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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 75: Duryodhana Humiliated
10.75.1410.75.16

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.75.15

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.75.3inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

तैलगोरसगन्धोदहरिद्रासान्द्रकुङ्कुमै: ।

पुम्भिर्लिप्ता: प्रलिम्पन्त्यो विजह्रुर्वारयोषित: ॥ १५ ॥

taila-gorasa-gandhoda-

haridrā-sāndra-kuṅkumaiḥ

pumbhir liptāḥ pralimpantyo

vijahrur vāra-yoṣitaḥ

Translation

The men smeared the courtesans with plentiful oil, yogurt, perfumed water, turmeric and kuṅkuma powder, and the courtesans playfully smeared the men with the same substances.

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.

Sharing the Joy of the Ceremony

  1. 1

    The men and women of Indraprastha enjoyed the ceremony in colorful garments, garlands, jewels and ornaments.

  2. 2

    They playfully sprinkled and smeared one another with fragrant liquids, including oil and yogurt.

  3. 3

    The courtesans also joined the celebration, and the men reciprocated. Turmeric and saffron gave the liquids a lustrous yellow color.

Key points from the purport
  • They were all enjoying the ceremony, and they threw on each other liquid substances like water, oil, milk, butter and yogurt.
  • The professional prostitutes were also engaged by jubilantly smearing these liquid substances on the bodies of the men, and the men reciprocated in the same way.
  • All the liquid substances had been mixed with turmeric and saffron, and their color was a lustrous yellow.”

The purport's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

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 75: Duryodhana Humiliated

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Sprinkled with aromatic water and other liquids, Draupadī and the other ladies appeared most beautiful, their faces shining with bashful laughter. After the priests had executed the final rituals, the King and his queen, Śrīmatī Draupadī, bathed in the Ganges.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.75
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tailawith vegetable oil
  2. go-rasayogurt
  3. gandha-udaperfumed water
  4. haridrāturmeric
  5. sāndraplentiful
  6. kuṅkumaiḥand with vermilion powder
  7. pumbhiḥby the men
  8. liptāḥsmeared
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

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 10.75

    In this verse: “lustrous”

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 notice about the shared joy described in this ceremony?

Practice

Reread the description and note three details that express the participants’ joy.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todaySharing the Joy of the CeremonyThis 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 10.75.15? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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