1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

Or browse by canto and chapter
Canto

Canto 10 · The Summum Bonum · 90 chapters

123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990

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
10.55.3310.55.35

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.55.34

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

स एव वा भवेन्नूनं यो मे गर्भे धृतोऽर्भक: ।

अमुष्मिन् प्रीतिरधिका वाम: स्फुरति मे भुज: ॥ ३४ ॥

sa eva vā bhaven nūnaṁ

yo me garbhe dhṛto ’rbhakaḥ

amuṣmin prītir adhikā

vāmaḥ sphurati me bhujaḥ

Translation

Yes, He must be the same child I bore in my womb, since I feel great affection for Him and my left arm is quivering.

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 Affection Awakens Recognition

  1. 1

    The mother feels that this young man must be the same child she carried in her womb.

  2. 2

    She notices her great affection for Him as a sign supporting this recognition.

  3. 3

    Her left arm is quivering, which she also connects with the possibility that her child has returned.

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:

Everyone was amazed to hear the account and embraced Pradyumna in great ecstasy. Because Pradyumna’s beauty so closely resembled Kṛṣṇa’s, the ladies in a maternal relationship with Pradyumna could not help thinking of Him as their conjugal lover.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.55
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. saḥHe
  2. evaindeed
  3. vāor else
  4. bhavetmust be
  5. nūnamfor certain
  6. yaḥwho
  7. memy
  8. garbhein the womb
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: “child”, “mother”

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 does the mother’s great affection shape her recognition of the young man?

Practice

Read the verse once more, pausing to notice the mother’s words of affection.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayA Mother’s Affection Awakens RecognitionThis 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 10.55.34? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
  1. Learn
  2. Live
  3. Lead
Next in Learn · 5 of 11 · 2 minAsk the BhāgavatamBring your own question. Get an answer drawn only from the Bhāgavatam's translations, with every verse shown.Back · LearnCantos & stories