1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

Or browse by canto and chapter

Canto

Canto 10 · The Summum Bonum · 90 chapters

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90

Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

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 61: Lord Balarāma Slays Rukmī

10.61.32 10.61.34

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.61.33

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

तदाब्रवीन्नभोवाणी बलेनैव जितो ग्लह: ।

धर्मतो वचनेनैव रुक्‍मी वदति वै मृषा ॥ ३३ ॥

tadābravīn nabho-vāṇī

balenaiva jito glahaḥ

dharmato vacanenaiva

rukmī vadati vai mṛṣā

Translation

Just then a voice from the sky declared, “Balarāma has fairly won this wager. Rukmī is surely lying.”

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.

A Voice Confirms Balarāma’s Fair Victory

1
A voice from the sky spoke at that moment.
2
The voice declared that Balarāma had fairly won the wager.
3
It also plainly stated that Rukmī was lying, rejecting his claim of victory.

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

Chapter 61: Lord Balarāma Slays Rukmī

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

A voice then spoke from the sky, announcing that Baladeva had in fact won. 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.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 10.61

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

tadāthen
abravītspoke
nabhaḥin the sky
vāṇīa voice
balenaby Lord Balarāma
evaindeed
jitaḥwon
glahaḥthe wager

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.

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How willing am I to accept a clear correction when it contradicts what I want?

Practice

If you discover an inaccurate statement you made today, correct it plainly.

Live this todayA Voice Confirms Balarāma’s Fair VictoryThis 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 10.61.33? Get an answer from the verses themselves.

Next in Learn · 5 of 11 · 2 minAsk the BhāgavatamBring your own question. Get an answer drawn only from the Bhāgavatam's translations, with every verse shown.Back · LearnCantos & stories