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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
10.54.2510.54.27

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.54.26

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.54.17inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

यावन्न मे हतो बाणै: शयीथा मुञ्च दारीकाम् ।

स्मयन् कृष्णो धनुश्छित्त्वा षड्‍‌भिर्विव्याध रुक्‍मिणम् ॥ २६ ॥

yāvan na me hato bāṇaiḥ

śayīthā muñca dārīkām

smayan kṛṣṇo dhanuś chittvā

ṣaḍbhir vivyādha rukmiṇam

Translation

“Release the girl before You are struck dead by my arrows and made to lie down!” In response to this, Lord Kṛṣṇa smiled, and with six arrows He struck Rukmī and broke his bow.

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.

Kṛṣṇa Smiles at Rukmī’s Threat

  1. 1

    Rukmī demanded that Kṛṣṇa release the girl, threatening to strike Him dead with arrows.

  2. 2

    Lord Kṛṣṇa responded with a smile. With six arrows, He struck Rukmī and broke his bow.

  3. 3

    Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī explains that Kṛṣṇa was actually meant to lie down with Rukmiṇī on a beautiful bed of flowers. Out of shyness, Rukmī did not mention this directly.

Key points from the purport
  • Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī points out that in fact Lord Kṛṣṇa was meant to lie down together with Rukmiṇī on a beautiful bed of flowers, but out of shyness Rukmī did not directly mention this point.

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:

He approached the Lord, struck Him with arrows and demanded that He release Rukmiṇī. Śrī Kṛṣṇa fended off Rukmī’s weapons, breaking them to pieces.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.54
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. yāvatwhile
  2. nanot
  3. memy
  4. hataḥkilled
  5. bāṇaiḥby the arrows
  6. śayīthaḥyou lie down
  7. muñcarelease
  8. dārīkāmthe girl
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

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 contrast do I notice between Rukmī’s threatening words and Kṛṣṇa’s smiling response?

Practice

Spend a minute rereading Kṛṣṇa’s smiling response and the purport’s description of His lying down with Rukmiṇī.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa Smiles at Rukmī’s ThreatThis 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 10.54.26? Get an answer from the verses themselves.