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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 59: The Killing of the Demon Naraka
10.58.5810.59.2-3

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.59.1

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:King Parīkṣitsince 10.59.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

श्रीराजोवाच

यथा हतो भगवता भौमो येने च ता: स्‍त्रिय: ।

निरुद्धा एतदाचक्ष्व विक्रमं शार्ङ्गधन्वन: ॥ १ ॥

śrī-rājovāca yathā hato bhagavatā

bhaumo yene ca tāḥ striyaḥ

niruddhā etad ācakṣva

vikramaṁ śārṅga-dhanvanaḥ

Translation

[King Parīkṣit said:] How was Bhaumāsura, who kidnapped so many women, killed by the Supreme Lord? Please narrate this adventure of Lord Śārṅgadhanvā’s.

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.

Eagerly Hear the Supreme Lord’s Activities

  1. 1

    King Parīkṣit asks how the Supreme Lord killed Bhaumāsura, who had kidnapped many women.

  2. 2

    The King wants to hear this adventure of Lord Śārṅgadhanvā.

  3. 3

    His request shows an eagerness to hear about the Supreme Lord’s actions.

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 59: The Killing of the Demon Naraka

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

This chapter tells how Lord Kṛṣṇa killed Narakāsura, the son of the earth-goddess, and married the thousands of maidens the demon had kidnapped. It also describes how the Lord stole the pārijāta tree from heaven and how He behaved like an ordinary householder in each of His palaces.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.59
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-rājā uvācathe King (Parīkṣit) said
  2. yathāhow
  3. hataḥkilled
  4. bhagavatāby the Supreme Lord
  5. bhaumaḥNarakāsura, the son of Bhūmi, goddess of the earth
  6. yenaby whom
  7. caand
  8. tāḥthese
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 10.59

    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 would you like to understand more deeply as you hear this account of the Supreme Lord?

Practice

Read the King’s question aloud, then take a moment to prepare yourself to hear attentively.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayEagerly Hear the Supreme Lord’s ActivitiesThis 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 10.59.1? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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