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 80: The Brāhmaṇa Sudāmā Visits Lord Kṛṣṇa in Dvārakā
10.80.35-3610.80.38

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.80.37

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Supreme Lordsince 10.80.28inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

सूर्यश्चास्तं गतस्तावत् तमसा चावृता दिश: ।

निम्नं कूलं जलमयं न प्राज्ञायत किञ्चन ॥ ३७ ॥

sūryaś cāstaṁ gatas tāvat

tamasā cāvṛtā diśaḥ

nimnaṁ kūlaṁ jala-mayaṁ

na prājñāyata kiñcana

Translation

Then, as the sun set, the forest was covered by darkness in every direction, and with all the flooding we could not distinguish high land from low.

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.

Darkness and Flooding Hide the Way

  1. 1

    As the sun set, darkness covered the forest in every direction.

  2. 2

    Floodwater surrounded them, making the land difficult to recognize.

  3. 3

    They could no longer distinguish high ground from low ground.

How it feels

Humility and separation → Friendship and reunion. The sweetness of relationship outweighs prestige.

Chapters 80–86 of Canto 10: Sudāmā and reunion with the residents of Vraja. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 80: The Brāhmaṇa Sudāmā Visits Lord Kṛṣṇa in Dvārakā

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Meanwhile, Rukmiṇī fanned the shabbily dressed brāhmaṇa with a yaktail whisk. All of this astonished the residents of the palace.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.80
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. sūryaḥthe sun
  2. caand
  3. astam gataḥhaving set
  4. tāvatthereupon
  5. tamasāby darkness
  6. caand
  7. āvṛtāḥcovered
  8. diśaḥall the directions
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

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What stands out to you about how difficult their situation had become?

Practice

Read the translation slowly and pause to consider their difficulty in the darkness and flooding.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayDarkness and Flooding Hide the WayThis 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 10.80.37? 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