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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 67: Lord Balarāma Slays Dvivida Gorilla
10.67.410.67.6

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.67.5

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.67.2inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

क्व‍‍चित् समुद्रमध्यस्थो दोर्भ्यामुत्क्षिप्य तज्जलम् ।

देशान् नागायुतप्राणो वेलाकूले न्यमज्जयत् ॥ ५ ॥

kvacit samudra-madhya-stho

dorbhyām utkṣipya taj-jalam

deśān nāgāyuta-prāṇo

velā-kūle nyamajjayat

Translation

Another time he entered the ocean and, with the strength of ten thousand elephants, churned up its water with his arms and thus submerged the coastal regions.

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.

Great Strength Can Cause Great Harm

  1. 1

    Dvivida entered the ocean and churned its water with his arms.

  2. 2

    His strength is described as equal to that of ten thousand elephants.

  3. 3

    By churning the ocean, he submerged the coastal regions. His immense strength became a means of devastation.

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:

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. The rascal then tore down the trees in the āśramas of great sages and even passed stool and urine on their sacrificial fires.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.67
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. kvacitonce
  2. samudraof the ocean
  3. madhyain the midst
  4. sthaḥstanding
  5. dorbhyāmwith his arms
  6. utkṣipyachurning up
  7. tatits
  8. jalamwater
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

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 do my actions affect people beyond my immediate surroundings?

Practice

Before one action that affects others today, pause to consider its possible harm.

Live this todayGreat Strength Can Cause Great HarmThis 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 10.67.5? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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