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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
10.77.3510.77.37

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.77.36

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śālvasince 10.77.26inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

जहार तेनैव शिर: सकुण्डलं

किरीटयुक्तं पुरुमायिनो हरि: ।

वज्रेण वृत्रस्य यथा पुरन्दरो

बभूव हाहेति वचस्तदा नृणाम् ॥ ३६ ॥

jahāra tenaiva śiraḥ sa-kuṇḍalaṁ

kirīṭa-yuktaṁ puru-māyino hariḥ

vajreṇa vṛtrasya yathā purandaro

babhūva hāheti vacas tadā nṛṇām

Translation

Employing His disc, Lord Hari removed that great magician’s head with its earrings and crown, just as Purandara had used his thunderbolt to cut off Vṛtra’s head. Seeing this, all of Śālva’s followers cried out, “Alas, alas!”

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 Hari Defeats the Great Magician

  1. 1

    Lord Hari used His disc to remove Śālva’s head, together with its earrings and crown. Śālva’s great magical powers did not prevent his defeat.

  2. 2

    The translation compares this act to Purandara cutting off Vṛtra’s head with his thunderbolt.

  3. 3

    Seeing Śālva killed, all his followers cried out, “Alas, alas!” Their cries expressed their distress at his fall.

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:

Śālva descended from his airplane and rushed toward Lord Kṛṣṇa to attack Him, but the Lord took up His Sudarśana disc and severed Śālva’s head from his body. With the killing of Śālva, the demigods in the sky played kettledrums in jubilation.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.77
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. jahāraHe removed
  2. tenawith it
  3. evaindeed
  4. śiraḥthe head
  5. sawith
  6. kuṇḍalamearrings
  7. kirīṭacrown
  8. yuktamwearing
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

  • Viraha · Longing in separation

    Love and remembrance experienced in apparent absence. · Theme in SB 10.77

    In this verse: “cried”

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 10.77

    In this verse: “distress”

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 does Śālva’s defeat show you about the limits of his magical power before Lord Hari?

Practice

Write one sentence acknowledging Lord Hari’s supremacy and your desire to engage in His devotional service.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayLord Hari Defeats the Great MagicianThis 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 10.77.36? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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