1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

Or browse by canto and chapter
Canto

Canto 10 · The Summum Bonum · 90 chapters

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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.52.9

Who is speaking and story frame

पलायमानौ तौ द‍ृष्ट्वा मागध: प्रहसन्बली ।

अन्वधावद् रथानीकैरीशयोरप्रमाणवित् ॥ ९ ॥

palāyamānau tau dṛṣṭvā

māgadhaḥ prahasan balī

anvadhāvad rathānīkair

īśayor apramāṇa-vit

Translation

When he saw Them fleeing, powerful Jarāsandha laughed loudly and then pursued Them with charioteers and foot soldiers. He could not understand the exalted position of the two Lords.

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.

Outward Appearances Can Conceal Divine Greatness

  1. 1

    Powerful Jarāsandha laughed loudly when he saw the two Lords fleeing.

  2. 2

    He pursued Them with charioteers and foot soldiers.

  3. 3

    Despite his power, he could not understand the exalted position of the two Lords.

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:

He destroyed this army, collected all the valuables the soldiers had been carrying, and set off for Dvārakā. Just then Jarāsandha arrived on the scene with a force of twenty-three akṣauhiṇīs.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.52
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. palāyamānauwho were fleeing
  2. tauThose two
  3. dṛṣṭvāseeing
  4. māgadhaḥJarāsandha
  5. prahasanlaughing loudly
  6. balīpowerful
  7. anvadhāvathe ran after
  8. rathawith charioteers
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

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 10.52

    In this verse: “understand”

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 can I approach the Lords’ actions with reverence rather than hasty judgment?

Practice

Reread the final sentence and offer a brief prayer for a respectful understanding of the Lords.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayOutward Appearances Can Conceal Divine GreatnessThis 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 10.52.9? Get an answer from the verses themselves.