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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 55: The History of Pradyumna

10.55.32 10.55.34

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.55.33

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:Rukmiṇīsince 10.55.31inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

कथं त्वनेन सम्प्राप्तं सारूप्यं शार्ङ्गधन्वन: ।

आकृत्यावयवैर्गत्या स्वरहासावलोकनै: ॥ ३३ ॥

kathaṁ tv anena samprāptaṁ

sārūpyaṁ śārṅga-dhanvanaḥ

ākṛtyāvayavair gatyā

svara-hāsāvalokanaiḥ

Translation

But how is it that this young man so much resembles my own Lord, Kṛṣṇa, the wielder of Śārṅga, in His bodily form and His limbs, in His gait and the tone of His voice, and in His smiling glance?

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.

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Recognizing the Resemblance to Kṛṣṇa

1
The young man’s bodily form and limbs closely resemble those of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the wielder of Śārṅga.
2
His gait and the tone of His voice also resemble Kṛṣṇa’s.
3
Even His smiling glance recalls Kṛṣṇa, prompting the speaker to wonder how such a resemblance is possible.

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 55: The History of Pradyumna

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

While Rukmiṇī reflected in this way, Lord Kṛṣṇa arrived in the company of Devakī and Vasudeva. Although the Lord understood the situation perfectly well, He remained silent.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 10.55