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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 53: Kṛṣṇa Kidnaps Rukmiṇī
10.53.5610.54.1

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.53.57

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Rukmiṇīsince 10.53.46inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

तं मानिन: स्वाभिभवं यश:क्षयं

परे जरासन्धमुखा न सेहिरे ।

अहो धिगस्मान् यश आत्तधन्वनां

गोपैर्हृतं केशरिणां मृगैरिव ॥ ५७ ॥

taṁ māninaḥ svābhibhavaṁ yaśaḥ-kṣayaṁ

pare jarāsandha-mukhā na sehire

aho dhig asmān yaśa ātta-dhanvanāṁ

gopair hṛtaṁ keśariṇāṁ mṛgair iva

Translation

The kings inimical to the Lord, headed by Jarāsandha, could not tolerate this humiliating defeat. They exclaimed, “Oh, damn us! Though we are mighty archers, mere cowherds have stolen our honor, just as puny animals might steal the honor of lions!”

Read the purport on Vedabase.io

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.

Pride Reverses Our View of Reality

  1. 1

    The kings headed by Jarāsandha cannot tolerate their humiliating defeat. They lament that those they dismiss as mere cowherds have taken their honor.

  2. 2

    The purport explains that the demons’ perverted intelligence makes them perceive the exact opposite of reality. They imagine themselves to be lions and Lord Kṛṣṇa to be inferior, although the actual comparison is reversed.

  3. 3

    Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not an inferior creature. The purport warns that without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, life becomes most dangerous.

Key points from the purport
  • From the last two verses of this chapter it is clear that the perverted intelligence of demons makes them perceive things in a way exactly opposite to reality.
  • The demons, however, saw themselves as lions and Lord Kṛṣṇa as an inferior creature.
  • Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C.

The purport's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

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:

Like a lion claiming his rightful share from a band of jackals, He drove back all the opposing kings and slowly made His exit, followed by His associates. Jarāsandha and the other kings, unable to bear their defeat and dishonor, loudly condemned themselves, declaring that this defamation was like a petty animal’s stealing away what rightfully belongs to the lion.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.53
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tamthat
  2. māninaḥconceited
  3. svatheir
  4. abhibhavamdefeat
  5. yaśaḥtheir honor
  6. kṣayamruining
  7. parethe enemies
  8. jarāsandha-mukhāḥheaded by Jarāsandha
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Ūti · The creative impetus

    Why do we act, and what keeps us bound? · Subject 5 of 10

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 10.53

    In this verse: “kings”

  • Abhaya · Fearlessness

    Steadiness through faith amid danger and death. · Theme in SB 10.53

    In this verse: “dangerous”

  • Viraha · Longing in separation

    Love and remembrance experienced in apparent absence. · Theme in SB 10.53

    In this verse: “lament”

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

When your pride is hurt, how might it distort your understanding?

Practice

If you feel slighted today, pause before responding and recall that devotional service to Kṛṣṇa matters more than defending your honor.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayPride Reverses Our View of RealityThis 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 10.53.57? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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