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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
10.52.2010.52.22

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.52.21

Visarga· Brahmā's creation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.52.21inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

श्रीबादरायणिरुवाच

राजासीद् भीष्मको नाम विदर्भाधिपतिर्महान् ।

तस्य पञ्चाभवन् पुत्रा: कन्यैका च वरानना ॥ २१ ॥

śrī-bādarāyaṇir uvāca

rājāsīd bhīṣmako nāma

vidarbhādhipatir mahān

tasya pancābhavan putrāḥ

kanyaikā ca varānanā

Translation

Śrī Bādarāyaṇi said: There was a king named Bhīṣmaka, the powerful ruler of Vidarbha. He had five sons and one daughter of lovely countenance.

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.

Bhīṣmaka’s Family Enters the Account

  1. 1

    Śrī Bādarāyaṇi introduces a king named Bhīṣmaka.

  2. 2

    Bhīṣmaka was the powerful ruler of Vidarbha.

  3. 3

    He had five sons and one daughter, whose face was lovely.

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:

Rukmiṇī, the young daughter of Bhīṣmaka, King of Vidarbha, had heard of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s beauty, strength and other fine qualities, and she therefore made up her mind that He would be the perfect husband for her. Lord Kṛṣṇa also wanted to marry her.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.52
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-bādarāyaṇiḥŚrī Bādarāyaṇi (Śukadeva, the son of Badarāyaṇa Vedavyāsa)
  2. uvācasaid
  3. rājāa king
  4. āsītthere was
  5. bhīṣmakaḥ nāmanamed Bhīṣmaka
  6. vidarbha-adhipatiḥruler of the kingdom Vidarbha
  7. mahāngreat
  8. tasyahis
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Visarga · Subcreation

    How do living beings and their worlds appear? · Subject 2 of 10

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 10.52

    In this verse: “king”, “ruler”

  • Prema · Transcendental love

    The intimacy and sweetness of devotion to Kṛṣṇa. · Theme in SB 10.52

    In this verse: “lovely”

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

Am I giving the account’s simple introductory details careful attention?

Practice

Read the verse once, then recall the king’s name, his kingdom and the number of his children.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayBhīṣmaka’s Family Enters the AccountThis 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 10.52.21? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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