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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 8: Lord Kṛṣṇa Shows the Universal Form Within His Mouth
10.8.1610.8.18

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.8.17

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Garga Munisince 10.8.12inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

पुरानेन व्रजपते साधवो दस्युपीडिता: ।

अराजके रक्ष्यमाणा जिग्युर्दस्यून्समेधिता: ॥ १७ ॥

purānena vraja-pate

sādhavo dasyu-pīḍitāḥ

arājake rakṣyamāṇā

jigyur dasyūn samedhitāḥ

Translation

O Nanda Mahārāja, as recorded in history, when there was an irregular, incapable government, Indra having been dethroned, and people were being harassed and disturbed by thieves, this child appeared in order to protect the people and enable them to flourish, and He curbed the rogues and thieves.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Kṛṣṇa Appears to Protect the People

  1. 1

    Garga Muni recalled a time when Indra had been dethroned and the government was incapable. Thieves harassed and disturbed the people.

  2. 2

    Kṛṣṇa appeared to protect the people and enable them to flourish. He curbed the rogues and thieves.

  3. 3

    Indra is the king of the universe, but demons and rogues repeatedly disturb him. When these enemies become prominent, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appears.

Key points from the purport
  • Demons, thieves and rogues always disturb Indra (indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokam), but when indrāris, the enemies of Indra, become prominent, Kṛṣṇa appears.

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

Connected verses· 1

The purport of SB 10.8.17 quotesSB 1.3.28

Demons, thieves and rogues always disturb Indra (indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokam), but when indrāris, the enemies of Indra, become prominent, Kṛṣṇa appears.

Each link is a verse the purport itself quotes, or a purport elsewhere that quotes this verse, shown with the purport's own words.

How it feels

Worry and play → Parental tenderness. The Supreme becomes the beloved child of His devotees.

Chapters 5–11 of Canto 10: Gokula, Yaśodā and the infant Lord. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 8: Lord Kṛṣṇa Shows the Universal Form Within His Mouth

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Kṛṣṇa, the son of Yaśodā, previously appeared in many other colors, such as white, red and yellow, and He had now assumed the color black. Because He was sometimes the son of Vasudeva, His name is Vāsudeva.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.8
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. purāformerly
  2. anenaby Kṛṣṇa
  3. vraja-pateO King of Vraja
  4. sādhavaḥthose who were honest
  5. dasyu-pīḍitāḥbeing disturbed by rogues and thieves
  6. arājakewhen there was an irregular government
  7. rakṣyamāṇāḥwere protected
  8. jigyuḥconquered
  9. dasyūnthe rogues and thieves
  10. samedhitāḥflourished
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Poṣaṇa · Protection by the Lord

    How does the Lord care for His devotees? · Subject 4 of 10

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 10.8

    In this verse: “nanda”, “child”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 10.8

    In this verse: “government”, “king”

  • Rakṣā · Divine protection

    Protection of devotees through the Lord’s intervention. · Theme in SB 10.8

    In this verse: “protect”

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

How does Kṛṣṇa’s protection of troubled people shape my understanding of His appearances?

Practice

Reread the translation today and identify the two purposes stated for Kṛṣṇa’s appearance: protection and helping people flourish.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

The purport quotesSB 1.3.28

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 10.8's connections

Live this todayKṛṣṇa Appears to Protect the PeopleThis 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 10.8.17? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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