1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

Or browse by canto and chapter
Canto

Canto 10 · The Summum Bonum · 90 chapters

Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

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 · Text 10.70.32

Who is speaking and story frame

श्रीशुक उवाच

राजदूते ब्रुवत्येवं देवर्षि: परमद्युति: ।

बिभ्रत्पिङ्गजटाभारं प्रादुरासीद् यथा रवि: ॥ ३२ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca

rāja-dūte bruvaty evaṁ

devarṣiḥ parama-dyutiḥ

bibhrat piṅga-jaṭā-bhāraṁ

prādurāsīd yathā raviḥ

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: When the kings’ messenger had thus spoken, the sage of the demigods, Nārada, suddenly appeared. Bearing a mass of golden matted locks on his head, the supremely effulgent sage entered like the brilliant sun.

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.

Nārada’s Radiant Arrival

  1. 1

    Śukadeva Gosvāmī describes Nārada’s sudden arrival after the kings’ messenger had spoken.

  2. 2

    Nārada is introduced as the sage of the demigods, bearing a mass of golden matted locks.

  3. 3

    The sage is supremely effulgent. His entrance is compared to the appearance of the brilliant sun.

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:

Just at that moment Nārada Muni appeared. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and all the members of the assembly stood up and offered obeisances to Nārada by bowing their heads.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.70
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-śukaḥ uvācaŚukadeva Gosvāmī said
  2. rājaof the kings
  3. dūtethe messenger
  4. bruvatihaving spoken
  5. evamin this manner
  6. devaof the demigods
  7. ṛṣiḥthe sage (Nārada Muni)
  8. paramasupreme
3

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

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 10.70

    In this verse: “kings’”

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 impression does the comparison of Nārada to the brilliant sun leave with me?

Practice

Read the verse slowly once, attending to its description of Nārada’s radiant arrival.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayNārada’s Radiant ArrivalThis 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 10.70.32? Get an answer from the verses themselves.