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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 64: The Deliverance of King Nṛga
10.64.3110.64.33

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.64.32

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Lord Kṛṣṇasince 10.64.32inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

दुर्जरं बत ब्रह्मस्वं भुक्तमग्नेर्मनागपि ।

तेजीयसोऽपि किमुत राज्ञां ईश्वरमानिनाम् ॥ ३२ ॥

durjaraṁ bata brahma-svaṁ

bhuktam agner manāg api

tejīyaso ’pi kim uta

rājñāṁ īśvara-māninām

Translation

[Lord Kṛṣṇa said:] How indigestible is the property of a brāhmaṇa, even when enjoyed just slightly and by one more potent than fire! What then to speak of kings who try to enjoy it, presuming themselves lords.

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.

Power Cannot Justify Taking Sacred Property

  1. 1

    Kṛṣṇa describes a brāhmaṇa’s property as indigestible when improperly enjoyed, even in a small amount.

  2. 2

    Even those made powerful by austerity or mystic yoga cannot enjoy property stolen from a brāhmaṇa.

  3. 3

    Kings who presume themselves lords are certainly not exempt. Their power does not make such enjoyment safe.

Key points from the purport
  • Even those made powerful by austerity, mystic yoga and so on cannot enjoy property stolen from a brāhmaṇa, and what to speak of others.

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:

Yama asked me which I preferred to do first: suffer the results of my sins or enjoy the results of my pious acts. I decided to suffer my sinful reactions first, and thus I assumed the body of a lizard.”
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.64
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. durjaramindigestible
  2. bataindeed
  3. brahmaof a brāhmaṇa
  4. svamthe property
  5. bhuktamconsumed
  6. agneḥthan fire
  7. manāka little
  8. apieven
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 10.64

    In this verse: “kings”

  • Rakṣā · Divine protection

    Protection of devotees through the Lord’s intervention. · Theme in SB 10.64

    In this verse: “safe”

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 mistake having power or access for having the right to use something?

Practice

Before using something that belongs to someone else today, check that you have permission.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayPower Cannot Justify Taking Sacred PropertyThis 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 10.64.32? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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