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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 57: Satrājit Murdered, the Jewel Returned
10.57.210.57.4

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.57.3

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.57.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

लब्ध्वैतदन्तरं राजन् शतधन्वानमूचतु: ।

अक्रूरकृतवर्माणौ मनि: कस्मान्न गृह्यते ॥ ३ ॥

labdhvaitad antaraṁ rājan

śatadhanvānam ūcatuḥ

akrūra-kṛtavarmāṇau

maniḥ kasmān na gṛhyate

Translation

Taking advantage of this opportunity, O King, Akrūra and Kṛtavarmā went to Śatadhanvā and said, “Why not take the Syamantaka jewel?

Read the purport on Vedabase.io

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.

Flattery Can Encourage Harmful Action

  1. 1

    Akrūra and Kṛtavarmā saw Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma’s absence from Dvārakā as an opportunity to have Satrājit killed and the jewel stolen.

  2. 2

    They approached Śatadhanvā and encouraged him to take the Syamantaka jewel.

  3. 3

    Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that they must have flattered Śatadhanvā, calling him braver than themselves and urging him to commit the killing.

Key points from the purport
  • Akrūra and Kṛtavarmā reasoned that since Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were absent from Dvārakā, Satrājit could be killed and the jewel stolen.
  • Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī mentions that these two must have flattered Śatadhanvā telling him, “You are much braver than we are; so you kill him.”

The purport's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

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:

Baladeva further suggested that Kṛṣṇa return to Dvārakā to find the jewel while He, Baladeva, would take the opportunity to visit the King of Videha. Thus Lord Balarāma traveled to Mithilā and remained there for a few years, during which He taught King Duryodhana the art of fighting with a club.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.57
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. labdhvāachieving
  2. etatthis
  3. antaramopportunity
  4. rājanO King (Parīkṣit)
  5. śatadhanvānamto Śatadhanvā
  6. ūcatuḥsaid
  7. akrūra-kṛtavarmāṇauAkrūra and Kṛtavarmā
  8. maniḥthe jewel
  9. kasmātwhy
  10. na gṛhyateshould not be taken
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Ūti · The creative impetus

    Why do we act, and what keeps us bound? · Subject 5 of 10

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 10.57

    In this verse: “king”

  • Viraha · Longing in separation

    Love and remembrance experienced in apparent absence. · Theme in SB 10.57

    In this verse: “absence”

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

Could praise make me accept advice that I would otherwise recognize as harmful?

Practice

Before acting on one piece of advice today, consider whether it encourages harm rather than genuine courage.

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.

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 10.57's connections

Live this todayFlattery Can Encourage Harmful ActionThis 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 10.57.3? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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