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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 · Texts 10.7.1-2

Who is speaking and story frame

श्रीराजोवाच

येन येनावतारेण भगवान् हरिरीश्वर: ।

करोति कर्णरम्याणि मनोज्ञानि च न: प्रभो ॥ १ ॥

यच्छृण्वतोऽपैत्यरतिर्वितृष्णा

सत्त्वं च शुद्ध्यत्यचिरेण पुंस: ।

भक्तिर्हरौ तत्पुरुषे च सख्यं

तदेव हारं वद मन्यसे चेत् ॥ २ ॥

śrī-rājovāca

yena yenāvatāreṇa

bhagavān harir īśvaraḥ

karoti karṇa-ramyāṇi

mano-jñāni ca naḥ prabho

yac-chṛṇvato ’paity aratir vitṛṣṇā

sattvaṁ ca śuddhyaty acireṇa puṁsaḥ

bhaktir harau tat-puruṣe ca sakhyaṁ

tad eva hāraṁ vada manyase cet

Translation

King Parīkṣit said: My lord, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, all the various activities exhibited by the incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are certainly pleasing to the ear and to the mind. Simply by one’s hearing of these activities, the dirty things in one’s mind immediately vanish. Generally we are reluctant to hear about the activities of the Lord, but Kṛṣṇa’s childhood activities are so attractive that they are automatically pleasing to the mind and ear. Thus one’s attachment for hearing about material things, which is the root cause of material existence, vanishes, and one gradually develops devotional service to the Supreme Lord, attachment for Him, and friendship with devotees who give us the contribution of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you think it fit, kindly speak about those activities of the Lord.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
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Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Hearing About Kṛṣṇa Revives Devotion

  1. 1

    Our material suffering can be removed by reviving Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This revival begins with hearing and chanting about Kṛṣṇa.

  2. 2

    Kṛṣṇa’s childhood activities are especially attractive to the mind and ear. Hearing them purifies the heart and lessens attachment to hearing about material things.

  3. 3

    Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes can be properly received from devotees. Such hearing gradually develops devotional service to the Supreme Lord, attachment for Him, and friendship with His devotees.

Key points from the purport
  • Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and other Vedic literatures exist simply to give us a chance to hear about Kṛṣṇa.
  • But Parīkṣit Mahārāja specifically mentions that the wonderful activities of baby Kṛṣṇa, which amazed mother Yaśodā and the other inhabitants of Vraja, are especially attractive.
  • Therefore Parīkṣit Mahārāja recommends that one hear about Kṛṣṇa’s childhood activities, which are more attractive than the activities of other incarnations, such as Matsya, Kūrma and Varāha.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

Connected verses· 1

The purport of SB 10.7.1-2 quotesSB 1.2.17

All the Vedic literatures presented by Vyāsadeva and other great sages are therefore intended to revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which begins to revive with śravaṇa-kīrtanam: śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ.

Each link is a verse the purport itself quotes, or a purport elsewhere that quotes this verse, shown with the purport's own words.

How it feels

Worry and play → Parental tenderness. The Supreme becomes the beloved child of His devotees.

Chapters 5–11 of Canto 10: Gokula, Yaśodā and the infant Lord. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 7: The Killing of the Demon Tṛṇāvarta

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

When Śukadeva Gosvāmī saw that Mahārāja Parīkṣit was eagerly waiting to hear about Lord Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes as a child, he was very much pleased, and he continued to speak. When Śrī Kṛṣṇa was only three months old and was just trying to turn backside up, before He even attempted to crawl, mother Yaśodā wanted to observe a ritualistic ceremony with her friends for the good fortune of the child.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.7
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-rājā uvācathe King inquired (from Śukadeva Gosvāmī)
  2. yena yena avatāreṇathe pastimes exhibited by different varieties of incarnations
  3. bhagavānthe Supreme Personality of Godhead
  4. hariḥthe Lord
  5. īśvaraḥthe controller
  6. karotipresents
  7. karṇa-ramyāṇiwere all very pleasing to the ear
  8. manaḥ-jñānivery attractive to the mind
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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

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 10.7

    In this verse: “attachment”, “material”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 10.7

    In this verse: “devotional service”, “devotees”

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 10.7

    In this verse: “hearing”, “chanting”

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

What draws me to hear more about Kṛṣṇa’s childhood activities?

Practice

Spend five minutes hearing a devotee read or explain Kṛṣṇa’s childhood activities.

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.

Live this todayHearing About Kṛṣṇa Revives DevotionThis 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 10.7.1-2? Get an answer from the verses themselves.