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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 · Text 10.72.42

Who is speaking and story frame

तद् विज्ञाय महासत्त्वो भीम: प्रहरतां वर: ।

गृहीत्वा पादयो: शत्रुं पातयामास भूतले ॥ ४२ ॥

tad vijñāya mahā-sattvo

bhīmaḥ praharatāṁ varaḥ

gṛhītvā pādayoḥ śatruṁ

pātayām āsa bhū-tale

Translation

Understanding this sign, mighty Bhīma, the best of fighters, seized his opponent by the feet and threw him to the ground.

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.

Bhīma Understands and Acts

  1. 1

    Bhīma understood the sign given to him.

  2. 2

    He is described as mighty and the best of fighters.

  3. 3

    He seized his opponent by the feet and threw him to the ground.

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:

Bhīma threw Jarāsandha to the ground, stepped on one of his legs, seized the other with his arms and proceeded to tear him apart from his genitals to his head. Seeing Jarāsandha dead, his relatives and subjects cried out in lamentation.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.72
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tatthat
  2. vijñāyaunderstanding
  3. mahāgreat
  4. sattvaḥwhose strength
  5. bhīmaḥBhīma
  6. praharatāmof fighters
  7. varaḥthe best
  8. gṛhītvāseizing
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

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 10.72

    In this verse: “understanding”

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 do you learn from Bhīma’s readiness to act after understanding the Lord’s sign?

Practice

Reflect for one minute on how Bhīma’s understanding was followed by action.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayBhīma Understands and ActsThis 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 10.72.42? Get an answer from the verses themselves.