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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.
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Canto 10 · Chapter 54: The Marriage of Kṛṣṇa and Rukmiṇī
10.54.4110.54.43

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.54.42

Mukti· Liberation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Lord Balarāmasince 10.54.41inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

तवेयं विषमा बुद्धि: सर्वभूतेषु दुर्हृदाम् ।

यन्मन्यसे सदाभद्रं सुहृदां भद्रमज्ञवत् ॥ ४२ ॥

taveyaṁ viṣamā buddhiḥ

sarva-bhūteṣu durhṛdām

yan manyase sadābhadraṁ

suhṛdāṁ bhadram ajña-vat

Translation

[To Rukmiṇī Balarāma said:] Your attitude is unfair, for like an ignorant person you wish good to those who are inimical to all living beings and who have done evil to your true well-wishers.

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.

Recognize Bias in Personal Affection

  1. 1

    Balarāma tells Rukmiṇī that her attitude is unfair. Affection can lead one to judge like an ignorant person.

  2. 2

    Those for whom she wishes good are inimical to all living beings. Her favorable feelings do not change their harmful conduct.

  3. 3

    They have also done evil to her true well-wishers. Balarāma asks her to recognize this rather than overlook it.

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. tavayour
  2. iyamthis
  3. viṣamābiased
  4. buddhiḥattitude
  5. sarva-bhūteṣutoward all living beings
  6. durhṛdāmof those who have ill intentions
  7. yatthat
  8. manyaseyou wish
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Mukti · Liberation

    What is real freedom for the soul? · Subject 9 of 10

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 10.54

    In this verse: “favorable”

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

Does my affection for someone make me overlook harm they have done?

Practice

Consider one person you favor, and honestly distinguish your affection from your judgment of their actions.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayRecognize Bias in Personal AffectionThis 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 10.54.42? Get an answer from the verses themselves.