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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
10.52.3310.52.35

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.52.34

Manvantara· The Manus and right duty
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Supreme Lordsince 10.52.30inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

कच्चिद् व: कुशलं ब्रह्मन् राजतो यस्य हि प्रजा: ।

सुखं वसन्ति विषये पाल्यमाना: स मे प्रिय: ॥ ३४ ॥

kaccid vaḥ kuśalaṁ brahman

rājato yasya hi prajāḥ

sukhaṁ vasanti viṣaye

pālyamānāḥ sa me priyaḥ

Translation

O brāhmaṇa, is your King attending to your welfare? Indeed, that king in whose country the citizens are happy and protected is very dear to Me.

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.

Protecting Others Pleases Kṛṣṇa

  1. 1

    Kṛṣṇa asks the brāhmaṇa whether his King is attending to his welfare.

  2. 2

    The verse presents happy, protected citizens as the mark of a king dear to Kṛṣṇa.

  3. 3

    A ruler's care for those in his country matters to the Lord.

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:

The Lord then asked the brāhmaṇa why he had come. The brāhmaṇa opened Rukmiṇī’s letter and showed it to Lord Kṛṣṇa, who had the messenger read it to Him.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.52
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. kaccitwhether
  2. vaḥyour
  3. kuśalamwell-being
  4. brahmanO brāhmaṇa
  5. rājataḥfrom the King
  6. yasyawhose
  7. hiindeed
  8. prajāḥsubjects
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Manvantara · The change of Manus

    What gives human life its right direction? · Subject 6 of 10

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 10.52

    In this verse: “king”, “citizens”, “ruler's”

  • Rakṣā · Divine protection

    Protection of devotees through the Lord’s intervention. · Theme in SB 10.52

    In this verse: “protected”

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 10.52

    In this verse: “welfare”

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 well do I attend to the welfare of those in my care?

Practice

Ask one person in your care whether they need help, and respond to one concrete need.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayProtecting Others Pleases KṛṣṇaThis 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 10.52.34? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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