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Canto 10 · The Summum Bonum · 90 chapters

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How to study this verse, in six steps

1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
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

10.59.4 10.59.6

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.59.5

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.59.2-3inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

शङ्खनादेन यन्त्राणि हृदयानि मनस्विनाम् ।

प्राकारं गदया गुर्व्या निर्बिभेद गदाधर: ॥ ५ ॥

śaṅkha-nādena yantrāṇi

hṛdayāni manasvinām

prākāraṁ gadayā gurvyā

nirbibheda gadādharaḥ

Translation

With the sound of His conchshell Lord Gadādhara then shattered the magic seals of the fortress, along with the hearts of its brave defenders, and with His heavy club He demolished the surrounding earthen ramparts.

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.

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Lord’s Conchshell Shatters the Defenses

1
The sound of Lord Gadādhara’s conchshell shattered the fortress’s magic seals.
2
That sound also shattered the hearts of its brave defenders.
3
With His heavy club, the Lord demolished the surrounding earthen ramparts.

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

Chapter 59: The Killing of the Demon Naraka

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

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. After Narakāsura stole Lord Varuṇa’s umbrella, mother Aditi’s earrings, and the playground of the demigods known as Maṇi-parvata, Indra went to Dvārakā and described the demon’s transgressions to Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 10.59