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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 55: The History of Pradyumna
10.55.210.55.4

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.55.3

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.55.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

तं शम्बर: कामरूपी हृत्वा तोकमनिर्दशम् ।

स विदित्वात्मन: शत्रुं प्रास्योदन्वत्यगाद् गृहम् ॥ ३ ॥

taṁ śambaraḥ kāma-rūpī

hṛtvā tokam anirdaśam

sa viditvātmanaḥ śatruṁ

prāsyodanvaty agād gṛham

Translation

The demon Śambara, who could assume any form he desired, kidnapped the infant before He was even ten days old. Understanding Pradyumna to be his enemy, Śambara threw Him into the sea and then returned home.

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.

Śambara Attacks the Infant Pradyumna

  1. 1

    The demon Śambara could assume any form he desired. He kidnapped Pradyumna before the infant was ten days old.

  2. 2

    Recognizing Pradyumna as his enemy, Śambara threw Him into the sea and returned home.

  3. 3

    Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī cites the Viṣṇu Purāṇa to specify that the kidnapping occurred on the sixth day after Pradyumna’s birth.

Key points from the purport
  • Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī points out that according to the Viṣṇu Purāṇa, Pradyumna was kidnapped on the sixth day after His birth.

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 55: The History of Pradyumna

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

A demon named Śambara, thinking Pradyumna his enemy, kidnapped Him from the maternity room even before He was ten days old. Śambara threw Pradyumna into the ocean and returned to his kingdom.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.55
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tamHim
  2. śambaraḥthe demon Śambara
  3. kāmaas he desired
  4. rūpīassuming forms
  5. hṛtvāstealing
  6. tokamthe child
  7. aniḥ-daśamnot yet ten days old
  8. saḥhe (Śambara)
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: “infant”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 10.55

    In this verse: “understanding”

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 stands out to me about Śambara treating such a young infant as his enemy?

Practice

Write a brief summary of Śambara’s actions, keeping to what this verse actually says.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayŚambara Attacks the Infant PradyumnaThis 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 10.55.3? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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