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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 58: Kṛṣṇa Marries Five Princesses
10.58.1010.58.12

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.58.11

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhirasince 10.58.11inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

युधिष्ठिर उवाच

किं न आचरितं श्रेयो न वेदाहमधीश्वर ।

योगेश्वराणां दुर्दर्शो यन्नो द‍ृष्ट: कुमेधसाम् ॥ ११ ॥

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca

kiṁ na ācaritaṁ śreyo

na vedāham adhīśvara

yogeśvarāṇāṁ durdarśo

yan no dṛṣṭaḥ ku-medhasām

Translation

King Yudhiṣṭhira said: O supreme controller, I do not know what pious deeds we fools have done so that we can see You, whom the masters of yogic perfection rarely see.

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.

Humbly Receive the Lord’s Presence

  1. 1

    King Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Kṛṣṇa as the supreme controller.

  2. 2

    He humbly says he does not know what pious deeds have allowed them to see the Lord.

  3. 3

    Even masters of yogic perfection rarely see Kṛṣṇa. Yudhiṣṭhira recognizes how precious this opportunity is.

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 58: Kṛṣṇa Marries Five Princesses

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Then Yudhiṣṭhira told Kṛṣṇa, “Only because we executed many pious acts are we able to see Your lotus feet, which even great yogīs find it impossible to attain.” Honored by King Yudhiṣṭhira, Śrī Kṛṣṇa happily remained as a guest in Indraprastha for several months.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.58
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvācaYudhiṣṭhira said
  2. kimwhat
  3. naḥby us
  4. ācaritamperformed
  5. śreyaḥpious work
  6. na vedado not know
  7. ahamI
  8. adhīśvaraO supreme controller
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

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 10.58

    In this verse: “king”

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 can Yudhiṣṭhira’s humility shape my appreciation of the Lord?

Practice

Offer a short prayer of gratitude for the opportunity to learn about Kṛṣṇa.

Live this todayHumbly Receive the Lord’s PresenceThis 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 10.58.11? Get an answer from the verses themselves.