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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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Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

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
10.61.310.61.5

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.61.4

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.61.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

स्मायावलोकलवदर्शितभावहारि-

भ्रूमण्डलप्रहितसौरतमन्त्रशौण्डै: ।

पत्न्‍यस्तु षोडशसहस्रमनङ्गबाणै-

र्यस्येन्द्रियं विमथितुं करणैर्न शेकु: ॥ ४ ॥

smāyāvaloka-lava-darśita-bhāva-hāri

bhrū-maṇḍala-prahita-saurata-mantra-śauṇḍaiḥ

patnyas tu śoḍaśa-sahasram anaṅga-bāṇair

yasyendriyaṁ vimathitum karaṇair na śekuḥ

Translation

The arched eyebrows of these sixteen thousand queens enchantingly expressed those ladies’ secret intentions through coyly smiling sidelong glances. Thus their eyebrows boldly sent forth conjugal messages. Yet even with these arrows of Cupid, and with other means as well, they could not agitate Lord Kṛṣṇa’s senses.

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.

Kṛṣṇa’s Senses Remain Unagitated

  1. 1

    The queens expressed their secret intentions through coyly smiling sidelong glances.

  2. 2

    Their arched eyebrows boldly conveyed conjugal messages, described as arrows of Cupid.

  3. 3

    Yet neither these glances nor their other means could agitate Lord Kṛṣṇa’s senses.

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:

They were all entranced by the Lord’s beauty and His loving conversations with them, but they could not agitate His mind with the charming gestures of their eyebrows or by any other means. Having attained as their husband Lord Kṛṣṇa, whom even demigods like Brahmā find it difficult to know in truth, the Lord’s queens were always eager to associate with Him.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.61
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. smāyawith concealed laughter
  2. avalokaof glances
  3. lavaby the traces
  4. darśitadisplayed
  5. bhāvaby the intentions
  6. hārienchanting
  7. bhrūof the eyebrows
  8. maṇḍalaby the arch
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

What does the contrast between the queens’ charms and Kṛṣṇa’s unagitated senses help you notice?

Practice

Reread the final sentence and reflect briefly on Lord Kṛṣṇa’s freedom from agitation.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa’s Senses Remain UnagitatedThis 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 10.61.4? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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