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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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.77.15

Who is speaking and story frame

शाल्व: शौरेस्तु दो: सव्यं सशार्ङ्गं शार्ङ्गधन्वन: ।

बिभेद न्यपतद्धस्ताच्छार्ङ्गमासीत्तदद्भ‍ुतम् ॥ १५ ॥

śālvaḥ śaures tu doḥ savyaṁ

sa-śārṅgaṁ śārṅga-dhanvanaḥ

bibheda nyapatad dhastāc

chārṅgam āsīt tad adbhutam

Translation

Śālva then managed to strike Lord Kṛṣṇa’s left arm, which held His bow Śārṅga, and, amazingly, Śārṅga fell from His hand.

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.

An Astonishing Moment in the Lord’s Battle

  1. 1

    Śālva managed to strike Lord Kṛṣṇa’s left arm.

  2. 2

    That arm held the Lord’s bow, Śārṅga.

  3. 3

    Śārṅga fell from His hand, an event the translation explicitly describes as amazing.

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 77: Lord Kṛṣṇa Slays the Demon Śālva

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Amazingly, the Lord dropped the Śārṅga bow He was holding in His left hand. The demigods watching the battle cried out in alarm upon seeing the bow fall, while Śālva took the opportunity to insult Kṛṣṇa.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.77
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śālvaḥŚālva
  2. śaureḥof Lord Kṛṣṇa
  3. tubut
  4. doḥthe arm
  5. savyamleft
  6. sawith
  7. śārṅgamthe Lord’s bow, called Śārṅga
  8. śārṅga-dhanvanaḥof Him who is called Śārṅga-dhanvā
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

Can you notice this astonishing event without supplying an explanation the verse does not give?

Practice

Read this verse attentively, distinguishing what it states from any explanation you might imagine.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayAn Astonishing Moment in the Lord’s BattleThis 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 10.77.15? Get an answer from the verses themselves.