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

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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.64.16

Who is speaking and story frame

कस्यचिद् द्विजमुख्यस्य भ्रष्टा गौर्मम गोधने ।

सम्पृक्ताविदुषा सा च मया दत्ता द्विजातये ॥ १६ ॥

kasyacid dvija-mukhyasya

bhraṣṭā gaur mama go-dhane

sampṛktāviduṣā sā ca

mayā dattā dvijātaye

Translation

Once a cow belonging to a certain first-class brāhmaṇa wandered away and entered my herd. Unaware of this, I gave that cow in charity to a different brāhmaṇa.

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.

Check Ownership Before Giving

  1. 1

    A cow belonging to a first-class brāhmaṇa wandered into Nṛga’s herd.

  2. 2

    Unaware that the cow belonged to someone else, Nṛga gave her in charity to another brāhmaṇa.

  3. 3

    Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that this first-class brāhmaṇa had stopped accepting charity. He would refuse even one hundred thousand cows in exchange for his cow.

Key points from the purport
  • Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that the term dvija-mukhya, “first-class brāhmaṇa,” here indicates a brāhmaṇa who has stopped accepting charity and would thus refuse to accept even one hundred thousand cows in exchange for the cow that had been improperly given away.

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 64: The Deliverance of King Nṛga

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

But on one occasion a cow belonging to a first-class brāhmaṇa wandered into my herd. Unaware of this, I gave this cow in charity to a different brāhmaṇa.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.64
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. kasyacitof a certain
  2. dvijabrāhmaṇa
  3. mukhyasyafirst class
  4. bhraṣṭālost
  5. gauḥa cow
  6. mamamy
  7. go-dhanein the herd
  8. sampṛktābecoming mixed
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

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 should I verify before giving something away?

Practice

Before lending or giving an item today, check that it is truly yours to give.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayCheck Ownership Before GivingThis 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 10.64.16? Get an answer from the verses themselves.