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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

1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
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

10.64.7 10.64.9

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.64.8

Ūti· What drives us to act

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.64.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

सम्प्रापितोऽस्यतदर्ह: सुभद्र ।

आत्मानमाख्याहि विवित्सतां नो

यन्मन्यसे न: क्षममत्र वक्तुम् ॥ ८ ॥

daśām imāṁ vā katamena karmaṇā

samprāpito ’sy atad-arhaḥ su-bhadra

ātmānam ākhyāhi vivitsatāṁ no

yan manyase naḥ kṣamam atra vaktum

Translation

“By what past activity were you brought to this condition? It seems you did not deserve such a fate, O good soul. We are eager to know about you, so please inform us about yourself — if, that is, you think this the proper time and place to tell us.”

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.

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Inquire with Care and Respect

1
The Lord asked what past activity had brought the being to this condition.
2
He addressed him as a good soul and said that he seemed not to deserve such a fate.
3
Although eager to hear, He invited the being to speak only if he considered the time and place proper.

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

Chapter 64: The Deliverance of King Nṛga

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

One day Sāmba and other young boys of the Yādava dynasty went to the forest to play, and after playing for a long time they became very thirsty and began looking for water. Inside a dry well they found an amazing creature: a huge lizard resembling a hill.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 10.64