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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 ›
Canto 10 · Chapter 58: Kṛṣṇa Marries Five Princesses
10.58.4210.58.44

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.58.43

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

सप्तैते गोवृषा वीर दुर्दान्ता दुरवग्रहा: ।

एतैर्भग्ना: सुबहवो भिन्नगात्रा नृपात्मजा: ॥ ४३ ॥

saptaite go-vṛṣā vīra

durdāntā duravagrahāḥ

etair bhagnāḥ su-bahavo

bhinna-gātrā nṛpātmajāḥ

Translation

These seven wild bulls are impossible to tame, O hero. They have defeated many princes, breaking their limbs.

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.

The Bulls Defeated Many Princes

  1. 1

    The King described seven wild bulls that were impossible to tame.

  2. 2

    Many princes had already been defeated by these bulls.

  3. 3

    The bulls had broken the princes’ limbs, showing how dangerous the test was.

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:

Just then the rival kings who had been defeated by the bulls tried to attack Lord Kṛṣṇa. But Arjuna easily beat them back, and Kṛṣṇa proceeded with Nāgnajitī to Dvārakā.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.58
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. saptaseven
  2. etethese
  3. go-vṛṣāḥbulls
  4. vīraO hero
  5. durdāntāḥwild
  6. duravagrahāḥunbreakable
  7. etaiḥby them
  8. bhagnāḥdefeated
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

  • Abhaya · Fearlessness

    Steadiness through faith amid danger and death. · Theme in SB 10.58

    In this verse: “dangerous”

  • 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 does the King’s description help you appreciate the difficulty of this test?

Practice

Reread the description slowly, noting the strength of the bulls and the limits of the princes.

Live this todayThe Bulls Defeated Many PrincesThis 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 10.58.43? Get an answer from the verses themselves.