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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.
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Canto 10 · Chapter 66: Pauṇḍraka, the False Vāsudeva
10.66.3410.66.36

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.66.35

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Lord Kṛṣṇasince 10.66.19inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

तमाभिचारदहनमायान्तं द्वारकौकस: ।

विलोक्य तत्रसु: सर्वे वनदाहे मृगा यथा ॥ ३५ ॥

tam ābhicāra-dahanam

āyāntaṁ dvārakaukasaḥ

vilokya tatrasuḥ sarve

vana-dāhe mṛgā yathā

Translation

Seeing the approacḥ of the fiery demon created by the abhicāra ritual, the residents of Dvārakā were all struck with fear, like animals terrified by a forest fire.

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.

Dvārakā’s Residents Are Struck With Fear

  1. 1

    The residents of Dvārakā saw the fiery demon approaching. He had been created by the abhicāra ritual.

  2. 2

    All the residents were struck with fear at the sight.

  3. 3

    Their terror is compared to that of animals caught in a forest fire. The comparison makes their distress vivid.

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:

The residents of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s capital became terrified as the demon approached the city, but Lord Kṛṣṇa assured them of protection and dispatched His Sudarśana cakra to oppose the magic creation of Lord Śiva. The Sudarśana overpowered the demon, who then returned to Vārāṇasī and burned Sudakṣiṇa to ashes, together with his priests.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.66
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tamhim
  2. ābhicāracreated by the abhicāra ritual
  3. dahanamthe fire
  4. āyāntamapproaching
  5. dvārakā-okasaḥthe residents of Dvārakā
  6. vilokyaseeing
  7. tatrasuḥbecame frightened
  8. sarveall
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Īśānukathā · The science of God

    Who is the Lord, and how do His devotees live? · Subject 7 of 10

  • Abhaya · Fearlessness

    Steadiness through faith amid danger and death. · Theme in SB 10.66

    In this verse: “fear”

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

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

    In this verse: “distress”

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

How does the forest-fire comparison help me understand the residents’ fear?

Practice

Read the comparison slowly and take a moment to acknowledge the residents’ distress without dismissing it.

Live this todayDvārakā’s Residents Are Struck With FearThis 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 10.66.35? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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