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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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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 61: Lord Balarāma Slays Rukmī
10.61.1810.61.20

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.61.19

Visarga· Brahmā's creation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.61.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

एतेषां पुत्रपौत्राश्च बभूवु: कोटिशो नृप ।

मातर: कृष्णजातीनां सहस्राणि च षोडश ॥ १९ ॥

eteṣāṁ putra-pautrāś ca

babhūvuḥ koṭiśo nṛpa

mātaraḥ kṛṣṇa-jātīnāṁ

sahasrāṇi ca ṣoḍaśa

Translation

My dear King, the sons and grandsons of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s children numbered in the tens of millions. Sixteen thousand mothers gave rise to this dynasty.

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.

Lord Kṛṣṇa’s Vast Dynasty

  1. 1

    Lord Kṛṣṇa’s children had sons and grandsons of their own.

  2. 2

    These descendants numbered in the tens of millions.

  3. 3

    Sixteen thousand mothers gave rise to this dynasty. The verse emphasizes the vast extent of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s family.

How it feels

Conflict and affection → Devotional wonder. Divine intimacy coexists with royal duties.

Chapters 60–69 of Canto 10: Palace life, family bonds and heroic protection. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 61: Lord Balarāma Slays Rukmī

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Though Śrī Kṛṣṇa had disrespected Rukmī, to please his sister Rukmī gave his daughter in marriage to Pradyumna, and his granddaughter to Aniruddha. Balī, the son of Kṛtavarmā, married Rukmiṇī’s daughter Cārumatī.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.61
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. eteṣāmof these
  2. putrasons
  3. pautrāḥand grandsons
  4. caand
  5. babhūvuḥwere born
  6. koṭiśaḥby the tens of millions
  7. nṛpaO King
  8. mātaraḥthe mothers
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Visarga · Subcreation

    How do living beings and their worlds appear? · Subject 2 of 10

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 10.61

    In this verse: “mothers”, “children”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 10.61

    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 impression does the vast size of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s dynasty leave on me?

Practice

Pause over the phrase “tens of millions,” then reread the verse attentively.

Live this todayLord Kṛṣṇa’s Vast DynastyThis 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 10.61.19? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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