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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 68: The Marriage of Sāmba
10.68.2710.68.29

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.68.28

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Kuru noblessince 10.68.24inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

कथमिन्द्रोऽपि कुरुभिर्भीष्मद्रोणार्जुनादिभि: ।

अदत्तमवरुन्धीत सिंहग्रस्तमिवोरण: ॥ २८ ॥

katham indro ’pi kurubhir

bhīṣma-droṇārjunādibhiḥ

adattam avarundhīta

siṁha-grastam ivoraṇaḥ

Translation

How would even Indra dare usurp anything that Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Arjuna or the other Kurus have not given him? It would be like a lamb claiming the lion’s kill.

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.

Power Can Feed Exaggerated Pride

  1. 1

    The Kurus claimed that even Indra would not dare take anything they had not given him.

  2. 2

    They named Bhīṣma, Droṇa and Arjuna among those whose authority, they claimed, could not be challenged.

  3. 3

    They compared such a challenge to a lamb claiming a lion’s kill. Their words expressed great confidence in their own 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 68: The Marriage of Sāmba

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Thus He took His plow weapon and, intending to rid the earth of all the Kurus, began dragging Hastināpura toward the Ganges. Seeing that their city was in imminent danger of falling into the river, the terrified Kauravas quickly brought Sāmba and Lakṣmaṇā before Lord Balarāma and began to glorify Him.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.68
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. kathamhow
  2. indraḥLord Indra
  3. apieven
  4. kurubhiḥby the Kurus
  5. bhīṣma-droṇa-arjuna-ādibhiḥBhīṣma, Droṇa, Arjuna and others
  6. adattamnot given
  7. avarundhītawould usurp
  8. siṁhaby a lion
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 rely on powerful connections to make my wishes seem beyond question?

Practice

In one conversation today, explain your view without invoking your status or influential connections.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Connected stories

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

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 10.68's connections

Live this todayPower Can Feed Exaggerated PrideThis 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 10.68.28? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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