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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
10.58.4110.58.43

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.58.42

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Kingsince 10.58.41inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

किन्‍त्‍वस्माभि: कृत: पूर्वं समय: सात्वतर्षभ ।

पुंसां वीर्यपरीक्षार्थं कन्यावरपरीप्सया ॥ ४२ ॥

kintv asmābhiḥ kṛtaḥ pūrvaṁ

samayaḥ sātvatarṣabha

puṁsāṁ vīrya-parīkṣārthaṁ

kanyā-vara-parīpsayā

Translation

But to ascertain the proper husband for my daughter, O chief of the Sātvatas, we previously set a condition to test the prowess of her suitors.

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.

A Test Meant to Welcome Kṛṣṇa

  1. 1

    The King had set a condition to test the strength of those seeking to marry his daughter.

  2. 2

    According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī, his actual purpose was to obtain Śrī Kṛṣṇa as his son-in-law, since only He could subdue the bulls.

  3. 3

    The test allowed Nagnajit to refuse the many apparently qualified princes and kings who sought his daughter’s hand.

Key points from the purport
  • According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī, the King’s actual purpose in setting up the test was to obtain Śrī Kṛṣṇa as his son-in-law, since only He could subdue the bulls.
  • Without such a test it would have been difficult for Nagnajit to refuse the many apparently qualified princes and kings who came to ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage.

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 58: Kṛṣṇa Marries Five Princesses

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

He had an extraordinarily beautiful, marriageable daughter named Satyā, or Nāgnajitī. The girl’s relatives had laid down the stipulation that any man who could subdue a certain group of seven ferocious bulls would win her hand.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.58
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. kintubut
  2. asmābhiḥby us (her family)
  3. kṛtaḥmade
  4. pūrvampreviously
  5. samayaḥa stipulation
  6. sātvata-ṛṣabhaO chief of the Sātvatas
  7. puṁsāmof the men (who came as suitors)
  8. vīryathe prowess
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

What stands out to you about the King’s desire to welcome Śrī Kṛṣṇa into his family?

Practice

Spend a minute reflecting on the King’s desire for Kṛṣṇa’s company.

Live this todayA Test Meant to Welcome KṛṣṇaThis 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 10.58.42? Get an answer from the verses themselves.