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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 78: The Killing of Dantavakra, Vidūratha and Romaharṣaṇa
10.78.3010.78.33

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Texts 10.78.31-32

Manvantara· The Manus and right duty

अजानतैवाचरितस्त्वया ब्रह्मवधो यथा ।

योगेश्वरस्य भवतो नाम्नायोऽपि नियामक: ॥ ३१ ॥

यद्येतद् ब्रह्महत्याया: पावनं लोकपावन ।

चरिष्यति भवाँल्ल‍ोकसङ्ग्रहोऽनन्यचोदित: ॥ ३२ ॥

ajānataivācaritas

tvayā brahma-vadho yathā

yogeśvarasya bhavato

nāmnāyo ’pi niyāmakaḥ

yady etad-brahma-hatyāyāḥ

pāvanaṁ loka-pāvana

cariṣyati bhavāḻ loka-

saṅgraho ’nanya-coditaḥ

Translation

“You have unknowingly killed a brāhmaṇa. Of course, even the injunctions of revealed scripture cannot dictate to You, the Lord of all mystic power. But if by Your own free will You nonetheless carry out the prescribed purification for this slaying of a brāhmaṇa, O purifier of the whole world, people in general will greatly benefit by Your example.”

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.

The Lord’s Example Benefits Everyone

  1. 1

    The sages described the killing as the unknowing slaying of a brāhmaṇa.

  2. 2

    They acknowledged that even revealed scripture cannot dictate to the Lord of all mystic power. Any purification He undertook would be by His own free will.

  3. 3

    Addressing Him as the purifier of the whole world, they asked Him to perform the prescribed purification. People in general would greatly benefit from His example.

Study points are short summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport on Vedabase.