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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
10.56.1910.56.21

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.56.20

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

तत्र द‍ृष्ट्वा मणिप्रेष्ठं बालक्रीडनकं कृतम् ।

हर्तुं कृतमतिस्तस्मिन्नवतस्थेऽर्भकान्तिके ॥ २० ॥

tatra dṛṣṭvā maṇi-preṣṭhaṁ

bāla-krīḍanakaṁ kṛtam

hartuṁ kṛta-matis tasminn

avatasthe ’rbhakāntike

Translation

There Lord Kṛṣṇa saw that the most precious of jewels had been made into a child’s plaything. Determined to take it away, He approached the child.

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.

Kṛṣṇa Finds the Jewel With the Child

  1. 1

    Inside the cave, Lord Kṛṣṇa saw the most precious of jewels.

  2. 2

    It had been made into a child’s plaything.

  3. 3

    Kṛṣṇa decided to take the jewel away and approached the child.

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. tatrathere
  2. dṛṣṭvāseeing
  3. maṇi-preṣṭhamthe most precious of jewels
  4. bālaof a child
  5. krīḍanakamthe plaything
  6. kṛtammade
  7. hartumto take it away
  8. kṛta-matiḥdeciding
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 10.56

    In this verse: “child’s”

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 strikes me about the most precious jewel being used as a child’s toy?

Practice

Reread the verse attentively, remembering Lord Kṛṣṇa’s discovery and His decision to recover the jewel.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa Finds the Jewel With the ChildThis 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 10.56.20? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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