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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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.59.15

Who is speaking and story frame

द‍ृष्ट्वा सभार्यं गरुडोपरि स्थितं

सूर्योपरिष्टात् सतडिद् घनं यथा ।

कृष्णं स तस्मै व्यसृजच्छतघ्नीं

योधाश्च सर्वे युगपच्च विव्यधु: ॥ १५ ॥

dṛṣṭvā sa-bhāryaṁ garuḍopari sthitaṁ

sūryopariṣṭāt sa-taḍid ghanaṁ yathā

kṛṣṇaṁ sa tasmai vyasṛjac chata-ghnīṁ

yodhāś ca sarve yugapac ca vivyadhuḥ

Translation

Lord Kṛṣṇa and His wife, mounted upon Garuḍa, looked like a cloud with lightning sitting above the sun. Seeing the Lord, Bhauma released his Śataghnī weapon at Him, whereupon all of Bhauma’s soldiers simultaneously attacked with their weapons.

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 Lord’s Splendor Amid Battle

  1. 1

    Lord Kṛṣṇa and His wife sat upon Garuḍa.

  2. 2

    They looked like a cloud with lightning sitting above the sun. The verse presents their splendor even amid battle.

  3. 3

    Seeing the Lord, Bhauma released his Śataghnī weapon. All his soldiers attacked at the same time.

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:

Naraka threw his śakti lance at Śrī Kṛṣṇa, but the weapon proved ineffective, and the Lord cut the demon’s entire army to pieces. Finally, with His sharp-edged disc Kṛṣṇa cut off Narakāsura’s head.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.59
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. dṛṣṭvāseeing
  2. sa-bhāryamwith His wife
  3. garuḍa-upariupon Garuḍa
  4. sthitamsitting
  5. sūryathe sun
  6. upariṣṭāthigher than
  7. sa-taḍitwith lightning
  8. ghanama cloud
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

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 image of the cloud, lightning and sun help you picture the Lord?

Practice

Reread the opening sentence and spend a moment remembering the Lord’s appearance upon Garuḍa.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Lord’s Splendor Amid BattleThis 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 10.59.15? Get an answer from the verses themselves.