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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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.67.2

Who is speaking and story frame

श्रीशुक उवाच

नरकस्य सखा कश्चिद् द्विविदो नाम वानर: ।

सुग्रीवसचिव: सोऽथ भ्राता मैन्दस्य वीर्यवान् ॥ २ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca

narakasya sakhā kaścid

dvivido nāma vānaraḥ

sugrīva-sacivaḥ so ’tha

bhrātā maindasya vīryavān

Translation

Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: There was an ape named Dvivida who was a friend of Narakāsura’s. This powerful Dvivida, the brother of Mainda, had been instructed by King Sugrīva.

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.

Disrespect and Bad Association Bring Ruin

  1. 1

    Dvivida was powerful, the brother of Mainda, and a friend of Narakāsura. Although an associate of Lord Rāmacandra, he became corrupted by bad association.

  2. 2

    Proud of his strength, Dvivida disrespected Lakṣmaṇa and others. The purport explains that his bad association was a reaction to this offense.

  3. 3

    Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī and Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura differ in explaining Dvivida’s identity, but agree that bad association ruined him. The account warns against offending great personalities.

Key points from the purport
  • According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, the Mainda and Dvivida mentioned in this verse are empowered expansions of these deities, who are residents of Lord Rāmacandra’s Vaikuṇṭha domain.
  • Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī states, however, that the Mainda and Dvivida mentioned here are actually the eternally liberated devotees addressed as attendant deities during the worship of Lord Rāmacandra.
  • Thus Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī compares the fall of Dvivida and Mainda to that of Jaya and Vijaya.

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 67: Lord Balarāma Slays Dvivida Gorilla

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Narakāsura, a demon whom Lord Kṛṣṇa killed, had a friend named Dvivida, an ape. Dvivida wanted to avenge the death of his friend, so he set fire to the homes of the cowherds, devastated Lord Kṛṣṇa’s province of Ānarta and flooded coastal lands by churning the ocean’s water with his mighty arms.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.67
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-śukaḥ uvācaŚukadeva Gosvāmī said
  2. narakasyaof the demon Naraka
  3. sakhāfriend
  4. kaścita certain
  5. dvividaḥDvivida
  6. nāmaby name
  7. vānaraḥan ape
  8. sugrīvaKing Sugrīva
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

  • Dainya · Humility

    Ego yields to insight, service and surrender. · Theme in SB 10.67

    In this verse: “proud”, “offense”, “offending”

  • Sakhya · Sacred friendship

    The affection of companions and friends of the Lord. · Theme in SB 10.67

    In this verse: “friend”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 10.67

    In this verse: “king”

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

Does pride in my abilities make me less respectful toward others?

Practice

Offer one sincere expression of respect to someone whose devotional service you value.

5

Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

Live this todayDisrespect and Bad Association Bring RuinThis 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 10.67.2? Get an answer from the verses themselves.