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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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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 79: Lord Balarāma Goes on Pilgrimage
10.78.4010.79.2

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.79.1

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.79.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

श्रीशुक उवाच

तत: पर्वण्युपावृत्ते प्रचण्ड: पांशुवर्षण: ।

भीमो वायुरभूद् राजन्पूयगन्धस्तु सर्वश: ॥ १ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca

tataḥ parvaṇy upāvṛtte

pracaṇḍaḥ pāṁśu-varṣaṇaḥ

bhīmo vāyur abhūd rājan

pūya-gandhas tu sarvaśaḥ

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Then, on the new-moon day, O King, a fierce and frightening wind arose, scattering dust all about and spreading the smell of pus everywhere.

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.

A Frightening Disturbance Arises

  1. 1

    Śukadeva Gosvāmī describes a fierce and frightening wind arising on the new-moon day.

  2. 2

    The wind scattered dust everywhere.

  3. 3

    It also spread the smell of pus, making the disturbance deeply unpleasant.

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 79: Lord Balarāma Goes on Pilgrimage

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

At the sacrificial arena of the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya forest, a harsh wind began to blow on the new-moon day, spreading the obnoxious smell of pus and obscuring everything with dust. The demon Balvala then appeared there with a trident in his hand, his massive body pitch black and his face very frightening.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.79
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-śukaḥ uvācaŚukadeva Gosvāmī said
  2. tataḥthen
  3. parvaṇithe new-moon day
  4. upāvṛttewhen it came
  5. pracaṇḍaḥfierce
  6. pāṁśudust
  7. varṣaṇaḥraining
  8. bhīmaḥfrightening
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

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 10.79

    In this verse: “king”

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

Which details help you notice the frightening atmosphere of this verse?

Practice

Read the verse slowly once, noticing its descriptions of wind, dust and smell.

Live this todayA Frightening Disturbance ArisesThis 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 10.79.1? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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