that Śrī Kṛṣṇa was actually afraid of Jarāsandha.
  • In the very next chapter we will find that Śrī Kṛṣṇa easily defeats Jarāsandha and his soldiers.
  • Thus we should never doubt the supreme prowess of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

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:

Lord Balarāma and Lord Kṛṣṇa, acting as if fearful, left Their riches aside and ran far away. Because Jarāsandha could not appreciate Their true power, he ran after Them.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.52
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. bhagavanO lord (Śukadeva Gosvāmī)
  2. śrotumto hear
  3. icchāmiI wish
  4. kṛṣṇasyaabout Kṛṣṇa
  5. amitaimmeasurable
  6. tejasaḥwhose potency
  7. yathāhow
  8. māgadha-śālva-ādīnsuch kings as Jarāsandha and Śālva
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: “kings”

  • Abhaya · Fearlessness

    Steadiness through faith amid danger and death. · Theme in SB 10.52

    In this verse: “afraid”

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

Do I mistake the Lord’s apparent retreat for a lack of power?

Practice

Reread the phrase “immeasurably powerful Lord Kṛṣṇa” and reflect on it for one minute.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 10.52's connections

Live this todayNever Doubt Kṛṣṇa’s Supreme PowerThis 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 10.52.19? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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