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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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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 66: Pauṇḍraka, the False Vāsudeva
10.66.2510.66.27-28

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.66.26

Nirodha· Winding up
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Lord Kṛṣṇasince 10.66.19inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

राज्ञ: काशीपतेर्ज्ञात्वा महिष्य: पुत्रबान्धवा: ।

पौराश्च हा हता राजन् नाथ नाथेति प्रारुदन् ॥ २६ ॥

rājñaḥ kāśī-pater jñātvā

mahiṣyaḥ putra-bāndhavāḥ

paurāś ca hā hatā rājan

nātha nātheti prārudan

Translation

My dear King, when they recognized it as the head of their King — the lord of Kāśi — his queens, sons and other relatives, along with all the citizens of the city, began to cry pitifully: “Alas, we are killed! O my lord, my lord!”

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.

The King’s Death Brings Shared Grief

  1. 1

    The people recognized the head as that of their King, the lord of Kāśi.

  2. 2

    His queens, sons and other relatives cried pitifully. The citizens joined them in their grief.

  3. 3

    Their cries, “Alas, we are killed!” and “O my lord, my lord!” expressed their deep distress at losing him.

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 66: Pauṇḍraka, the False Vāsudeva

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

When Kṛṣṇa beheaded Kāśirāja, the King’s head flew into his city, and when his queens, sons and other relatives saw it, they all began to lament. At that time a son of Kāśirāja’s named Sudakṣiṇa, wanting to avenge his father’s death, began worshiping Lord Śiva with the intention of destroying his father’s killer.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.66
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. rājñaḥof the King
  2. kāśī-pateḥthe lord of Kāśī
  3. jñātvārecognizing
  4. mahiṣyaḥhis queens
  5. putrahis sons
  6. bāndhavāḥand other relatives
  7. paurāḥthe citizens of the city
  8. caand
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Nirodha · Returning home, back to Godhead

    What happens when everything here comes to an end? · Subject 8 of 10

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 10.66

    In this verse: “king”, “citizens”

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 10.66

    In this verse: “distress”

  • Viraha · Longing in separation

    Love and remembrance experienced in apparent absence. · Theme in SB 10.66

    In this verse: “cried”

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 do these cries help me understand about the pain of losing someone?

Practice

Read the mourners’ words slowly, pausing to acknowledge the grief of both the family and the citizens.

Live this todayThe King’s Death Brings Shared GriefThis 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 10.66.26? Get an answer from the verses themselves.