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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
10.52.610.52.8

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.52.7

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

विलोक्य वेगरभसं रिपुसैन्यस्य माधवौ ।

मनुष्यचेष्टामापन्नौ राजन् दुद्रुवतुर्द्रुतम् ॥ ७ ॥

vilokya vega-rabhasaṁ

ripu-sainyasya mādhavau

manuṣya-ceṣṭām āpannau

rājan dudruvatur drutam

Translation

O King, seeing the fierce waves of the enemy’s army, the two Mādhavas, imitating human behavior, ran swiftly away.

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.

The Lords Imitate Human Behavior

  1. 1

    The two Mādhavas saw the fierce waves of the enemy’s army.

  2. 2

    They ran swiftly away from the advancing forces.

  3. 3

    The translation explains that They were imitating human behavior. Their action should be understood in that light.

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:

Thus, in a mood of detachment from all material association, the King began worshiping the Supreme Lord, Śrī Hari. Śrī Kṛṣṇa returned to Mathurā, which was still under siege by the barbarian army.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.52
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. vilokyaseeing
  2. vegaof the waves
  3. rabhasamthe fierceness
  4. ripuenemy
  5. sainyasyaof the armies
  6. mādhavauthe two Mādhavas (Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma)
  7. manuṣyahumanlike
  8. ceṣṭāmbehavior
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 does the phrase “imitating human behavior” shape my understanding of Their flight?

Practice

Pause over the phrase “imitating human behavior” and reread the verse with that explanation in mind.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Lords Imitate Human BehaviorThis 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 10.52.7? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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