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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
10.56.2010.56.22

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.56.21

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

तमपूर्वं नरं द‍ृष्ट्वा धात्री चुक्रोश भीतवत् ।

तच्छ्रुत्वाभ्यद्रवत् क्रुद्धो जाम्बवान् बलिनां वर: ॥ २१ ॥

tam apūrvaṁ naraṁ dṛṣṭvā

dhātrī cukrośa bhīta-vat

tac chrutvābhyadravat kruddho

jāmbavān balināṁ varaḥ

Translation

The child’s nurse cried out in fear upon seeing that extraordinary person standing before them. Jāmbavān, strongest of the strong, heard her cries and angrily ran toward the Lord.

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.

Fear Brings Jāmbavān Before the Lord

  1. 1

    The child’s nurse saw an extraordinary person standing before them and cried out in fear.

  2. 2

    Jāmbavān, strongest of the strong, heard her cries.

  3. 3

    He angrily ran toward the Lord in response.

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:

But when Kṛṣṇa tried to take the jewel, the child’s nurse cried out in alarm, bringing Jāmbavān quickly to the scene. Jāmbavān considered Kṛṣṇa an ordinary man and began fighting with Him.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.56
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tamthat
  2. apūrvamnever before (seen)
  3. naramperson
  4. dṛṣṭvāseeing
  5. dhātrīthe nurse
  6. cukrośacried out
  7. bhīta-vatafraid
  8. tatthat
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 10.56

    In this verse: “heard”

  • Abhaya · Fearlessness

    Steadiness through faith amid danger and death. · Theme in SB 10.56

    In this verse: “fear”

  • 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

How does this scene invite me to examine my reactions to something unfamiliar?

Practice

Pause before responding to one unfamiliar situation today, remembering the nurse’s fear and Jāmbavān’s anger.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayFear Brings Jāmbavān Before the LordThis 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 10.56.21? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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