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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.
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Canto 10 · Chapter 54: The Marriage of Kṛṣṇa and Rukmiṇī
10.54.1110.54.13

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.54.12

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Jarāsandhasince 10.54.11inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

यथा दारुमयी योषित् नृत्यते कुहकेच्छया ।

एवमीश्वरतन्त्रोऽयमीहते सुखदु:खयो: ॥ १२ ॥

yathā dāru-mayī yoṣit

nṛtyate kuhakecchayā

evam īśvara-tantro ’yam

īhate sukha-duḥkhayoḥ

Translation

Just as a puppet in the form of a woman dances by the desire of the puppeteer, so this world, controlled by the Supreme Lord, struggles in both happiness and misery.

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.

Surrender to the Supreme Lord

  1. 1

    The world is controlled by the Supreme Lord, like a puppet moved by a puppeteer. By His will, living beings receive the proper results of their own activities.

  2. 2

    Those trying to exploit God's creation must experience reactions, perceived as happiness and misery. From the perspective of absolute bliss, the entire material way of life is a fiasco.

  3. 3

    One who understands the Absolute Truth surrenders to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such a person is no longer considered to be within the material system of existence.

Key points from the purport
  • By the will of the Supreme Lord, living beings are awarded the proper results of their own activities.
  • One who understands the Absolute Truth surrenders to the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and is no longer considered to be within the material system of existence.
  • In fact, the entire material way of life is a fiasco when seen from the perspective of absolute bliss.

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 54: The Marriage of Kṛṣṇa and Rukmiṇī

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Jarāsandha consoled Śiśupāla: “Happiness and distress are never permanent and are under the control of the Supreme Lord. Seventeen times Kṛṣṇa defeated me, but in the end I was victorious over Him.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.54
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. yathāas
  2. dāru-mayīmade of wood
  3. yoṣita woman
  4. nṛtyatedances
  5. kuhakaof the showman
  6. icchayāby the desire
  7. evamin the same way
  8. īśvaraof the Supreme Lord
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Āśraya · The summum bonum

    Who is the shelter of everything? · Subject 10 of 10

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 10.54

    In this verse: “absolute truth”, “understands”

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

    Relinquishing ownership while entrusting oneself to the Lord. · Theme in SB 10.54

    In this verse: “surrenders”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 10.54

    In this verse: “material”

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

Where could you replace a desire to exploit with a desire to surrender and serve?

Practice

Offer one brief prayer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, asking to serve Him rather than exploit His creation.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todaySurrender to the Supreme LordThis 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 10.54.12? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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