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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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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 ›
Canto 10 · Chapter 72: The Slaying of the Demon Jarāsandha
10.72.3010.72.32

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.72.31

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.72.30inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

न त्वया भीरुणा योत्स्ये युधि विक्लवतेजसा ।

मथुरां स्वपुरीं त्यक्त्वा समुद्रं शरणं गत: ॥ ३१ ॥

na tvayā bhīruṇā yotsye

yudhi viklava-tejasā

mathurāṁ sva-purīṁ tyaktvā

samudraṁ śaraṇaṁ gataḥ

Translation

“But I will not fight with You, Kṛṣṇa, for You are a coward. Your strength abandoned You in the midst of battle, and You fled Your own capital of Mathurā to take shelter in the sea.

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.

Recognize an Insult as an Insult

  1. 1

    Jarāsandha refused to fight Kṛṣṇa, calling Him a coward.

  2. 2

    He claimed that Kṛṣṇa’s strength had failed in battle and that He had left Mathurā to take shelter in the sea.

  3. 3

    These words express Jarāsandha’s hostile assessment of Kṛṣṇa, not a teaching that his accusations are true.

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 72: The Slaying of the Demon Jarāsandha

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

But Jarāsandha refused, claiming that Kṛṣṇa was a coward because He had once fled the battlefield. Jarāsandha also declined to fight Arjuna on the plea that he was inferior in age and size.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.72
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. nanot
  2. tvayāwith You
  3. bhīruṇācowardly
  4. yotsyeI will fight
  5. yudhiin battle
  6. viklavaimpaired
  7. tejasāwhose strength
  8. mathurāmMathurā
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

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

    Relinquishing ownership while entrusting oneself to the Lord. · Theme in SB 10.72

    In this verse: “shelter”

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

When reading hostile words, do I distinguish the speaker’s accusation from established truth?

Practice

Reread this verse once, consciously identifying each accusation as Jarāsandha’s statement.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayRecognize an Insult as an InsultThis 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 10.72.31? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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