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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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Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

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
10.54.3610.54.38

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.54.37

Manvantara· The Manus and right duty
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Lord Balarāmasince 10.54.37inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

असाध्विदं त्वया कृष्ण कृतमस्मज्जुगुप्सितम् ।

वपनं श्मश्रुकेशानां वैरूप्यं सुहृदो वध: ॥ ३७ ॥

asādhv idaṁ tvayā kṛṣṇa

kṛtam asmaj-jugupsitam

vapanaṁ śmaśru-keśānāṁ

vairūpyaṁ suhṛdo vadhaḥ

Translation

[Lord Balarāma said:] My dear Kṛṣṇa, You have acted improperly! This deed will bring shame on Us, for to disfigure a close relative by shaving off his mustache and hair is as good as killing him.

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.

Gentle Words to Comfort Rukmiṇī

  1. 1

    Balarāma said that disfiguring a close relative by shaving his mustache and hair was as good as killing him.

  2. 2

    Omniscient Balarāma knew that Rukmī was the guilty party.

  3. 3

    He nevertheless chose to gently reproach Śrī Kṛṣṇa to encourage the lamenting Rukmiṇī.

Key points from the purport
  • Omniscient Balarāma knew that Rukmī was the guilty party, but to encourage the lamenting Rukmiṇī He decided to gently reproach Śrī Kṛṣṇa

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:

Seeing Rukmī disfigured, He gently reproached Kṛṣṇa: “To disfigure such a close family member is as good as killing him; therefore he should not be killed but set free.” Lord Baladeva then told Rukmiṇī that the sorry condition of her brother was only the fruit of his past work, since everyone is responsible for his own happiness and suffering.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.54
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. asādhuimproperly
  2. idamthis
  3. tvayāby You
  4. kṛṣṇaO Kṛṣṇa
  5. kṛtamdone
  6. asmatfor Us
  7. jugupsitamterrible
  8. vapanamthe shaving
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Manvantara · The change of Manus

    What gives human life its right direction? · Subject 6 of 10

  • Viraha · Longing in separation

    Love and remembrance experienced in apparent absence. · Theme in SB 10.54

    In this verse: “lamenting”

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

Do I consider the sorrow of those listening when I speak about wrongdoing?

Practice

In one difficult conversation today, choose gentle words that take the listener’s feelings into account.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayGentle Words to Comfort RukmiṇīThis 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 10.54.37? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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