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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 ›
Canto 10 · Chapter 70: Lord Kṛṣṇa’s Daily Activities
10.70.2710.70.29

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.70.28

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The kingssince 10.70.25inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

स्वप्नायितं नृपसुखं परतन्त्रमीश

शश्वद्भ‍येन मृतकेन धुरं वहाम: ।

हित्वा तदात्मनि सुखं त्वदनीहलभ्यं

क्लिश्यामहेऽतिकृपणास्तव माययेह ॥ २८ ॥

svapnāyitaṁ nṛpa-sukhaṁ para-tantram īśa

śaśvad-bhayena mṛtakena dhuraṁ vahāmaḥ

hitvā tad ātmani sukhaṁ tvad-anīha-labhyaṁ

kliśyāmahe ’ti-kṛpaṇās tava māyayeha

Translation

O Lord, with this corpselike body, always full of fear, we bear the burden of the relative happiness of kings, which is just like a dream. Thus we have rejected the real happiness of the soul, which comes by rendering selfless service to You. Being so very wretched, we simply suffer in this life under the spell of Your illusory energy.

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.

Real Happiness Comes Through Selfless Service

  1. 1

    The kings admit that their own foolishness has brought suffering. They exchanged the eternal happiness of the soul for the temporary, conditional happiness of royal position.

  2. 2

    Desiring wealth, power, prestige or aristocratic family at the expense of the soul is a similar mistake. The kings mistook the tremendous anxiety of political leadership for happiness.

  3. 3

    Real happiness comes from selfless service to the Lord. Under His illusory energy, the kings neglected that happiness and carried a dreamlike burden instead.

Key points from the purport
  • After expressing their doubts in the previous verse, the kings herein admit that actually they are suffering because of their own foolishness, having given up the eternal happiness of the soul in exchange for the temporary, conditional happiness of a so-called kingly position.
  • Most people make a similar mistake, desiring wealth, power, prestige, aristocratic family and so on, in exchange for their own soul.
  • The kings admit that they have fallen under the spell of the Lord’s illusory energy and have mistaken the tremendous anxiety of political leadership for happiness.

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

War and pride → Justice and protection. The public expression of divine power comes to the foreground.

Chapters 70–79 of Canto 10: Kingship, Jarāsandha and royal challenges. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 70: Lord Kṛṣṇa’s Daily Activities

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Please do something, for these kings are all Your surrendered devotees.” Just at that moment Nārada Muni appeared.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.70
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. svapnāyitamlike a dream
  2. nṛpaof kings
  3. sukhamthe happiness
  4. para-tantramconditional
  5. īśaO Lord
  6. śaśvatperpetually
  7. bhayenafull of fear
  8. mṛtakenawith this corpse
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

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 10.70

    In this verse: “kings”

  • Abhaya · Fearlessness

    Steadiness through faith amid danger and death. · Theme in SB 10.70

    In this verse: “fear”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 10.70

    In this verse: “wealth”

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

Am I mistaking an anxious pursuit of position or prestige for happiness?

Practice

Set aside one pursuit of praise today and spend a few minutes in selfless service to Kṛṣṇa.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayReal Happiness Comes Through Selfless ServiceThis 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 10.70.28? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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