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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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.54.22

Who is speaking and story frame

अद्याहं निशितैर्बाणैर्गोपालस्य सुदुर्मते: ।

नेष्ये वीर्यमदं येन स्वसा मे प्रसभं हृता ॥ २२ ॥

adyāhaṁ niśitair bāṇair

gopālasya su-durmateḥ

neṣye vīrya-madaṁ yena

svasā me prasabhaṁ hṛtā

Translation

“This wicked-minded cowherd boy, infatuated with His prowess, has violently abducted my sister. But today I will remove His pride with my sharp arrows.”

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.

Boasting Conceals Praise of Kṛṣṇa

  1. 1

    Rukmī claimed that his sharp arrows would remove Kṛṣṇa’s pride. The purport explains that the encounter would actually remove Rukmī’s pretensions to being a great hero.

  2. 2

    Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that gopālasya means “of the protector of the Vedas.” What sounds like an insult carries praise of the Lord.

  3. 3

    Durmateḥ can mean “of Him whose beautiful mind is compassionate even toward the wicked.” This interpretation reveals Kṛṣṇa’s compassion.

Key points from the purport
  • Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that gopālasya actually means “of the protector of the Vedas,” while durmateḥ means “of Him whose beautiful mind is compassionate even toward the wicked.”
  • Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī adds that the real meaning of what Rukmī said is that today, fighting with Lord Kṛṣṇa, Rukmī would relieve himself of his pretensions to being a great hero.

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:

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. adyatoday
  2. ahamI
  3. niśitaiḥsharp
  4. bāṇaiḥwith my arrows
  5. gopālasyaof the cowherd
  6. su-durmateḥwhose mentality is most wicked
  7. neṣyeI will remove
  8. vīryain His power
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

  • Dainya · Humility

    Ego yields to insight, service and surrender. · Theme in SB 10.54

    In this verse: “pride”

  • Rakṣā · Divine protection

    Protection of devotees through the Lord’s intervention. · Theme in SB 10.54

    In this verse: “protector”

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 10.54

    In this verse: “compassionate”

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 does remembering Kṛṣṇa’s compassion help me acknowledge my own pride?

Practice

Today, pause over the words “compassionate even toward the wicked” and offer Kṛṣṇa a brief prayer for humility.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayBoasting Conceals Praise of 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 10.54.22? Get an answer from the verses themselves.