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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 74: The Deliverance of Śiśupāla at the Rājasūya Sacrifice
10.74.110.74.3

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.74.2

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhirasince 10.74.2inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

श्रीयुधिष्ठिर उवाच

ये स्युस्‍त्रैलोक्यगुरव: सर्वे लोकामहेश्वरा: ।

वहन्ति दुर्लभं लब्ध्वा शिरसैवानुशासनम् ॥ २ ॥

śrī-yudhiṣṭhira uvāca

ye syus trai-lokya-guravaḥ

sarve lokā maheśvarāḥ

vahanti durlabhaṁ labdvā

śirasaivānuśāsanam

Translation

Śrī Yudhiṣṭhira said: All the exalted spiritual masters of the three worlds, together with the inhabitants and rulers of the various planets, carry on their heads Your command, which is rarely obtained.

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.

Treasure Kṛṣṇa’s Commands

  1. 1

    Kṛṣṇa is the eternal form of bliss and knowledge.

  2. 2

    Even Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and King Indra are anxious to receive and carry out His orders.

  3. 3

    Receiving His command is a rare fortune. These exalted rulers immediately accept His orders and keep them in their hearts.

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 74: The Deliverance of Śiśupāla at the Rājasūya Sacrifice

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

In His role as the Supersoul in the heart, He arranges for everyone in the universe to engage in his particular kind of work, and by His mercy alone human beings can perform various kinds of pious activities and receive the resultant benefits. One who worships Him worships all living entities.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.74
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvācaŚrī Yudhiṣṭhira said
  2. yewho
  3. syuḥthere are
  4. trai-lokyaof the three worlds
  5. guravaḥspiritual masters
  6. sarveall
  7. lokāḥ(the inhabitants of) the planets
  8. mahā-īśvarāḥand the great controlling demigods
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Āśraya · The summum bonum

    Who is the shelter of everything? · Subject 10 of 10

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 10.74

    In this verse: “rulers”, “king”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 10.74

    In this verse: “knowledge”

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

Do I regard serving Kṛṣṇa as a precious opportunity or merely an obligation?

Practice

Before one act of devotional service today, pause and appreciate the opportunity to serve Kṛṣṇa.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayTreasure Kṛṣṇa’s CommandsThis 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 10.74.2? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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