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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
10.59.3210.59.34

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.59.33

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.59.32inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

तत्र राजन्यकन्यानां षट्‍सहस्राधिकायुतम् ।

भौमाहृतानां विक्रम्य राजभ्यो दद‍ृशे हरि: ॥ ३३ ॥

tatra rājanya-kanyānāṁ

ṣaṭ-sahasrādhikāyutam

bhaumāhṛtānāṁ vikramya

rājabhyo dadṛśe hariḥ

Translation

There Lord Kṛṣṇa saw sixteen thousand royal maidens, whom Bhauma had taken by force from various kings.

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.

Kṛṣṇa Sees the Imprisoned Royal Maidens

  1. 1

    Lord Kṛṣṇa saw sixteen thousand royal maidens in the palace. Bhauma had taken them by force from various kings.

  2. 2

    Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī cites evidence from the Viṣṇu Purāṇa specifying that there were actually 16,100 princesses. That account describes the Lord as having unequaled prowess.

  3. 3

    Another passage quoted in the purport says that Bhaumāsura kidnapped unmarried daughters of demigods, siddhas, asuras and kings. He imprisoned them in his own palace.

Key points from the purport
  • Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī provides evidence from the sage Parāśara, as quoted in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa (5.29.31), to the effect that there were actually 16,100 royal maidens imprisoned in Bhauma’s palace:
  • Another relevant verse from the Viṣṇu Purāṇa (5.29.9) is as follows:

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 59: The Killing of the Demon Naraka

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

After pacifying the demon’s son, Kṛṣṇa entered Narakāsura’s palace, where He found sixteen thousand one hundred young women. As soon as they caught sight of the Lord, they all decided to accept Him as their husband.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.59
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tatrathere
  2. rājanyaof the royal order
  3. kanyānāmof maidens
  4. ṣaṭ-sahasrasix thousand
  5. adhikamore than
  6. ayutamten thousand
  7. bhaumaby Bhauma
  8. āhṛtānāmtaken
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: “kings”

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 details help me recognize the suffering behind this brief account?

Practice

Reread the translation attentively, noting both the maidens’ forced captivity and Lord Kṛṣṇa’s presence.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa Sees the Imprisoned Royal MaidensThis 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 10.59.33? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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