1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

Or browse by canto and chapter
Canto

Canto 10 · The Summum Bonum · 90 chapters

123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990

Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

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
10.78.3410.78.36

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.78.35

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The sagessince 10.78.35inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

ऋषय ऊचु:

अस्‍त्रस्य तव वीर्यस्य मृत्योरस्माकमेव च ।

यथा भवेद्वच: सत्यं तथा राम विधीयताम् ॥ ३५ ॥

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ

astrasya tava vīryasya

mṛtyor asmākam eva ca

yathā bhaved vacaḥ satyaṁ

tathā rāma vidhīyatām

Translation

The sages said: Please see to it, O Rāma, that Your power and that of Your kuśa weapon, as well as our promise and Romaharṣaṇa’s death, all remain intact.

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 Sages Seek to Preserve Every Truth

  1. 1

    The sages asked Rāma to ensure that His power and the power of His kuśa weapon remained intact.

  2. 2

    They also asked that their promise remain true.

  3. 3

    They wanted Romaharṣaṇa’s death to remain intact as well, and entrusted the arrangement to the Lord.

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 78: The Killing of Dantavakra, Vidūratha and Romaharṣaṇa

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Greatly angered by this offense, Lord Balarāma killed Romaharṣaṇa by touching him with the tip of a blade of kuśa grass. The assembled sages were disturbed by what Lord Baladeva had done, and they said to Him, “You have unknowingly killed a brāhmaṇa.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.78
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. ṛṣayaḥ ūcuḥthe sages said
  2. astrasyaof the weapon (the blade of kuśa grass)
  3. tavaYour
  4. vīryasyapotency
  5. mṛtyoḥof the death
  6. asmākamour
  7. eva caalso
  8. yathāso that
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

  • Abhaya · Fearlessness

    Steadiness through faith amid danger and death. · Theme in SB 10.78

    In this verse: “death”

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

When commitments seem difficult to reconcile, do I seek a solution that preserves truth?

Practice

Identify one difficult commitment and write down what must remain true in any solution.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Sages Seek to Preserve Every TruthThis 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 10.78.35? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
  1. Learn
  2. Live
  3. Lead
Next in Learn · 5 of 11 · 2 minAsk the BhāgavatamBring your own question. Get an answer drawn only from the Bhāgavatam's translations, with every verse shown.Back · LearnCantos & stories