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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 77: Lord Kṛṣṇa Slays the Demon Śālva
10.77.2310.77.25

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.77.24

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Lord Kṛṣṇasince 10.77.24inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

कथं राममसम्भ्रान्तं जित्वाजेयं सुरासुरै: ।

शाल्वेनाल्पीयसा नीत: पिता मे बलवान् विधि: ॥ २४ ॥

kathaṁ rāmam asambhrāntaṁ

jitvājeyaṁ surāsuraiḥ

śālvenālpīyasā nītaḥ

pitā me balavān vidhiḥ

Translation

[Lord Kṛṣṇa said:] Balarāma is ever vigilant, and no demigod or demon can defeat Him. So how could this insignificant Śālva defeat Him and abduct My father? Indeed, fate is all-powerful!

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.

Kṛṣṇa Questions the Disturbing Report

  1. 1

    Kṛṣṇa describes Balarāma as ever vigilant and undefeatable by any demigod or demon.

  2. 2

    He asks how the insignificant Śālva could have defeated Balarāma and abducted His father.

  3. 3

    His words, “fate is all-powerful,” express the apparent helplessness within this humanlike exchange.

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:

The man informed the Lord that His father, Vasudeva, had been kidnapped by Śālva. Upon hearing this, Lord Kṛṣṇa seemed to lament like an ordinary man.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.77
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. kathamhow
  2. rāmamLord Balarāma
  3. asambhrāntamnever confused
  4. jitvādefeating
  5. ajeyamundefeatable
  6. suraby demigods
  7. asuraiḥand demons
  8. śālvenaby 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

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 10.77

    In this verse: “father”

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

Why does Kṛṣṇa’s description of Balarāma make the report seem so unlikely?

Practice

Identify the two qualities of Balarāma that Kṛṣṇa gives as reasons to question the report.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa Questions the Disturbing ReportThis 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 10.77.24? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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