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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
10.79.3110.79.33

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.79.32

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.79.28inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

स्वपत्यावभृथस्‍नातो ज्ञातिबन्धुसुहृद् वृत: ।

रेजे स्वज्योत्स्‍नयेवेन्दु: सुवासा: सुष्ठ्वलङ्कृत: ॥ ३२ ॥

sva-patyāvabhṛtha-snāto

jñāti-bandhu-suhṛd-vṛtaḥ

reje sva-jyotsnayevenduḥ

su-vāsāḥ suṣṭhv alaṅkṛtaḥ

Translation

After executing with His wife the avabhṛtha ablutions, the beautifully dressed and ornamented Lord Balarāma, encircled by His immediate family and other relatives and friends, looked as splendid as the moon surrounded by its effulgent rays.

Read the purport on Vedabase.io

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 Splendor Among His Loved Ones

  1. 1

    Lord Balarāma took the avabhṛtha bath with His wife after completing the sacrificial performances.

  2. 2

    After bathing, He dressed in new silken garments and adorned Himself with beautiful jewelry.

  3. 3

    Surrounded by relatives and friends, He appeared like a shining full moon amidst the luminaries in the sky.

Key points from the purport
  • Śrīla Prabhupāda beautifully describes this scene as follows: “Lord Balarāma then took the avabhṛtha bath, which is taken after finishing sacrificial performances.
  • After taking His bath, He dressed Himself in new silken garments and decorated Himself with beautiful jewelry.
  • Amidst His relatives and friends, He appeared to be a shining full moon amidst the luminaries in the sky.”

The purport's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

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:

Some time later, Balarāma again went to the Naimiṣāraṇya forest, where the sages performed a number of fire sacrifices on His behalf. Lord Baladeva reciprocated by granting the sages transcendental knowledge and revealing to them His eternal identity.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.79
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. svatogether with His
  2. patyāwife
  3. avabhṛthawith the avabhṛtha ritual, which marks the end of sacrificial initiation
  4. snātaḥhaving bathed
  5. jñātiby His immediate family members
  6. bandhuother relatives
  7. suhṛtand friends
  8. vṛtaḥsurrounded
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

  • Sakhya · Sacred friendship

    The affection of companions and friends of the Lord. · Theme in SB 10.79

    In this verse: “friends”

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 detail of this description helps me remember Lord Balarāma’s beauty?

Practice

Spend one quiet minute remembering Lord Balarāma beautifully dressed and surrounded by His relatives and friends.

Live this todayThe Lord’s Splendor Among His Loved OnesThis 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 10.79.32? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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