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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 54: The Marriage of Kṛṣṇa and Rukmiṇī
10.54.1710.54.19-20

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.54.18

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.54.17inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

रुक्‍मी तु राक्षसोद्वाहं कृष्णद्विडसहन् स्वसु: ।

पृष्ठतोऽन्वगमत् कृष्णमक्षौहिण्या वृतो बली ॥ १८ ॥

rukmī tu rākṣasodvāhaṁ

kṛṣṇa-dviḍ asahan svasuḥ

pṛṣṭhato ’nvagamat kṛṣṇam

akṣauhiṇyā vṛto balī

Translation

Powerful Rukmī, however, was especially envious of Kṛṣṇa. He could not bear the fact that Kṛṣṇa had carried off his sister to marry her in the Rākṣasa style. Thus he pursued the Lord with an entire military division.

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.

Envy Drives Rukmī Against Kṛṣṇa

  1. 1

    Powerful Rukmī is especially envious of Kṛṣṇa.

  2. 2

    He cannot bear that Kṛṣṇa has carried off his sister to marry her in the Rākṣasa style.

  3. 3

    His response is to pursue Lord Kṛṣṇa with an entire military division.

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:

Rukmiṇī’s brother Rukmī, who hated Kṛṣṇa, was infuriated by Kṛṣṇa’s kidnapping of his sister. So, after vowing before all the kings present that he would not return to Kuṇḍina until Kṛṣṇa had been destroyed and Rukmiṇī rescued, Rukmī set out with his army to attack the Lord.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.54
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. rukmīRukmī
  2. tuhowever
  3. rākṣasain the style of demons
  4. udvāhamthe marriage
  5. kṛṣṇa-dviṭthe hater of Kṛṣṇa
  6. asahanunable to bear
  7. svasuḥof his sister
  8. pṛṣṭhataḥfrom behind
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

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 envy turn an unwelcome event into a reason for confrontation?

Practice

If envy arises today, name it honestly and pause before speaking or acting on it.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayEnvy Drives Rukmī Against KṛṣṇaThis 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 10.54.18? Get an answer from the verses themselves.