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Canto 10 · The Summum Bonum · 90 chapters

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How to study this verse, in six steps

1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
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

10.74.37 10.74.39

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.74.38

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.74.38inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

एवमादीन्यभद्राणि बभाषे नष्टमङ्गल: ।

नोवाच किञ्चिद्भगवान्यथा सिंह: शिवारुतम् ॥ ३८ ॥

evam-ādīny abhadrāṇi

babhāṣe naṣṭa-maṅgalaḥ

novāca kiñcid bhagavān

yathā siṁhaḥ śivā-rutam

Translation

[Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued:] Bereft of all good fortune, Śiśupāla spoke these and other insults. But the Supreme Lord said nothing, just as a lion ignores a jackal’s cry.

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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.

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Supreme Lord Remains Silent

1
Śiśupāla, bereft of all good fortune, continued speaking insults.
2
The Supreme Lord said nothing in response.
3
His silence is compared to a lion ignoring a jackal’s cry. Śiśupāla’s harsh words did not require an answer from the Lord.

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

Chapter 74: The Deliverance of Śiśupāla at the Rājasūya Sacrifice

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Even as Śiśupāla continued to blaspheme Him in this way, Lord Kṛṣṇa remained silent. But many members of the assembly covered their ears and quickly left the hall, while the Pāṇḍava brothers raised their weapons and prepared to kill Śiśupāla.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 10.74