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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 55: The History of Pradyumna
10.55.1410.55.16

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.55.15

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Ratisince 10.55.12inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

परीशोचति ते माता कुररीव गतप्रजा ।

पुत्रस्‍नेहाकुला दीना विवत्सा गौरिवातुरा ॥ १५ ॥

parīśocati te mātā

kurarīva gata-prajā

putra-snehākulā dīnā

vivatsā gaur ivāturā

Translation

Your poor mother, having lost her son, cries for You like a kurarī bird. She is overwhelmed with love for her child, just like a cow that has lost its calf.

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.

A Mother’s Love in Separation

  1. 1

    His mother cries for Him because she has lost her son.

  2. 2

    Her crying is compared to that of a kurarī bird.

  3. 3

    Overwhelmed with love for her child, she suffers like a cow that has lost its calf.

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 55: The History of Pradyumna

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

When Rukmiṇī-devī saw Pradyumna, she felt overwhelmed with motherly love, and milk began to flow spontaneously from her breasts. Noting that Pradyumna looked exactly like Kṛṣṇa, she became eager to find out who He was.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.55
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. pariśocatiis crying
  2. teYour
  3. mātāmother (Rukmiṇī)
  4. kurarī ivalike an osprey
  5. gatagone
  6. prajāwhose son
  7. putrafor her child
  8. snehaby love
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

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 10.55

    In this verse: “mother”, “child”

  • Prema · Transcendental love

    The intimacy and sweetness of devotion to Kṛṣṇa. · Theme in SB 10.55

    In this verse: “love”

  • Viraha · Longing in separation

    Love and remembrance experienced in apparent absence. · Theme in SB 10.55

    In this verse: “crying”

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 do these comparisons help you appreciate the mother’s grief and love?

Practice

Spend a quiet moment reflecting on the mother’s love expressed through both comparisons.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayA Mother’s Love in SeparationThis 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 10.55.15? Get an answer from the verses themselves.