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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.
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Canto 10 · Chapter 58: Kṛṣṇa Marries Five Princesses
10.58.5610.58.58

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.58.57

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

सुतां च मद्राधिपतेर्लक्ष्मणां लक्षणैर्युताम् ।

स्वयंवरे जहारैक: स सुपर्ण: सुधामिव ॥ ५७ ॥

sutāṁ ca madrādhipater

lakṣmaṇāṁ lakṣaṇair yatām

svayaṁvare jahāraikaḥ

sa suparṇaḥ sudhām iva

Translation

Then the Lord married Lakṣmaṇā, the daughter of the King of Madra. Kṛṣṇa appeared alone at her svayaṁvara ceremony and took her away, just as Garuḍa once stole the demigods’ nectar.

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.

Kṛṣṇa Takes Lakṣmaṇā Away Alone

  1. 1

    The Lord married Lakṣmaṇā, the daughter of the King of Madra.

  2. 2

    Kṛṣṇa appeared alone at her svayaṁvara ceremony and took her away.

  3. 3

    His action is compared to Garuḍa taking the demigods’ nectar. The comparison emphasizes the striking way Kṛṣṇa took Lakṣmaṇā away.

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:

But Arjuna easily beat them back, and Kṛṣṇa proceeded with Nāgnajitī to Dvārakā. Subsequently Śrī Kṛṣṇa married Lakṣmaṇā after abducting her from her svayaṁvara ceremony, and He also married Bhadrā, the royal sister of Santardana.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.58
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. sutāmthe daughter
  2. caand
  3. madra-adhipateḥof the ruler of Madra
  4. lakṣmaṇāmLakṣmaṇā
  5. lakṣaṇaiḥwith all good qualities
  6. yutāmendowed
  7. svayam-vareduring her ceremony to choose a husband
  8. jahāratook away
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 me about Kṛṣṇa appearing alone at the ceremony?

Practice

Spend one minute remembering Kṛṣṇa’s action in this verse as an act of devotional attention.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa Takes Lakṣmaṇā Away AloneThis 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 10.58.57? Get an answer from the verses themselves.