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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 56: The Syamantaka Jewel
10.56.1810.56.20

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.56.19

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.56.9inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

ऋक्षराजबिलं भीममन्धेन तमसावृतम् ।

एको विवेश भगवानवस्थाप्य बहि: प्रजा: ॥ १९ ॥

ṛkṣa-rāja-bilaṁ bhīmam

andhena tamasāvṛtam

eko viveśa bhagavān

avasthāpya bahiḥ prajāḥ

Translation

The Lord stationed His subjects outside the terrifying, pitch-dark cave of the king of the bears, and then He entered alone.

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.

The Lord Enters the Cave Alone

  1. 1

    The cave of the king of the bears was terrifying and pitch-dark.

  2. 2

    The Lord stationed His subjects outside the cave.

  3. 3

    He then entered alone, facing the terrifying darkness without taking His subjects inside.

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 56: The Syamantaka Jewel

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

On the road a lion killed Prasena and took the jewel away to a mountain cave, where the king of the bears, Jāmbavān, happened to be living. Jāmbavān killed the lion and gave the jewel to his son to play with.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.56
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. ṛkṣa-rājaof the king of the bears
  2. bilamthe cave
  3. bhīmamterrifying
  4. andhena tamasāby blinding darkness
  5. āvṛtamcovered
  6. ekaḥalone
  7. viveśaentered
  8. bhagavānthe Supreme Lord
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

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 10.56

    In this verse: “king”

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 the Lord entering alone while His subjects remained outside?

Practice

Spend a quiet minute remembering Lord Kṛṣṇa entering the dark cave alone.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Lord Enters the Cave AloneThis 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 10.56.19? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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