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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.
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Canto 10 · Chapter 72: The Slaying of the Demon Jarāsandha
10.72.4210.72.44

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.72.43

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

एकं पादं पदाक्रम्य दोर्भ्यामन्यं प्रगृह्य स: ।

गुदत: पाटयामास शाखमिव महागज: ॥ ४३ ॥

ekam pādaṁ padākramya

dorbhyām anyaṁ pragṛhya saḥ

gudataḥ pāṭayām āsa

śākham iva mahā-gajaḥ

Translation

Bhīma pressed down on one leg with his foot while grabbing Jarāsandha’s other leg in his hands, and just as a great elephant might break the branch of a tree, Bhīma tore Jarāsandha apart from the anus upward.

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 Tears Jarāsandha Apart

  1. 1

    Bhīma held one of Jarāsandha’s legs down with his foot and grasped the other with both hands.

  2. 2

    He tore Jarāsandha apart from the anus upward, bringing the struggle to its decisive end.

  3. 3

    The translation compares Bhīma’s action to a great elephant breaking a tree branch. This comparison conveys his tremendous strength.

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:

Lord Kṛṣṇa then split a small tree branch in half, thus showing Bhīma how to kill Jarāsandha. 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.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.72
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. ekamone
  2. pādamleg
  3. padāwith his foot
  4. ākramyastanding on top of
  5. dorbhyāmwith his two hands
  6. anyamthe other
  7. pragṛhyataking hold of
  8. saḥhe
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

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

How does the comparison with an elephant help me understand the strength of Bhīma’s action?

Practice

Read the translation once slowly, and identify the comparison used to describe Bhīma’s strength.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayBhīma Tears Jarāsandha ApartThis 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 10.72.43? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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