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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

1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
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

10.54.29 10.54.31

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.54.30

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

ततो रथादवप्लुत्य खड्‍गपाणिर्जिघांसया ।

कृष्णमभ्यद्रवत् क्रुद्ध: पतङ्ग इव पावकम् ॥ ३० ॥

tato rathād avaplutya

khaḍga-pāṇir jighāṁsayā

kṛṣṇam abhyadravat kruddhaḥ

pataṅga iva pāvakam

Translation

Then Rukmī leaped down from his chariot and, sword in hand, rushed furiously toward Kṛṣṇa to kill Him, like a bird flying into the wind.

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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.

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Fury Drives Rukmī Forward

1
Rukmī leaped down from his chariot with a sword in his hand.
2
Furious, he rushed toward Kṛṣṇa with the intention of killing Him. His anger took the form of a direct attack.
3
The translation compares his rush to a bird flying into the wind. The image conveys his movement against opposition.

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

Chapter 54: The Marriage of Kṛṣṇa and Rukmiṇī

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Ignorant of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s glories, Rukmī boldly went out to attack Kṛṣṇa in a lone chariot. He approached the Lord, struck Him with arrows and demanded that He release Rukmiṇī.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 10.54