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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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.55.39

Who is speaking and story frame

नष्टं प्रद्युम्नमायातमाकर्ण्य द्वारकौकस: ।

अहो मृत इवायातो बालो दिष्‍ट्येति हाब्रुवन् ॥ ३९ ॥

naṣṭaṁ pradyumnam āyātam

ākarṇya dvārakaukasaḥ

aho mṛta ivāyāto

bālo diṣṭyeti hābruvan

Translation

Hearing that lost Pradyumna had come home, the residents of Dvārakā declared, “Ah, providence has allowed this child to return as if from death!”

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.

Recognizing Providence in Pradyumna’s Return

  1. 1

    The residents of Dvārakā hear that lost Pradyumna has come home.

  2. 2

    They declare that providence has allowed the child to return.

  3. 3

    They describe His return as if He had come back from death, expressing their amazement.

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:

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. He was, after all, the exact reflection of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and therefore it was natural for them to see Him in this way.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.55
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. naṣṭamlost
  2. pradyumnamPradyumna
  3. āyātamreturned
  4. ākarṇyahearing
  5. dvārakā-okasaḥthe residents of Dvārakā
  6. ahoaḥ
  7. mṛtaḥdead
  8. ivaas if
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

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 10.55

    In this verse: “hearing”

  • Abhaya · Fearlessness

    Steadiness through faith amid danger and death. · Theme in SB 10.55

    In this verse: “death”

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

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

    In this verse: “child”

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 the residents’ words express gratitude as well as wonder?

Practice

Pause today to express gratitude for a welcome reunion or someone’s safe return.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayRecognizing Providence in Pradyumna’s ReturnThis 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 10.55.39? Get an answer from the verses themselves.