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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 53: Kṛṣṇa Kidnaps Rukmiṇī
10.53.20-2110.53.23

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.53.22

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.53.4inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

भीष्मकन्या वरारोहा काङ्‍क्षन्त्यागमनं हरे: । प्रत्यापत्तिमपश्यन्ती द्विजस्याचिन्तयत्तदा ॥ २२ ॥

bhīṣma-kanyā varārohā

kāṅkṣanty āgamanaṁ hareḥ

pratyāpattim apaśyantī

dvijasyācintayat tadā

Translation

The lovely daughter of Bhīṣmaka anxiously awaited the arrival of Kṛṣṇa, but when she did not see the brāhmaṇa return she thought as follows.

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.

Anxiously Awaiting Kṛṣṇa’s Arrival

  1. 1

    The lovely daughter of Bhīṣmaka anxiously awaited Kṛṣṇa’s arrival.

  2. 2

    She had not seen the brāhmaṇa return. Her waiting continued without his arrival.

  3. 3

    In this uncertainty, she began to reflect. The verse turns attention from outward preparations to her thoughts.

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 53: Kṛṣṇa Kidnaps Rukmiṇī

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

King Bhīṣmaka, trapped by his affection for his son Rukmī, was prepared to give his daughter to Śiśupāla. Bhīṣmaka saw to all the necessary preparations: he had the city decorated in various ways and had its main roads and intersections thoroughly cleansed.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.53
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. bhīṣma-kanyāthe daughter of Bhīṣmaka
  2. vara-ārohāhaving lovely hips
  3. kāṅkṣantīwaiting for
  4. āgamanamthe arrival
  5. hareḥof Kṛṣṇa
  6. pratyāpattimthe return
  7. apaśyantīnot seeing
  8. dvijasyaof the brāhmaṇa
  9. acintayatthought
  10. tadāthen
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

  • Prema · Transcendental love

    The intimacy and sweetness of devotion to Kṛṣṇa. · Theme in SB 10.53

    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

What does her anxious waiting reveal about how much Kṛṣṇa’s arrival mattered to her?

Practice

Spend a quiet minute reflecting on her eagerness to see Kṛṣṇa.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayAnxiously Awaiting Kṛṣṇa’s ArrivalThis 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 10.53.22? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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