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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
10.61.3410.61.36

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.61.35

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Rukmīsince 10.61.35inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

नैवाक्षकोविदा यूयं गोपाला वनगोचरा: ।

अक्षैर्दीव्यन्ति राजानो बाणैश्च न भवाद‍ृशा: ॥ ३५ ॥

naivākṣa-kovidā yūyaṁ

gopālā vana-gocarāḥ

akṣair dīvyanti rājāno

bāṇaiś ca na bhavādṛśāḥ

Translation

[Rukmī said:] You cowherds who wander about the forests know nothing about dice. Playing with dice and sporting with arrows are only for kings, not for the likes of You.

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.

Rukmī Belittles the Lord’s Cowherd Life

  1. 1

    Rukmī mocked the cowherds who wandered in the forests, claiming they knew nothing about dice.

  2. 2

    He claimed that playing dice and sporting with arrows were only for kings.

  3. 3

    His words were an insult, not a fair description of the Lord’s abilities.

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. nanot
  2. evaindeed
  3. akṣain playing at dice
  4. kovidāḥexpert
  5. yūyamYou
  6. gopālāḥcowherds
  7. vanain the forest
  8. gocarāḥranging about
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Ūti · The creative impetus

    Why do we act, and what keeps us bound? · Subject 5 of 10

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 10.61

    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

Do I ever use someone’s background as a reason to look down on them?

Practice

Today, avoid one dismissive remark about someone’s work or background.

Live this todayRukmī Belittles the Lord’s Cowherd LifeThis 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 10.61.35? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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