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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 63: Lord Kṛṣṇa Fights with Bāṇāsura
10.63.4010.63.42

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.63.41

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śrī Rudrasince 10.63.34inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

देवदत्तमिमं लब्ध्वा नृलोकमजितेन्द्रिय: ।

यो नाद्रियेत त्वत्पादौ स शोच्यो ह्यात्मवञ्चक: ॥ ४१ ॥

deva-dattam imaṁ labdhvā

nṛ-lokam ajitendriyaḥ

yo nādriyeta tvat-pādau

sa śocyo hy ātma-vañcakaḥ

Translation

One who has attained this human form of life as a gift from God, yet who fails to control his senses and honor Your feet, is surely to be pitied, for he is only cheating himself.

Read the purport on Vedabase.io

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.

Use Human Life for Devotional Service

  1. 1

    The human form of life is a gift from God. It offers an opportunity to control the senses and honor the Lord’s feet.

  2. 2

    One who leaves the senses uncontrolled and fails to honor the Lord is cheating himself. Śiva describes such a person as pitiable.

  3. 3

    Śiva condemns the refusal to engage in devotional service to the Supreme Lord. Human life should not be spent neglecting that service.

Key points from the purport
  • Lord Śiva here condemns those who refuse to engage in the devotional service of the Supreme Lord.

The purport's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

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 63: Lord Kṛṣṇa Fights with Bāṇāsura

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Lord Śiva approached Kṛṣṇa to pray for Bāṇāsura’s life, and when the Lord agreed to spare him, He spoke as follows to Śiva: “Bāṇāsura does not deserve to die, since he was born in the family of Prahlāda Mahārāja. I have severed all but four of Bāṇa’s arms just to destroy his false pride, and I have annihilated his army because they were a burden to the earth.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.63
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. devaby the Supreme Lord
  2. dattamgiven
  3. imamthis
  4. labdhvāattaining
  5. nṛof human beings
  6. lokamthe world
  7. ajitauncontrolled
  8. indriyaḥhis senses
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

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 10.63

    In this verse: “devotional service”

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

Am I using the gift of human life to honor the Lord, or allowing my senses to direct me?

Practice

Set aside one optional sense pleasure today and use those few minutes to offer a prayer to the Lord.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayUse Human Life for Devotional ServiceThis 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 10.63.41? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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