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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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.8.31

Who is speaking and story frame

एवं धार्ष्ट्यान्युशति कुरुते मेहनादीनि वास्तौ

स्तेयोपायैर्विरचितकृति: सुप्रतीको यथास्ते ।

इत्थं स्त्रीभि: सभयनयनश्रीमुखालोकिनीभि-

र्व्याख्यातार्था प्रहसितमुखी न ह्युपालब्धुमैच्छत् ॥ ३१ ॥

evaṁ dhārṣṭyāny uśati kurute mehanādīni vāstau

steyopāyair viracita-kṛtiḥ supratīko yathāste

itthaṁ strībhiḥ sa-bhaya-nayana-śrī-mukhālokinībhir

vyākhyātārthā prahasita-mukhī na hy upālabdhum aicchat

Translation

“When Kṛṣṇa is caught in His naughty activities, the master of the house will say to Him, ‘Oh, You are a thief,’ and artificially express anger at Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa will then reply, ‘I am not a thief. You are a thief.’ Sometimes, being angry, Kṛṣṇa passes urine and stool in a neat, clean place in our houses. But now, our dear friend Yaśodā, this expert thief is sitting before you like a very good boy.” Sometimes all the gopīs would look at Kṛṣṇa sitting there, His eyes fearful so that His mother would not chastise Him, and when they saw Kṛṣṇa’s beautiful face, instead of chastising Him they would simply look upon His face and enjoy transcendental bliss. Mother Yaśodā would mildly smile at all this fun, and she would not want to chastise her blessed transcendental child.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
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Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The All-Attractive Lord Is Always Pure

  1. 1

    Kṛṣṇa is always pure and is the Supreme Absolute Truth. His apparently improper activities do not make Him subject to material impurity.

  2. 2

    Kṛṣṇa means “all-attractive.” His attractiveness is the basis of transcendental loving exchanges and service, not a reason to judge Him as an ordinary person.

  3. 3

    Seeing His beautiful face, the mothers smiled instead of chastising Him. Kṛṣṇa enjoyed their happiness and is called Gopī-jana-vallabha because He devised activities to please the gopīs.

Key points from the purport
  • Kṛṣṇa’s business in the neighborhood was not only to steal but sometimes to pass stool and urine in a neat, clean house.
  • When caught by the master of the house, Kṛṣṇa would chastise him, saying, “You are a thief.”
  • Therefore another name of Kṛṣṇa is Gopī-jana-vallabha because He invented such activities to please the gopīs.

Śrīla Prabhupāda'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

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:

In this way, he described many naughty activities of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. The most wonderful of these occurred when Kṛṣṇa’s playmates complained to mother Yaśodā that Kṛṣṇa was eating earth.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.8
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. evamin this way
  2. dhārṣṭyāninaughty activities
  3. uśatiin a neat and clean place
  4. kurutesometimes does
  5. mehana-ādīnipassing stool and urine
  6. vāstauin our houses
  7. steya-upāyaiḥand by inventing different devices to steal butter and milk
  8. viracita-kṛtiḥis very expert
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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

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

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

    In this verse: “yaśodā”, “mother”, “child”

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 10.8

    In this verse: “blessed”

  • Abhaya · Fearlessness

    Steadiness through faith amid danger and death. · Theme in SB 10.8

    In this verse: “fearful”

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 remembering Kṛṣṇa’s purity help you approach these pastimes with a desire for loving service?

Practice

Spend one minute reflecting on the meaning “all-attractive,” and express a simple wish to serve Kṛṣṇa with affection.

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.

Live this todayThe All-Attractive Lord Is Always PureThis 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 10.8.31? Get an answer from the verses themselves.