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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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How to study this verse, in six steps

1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
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

10.56.25 10.56.27

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.56.26

Āśraya· The supreme shelter

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:Jāmbavānsince 10.56.26inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

जाने त्वां सर्वभूतानां प्राण ओज: सहो बलम् ।

विष्णुं पुराणपुरुषं प्रभविष्णुमधीश्वरम् ॥ २६ ॥

jāne tvāṁ saṛva-bhūtānāṁ

prāṇa ojaḥ saho balam

viṣṇuṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ

prabhaviṣṇum adhīśvaram

Translation

[Jāmbavān said:] I know now that You are the life air and the sensory, mental and bodily strength of all living beings. You are Lord Viṣṇu, the original person, the supreme, all-powerful controller.

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.

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Lord Is Everyone’s Strength

1
Jāmbavān now recognized the Lord as the life air of all living beings.
2
He acknowledged that sensory, mental and bodily strength all come from the Lord.
3
He identified Him as Lord Viṣṇu, the original person and supreme, all-powerful controller.

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

Chapter 56: The Syamantaka Jewel

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Now understanding that Kṛṣṇa was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Jāmbavān began to praise Him. The Lord touched Jāmbavān with His lotus hand, dispelling his fear, and then explained everything about the jewel.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 10.56