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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 67: Lord Balarāma Slays Dvivida Gorilla
10.67.610.67.8

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.67.7

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

पुरुषान् योषितो द‍ृप्त: क्ष्माभृद्‍द्रोणीगुहासु स: ।

निक्षिप्य चाप्यधाच्छैलै: पेशष्कारीव कीटकम् ॥ ७ ॥

puruṣān yoṣito dṛptaḥ

kṣmābhṛd-dronī-guhāsu saḥ

nikṣipya cāpyadhāc chailaiḥ

peśaṣkārīva kīṭakam

Translation

Just as a wasp imprisons smaller insects, he arrogantly threw both men and women into caves in a mountain valley and sealed the caves shut with boulders.

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.

Arrogance Turns Power Into Cruelty

  1. 1

    Dvivida arrogantly threw both men and women into caves in a mountain valley.

  2. 2

    He sealed the caves shut with boulders, imprisoning those inside.

  3. 3

    The translation compares him to a wasp imprisoning smaller insects. The image emphasizes his cruel use of power.

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:

He kidnapped men and women and imprisoned them in mountain caves, which he sealed off with boulders. After thus disrupting the entire land and polluting many young women of respectable families, Dvivida came upon Raivataka Mountain, where he found Lord Baladeva enjoying in the company of a bevy of attractive women.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.67
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. puruṣānmen
  2. yoṣitaḥand women
  3. dṛptaḥaudacious
  4. kṣmā-bhṛtof a mountain
  5. droṇīwithin a valley
  6. guhāsuinside caves
  7. saḥhe
  8. nikṣipyacasting
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

Do I ever use an advantage over others to control them?

Practice

In one interaction today, let the other person make a choice without pressure from you.

Live this todayArrogance Turns Power Into CrueltyThis 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 10.67.7? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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