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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
  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 10.57.14

Who is speaking and story frame

प्रत्याख्यात: स चाक्रूरं पार्ष्णिग्राहमयाचत ।

सोऽप्याह को विरुध्येत विद्वानीश्वरयोर्बलम् ॥ १४ ॥

pratyākhyātaḥ sa cākrūraṁ

pārṣṇi-grāham ayācata

so ’py āha ko virudhyeta

vidvān īśvarayor balam

Translation

His appeal refused, Śatadhanvā went to Akrūra and begged him for protection. But Akrūra similarly told him, “Who would oppose the two Personalities of Godhead if he knew Their strength?

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.

Knowing Their Strength Discourages Opposition

  1. 1

    After his appeal was refused, Śatadhanvā went to Akrūra and begged for protection.

  2. 2

    Akrūra also refused to support him against the two Personalities of Godhead.

  3. 3

    Akrūra asked who would oppose Them while knowing Their strength. His reply directs attention to Their divine power.

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 57: Satrājit Murdered, the Jewel Returned

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Śatadhanvā went to Akrūra and Kṛtavarmā to beg for help, but when they refused he left the jewel with Akrūra and fled for his life. Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma pursued him, and Lord Kṛṣṇa beheaded him with His sharp-edged disc.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.57
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. pratyākhyātaḥrefused
  2. saḥhe, Śatadhanvā
  3. caand
  4. akrūramAkrūra
  5. pārṣṇi-grāhamfor help
  6. ayācatabegged
  7. saḥhe, Akrūra
  8. apialso
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

  • Rakṣā · Divine protection

    Protection of devotees through the Lord’s intervention. · Theme in SB 10.57

    In this verse: “protection”

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 remembering the Lords' strength change my attitude toward Them?

Practice

Take a quiet moment today to acknowledge the strength of the two Personalities of Godhead.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

Live this todayKnowing Their Strength Discourages OppositionThis 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 10.57.14? Get an answer from the verses themselves.