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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
10.61.3010.61.32

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.61.31

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.61.22inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

मन्युना क्षुभित: श्रीमान् समुद्र इव पर्वणि ।

जात्यारुणाक्षोऽतिरुषा न्यर्बुदं ग्लहमाददे ॥ ३१ ॥

manyunā kṣubhitaḥ śrīmān

samudra iva parvaṇi

jātyāruṇākṣo ’ti-ruṣā

nyarbudaṁ glaham ādade

Translation

Shaking with anger like the ocean on the full-moon day, handsome Lord Balarāma, His naturally reddish eyes even redder in His fury, accepted a wager of one hundred million gold coins.

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.

Balarāma’s Anger and the Greater Wager

  1. 1

    Lord Balarāma shook with anger, like the ocean on the full-moon day.

  2. 2

    The translation describes Him as handsome. His naturally reddish eyes became even redder in His fury.

  3. 3

    Lord Balarāma accepted a wager of one hundred million gold coins.

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:

But Rukmī, encouraged by the wicked kings, offended Lord Baladeva by saying that while He was certainly expert at tending cows, He knew nothing of playing dice. Thus insulted, Lord Baladeva angrily struck Rukmī dead with His club.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.61
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. manyunāby anger
  2. kṣubhitaḥagitated
  3. śrī-mānpossessing beauty, or the beautiful goddess of fortune
  4. samudraḥthe ocean
  5. ivalike
  6. parvaṇion the full-moon day
  7. jātyāby nature
  8. aruṇareddish
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 full-moon ocean help me understand the intensity described here?

Practice

Read the verse slowly once, noticing its descriptions of Lord Balarāma’s beauty, eyes and anger.

Live this todayBalarāma’s Anger and the Greater WagerThis 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 10.61.31? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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