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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 ›
Canto 10 · Chapter 76: The Battle Between Śālva and the Vṛṣṇis
10.76.1710.76.20

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Texts 10.76.18-19

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.76.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

विव्याध पञ्चविंशत्या स्वर्णपुङ्खैरयोमुखै: ।

शाल्वस्य ध्वजिनीपालं शरै: सन्नतपर्वभि: ॥ १८ ॥

शतेनाताडयच्छाल्वमेकैकेनास्य सैनिकान् ।

दशभिर्दशभिर्नेतृन् वाहनानि त्रिभिस्‍त्रिभि: ॥ १९ ॥

vivyādha pañca-viṁśatyā

svarṇa-puṅkhair ayo-mukhaiḥ

śālvasya dhvajinī-pālaṁ

śaraiḥ sannata-parvabhiḥ

śatenātāḍayac chālvam

ekaikenāsya sainikān

daśabhir daśabhir netṝn

vāhanāni tribhis tribhiḥ

Translation

Lord Pradyumna’s arrows all had gold shafts, iron heads and perfectly smooth joints. With twenty-five of them He struck down Śālva’s commander-in-chief [Dyumān], and with one hundred He struck Śālva himself. Then He pierced Śālva’s officers with one arrow each, his chariot drivers with ten arrows each, and his horses and other carriers with three arrows each.

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.

Lord Pradyumna’s Mighty Archery

  1. 1

    Lord Pradyumna’s arrows had gold shafts, iron heads and perfectly smooth joints.

  2. 2

    With twenty-five arrows He struck down Śālva’s commander-in-chief, Dyumān. With one hundred He struck Śālva himself.

  3. 3

    He pierced the officers with one arrow each, the chariot drivers with ten each, and the horses and other carriers with three each.

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 76: The Battle Between Śālva and the Vṛṣṇis

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

But then a follower of Śālva’s named Dyumān struck Pradyumna on the chest with his club, whereupon Pradyumna’s chariot driver, thinking his master seriously injured, carried Him from the battlefield. But Pradyumna quickly regained consciousness and sharply criticized His driver for doing this.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.76
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. vivyādhaHe shot
  2. pañcafive
  3. viṁśatyāplus twenty
  4. svarṇagold
  5. puṅkhaiḥwhose shafts
  6. ayaḥiron
  7. mukhaiḥwhose heads
  8. śālvasyaof Śālva
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 do the precise details help you appreciate Lord Pradyumna’s feat?

Practice

Reread the description and recall the three features of Lord Pradyumna’s arrows.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayLord Pradyumna’s Mighty ArcheryThis 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 10.76.18-19? Get an answer from the verses themselves.