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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 81: The Lord Blesses Sudāmā Brāhmaṇa
10.81.21-2310.81.25

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.81.24

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.81.21-23inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

एवं मीमांसमानं तं नरा नार्योऽमरप्रभा: ।

प्रत्यगृह्णन् महाभागं गीतवाद्येन भूयसा ॥ २४ ॥

evaṁ mīmāṁsamānaṁ taṁ

narā nāryo ’mara-prabhāḥ

pratyagṛhṇan mahā-bhāgaṁ

gīta-vādyena bhūyasā

Translation

As he continued to ponder in this way, the beautiful men — and maidservants, as effulgent as demigods, came forward to greet their greatly fortunate master with loud song and instrumental music.

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.

Accepting What the Lord Wants

  1. 1

    While Sudāmā pondered, radiant menservants and maidservants came forward to greet him with loud singing and instrumental music.

  2. 2

    Ācārya Viśvanātha Cakravartī explains that Sudāmā first accepted the servants within his mind, thinking, “My Lord must want me to have them.”

  3. 3

    The servants saw the change in Sudāmā’s attitude. In response, they approached him as their greatly fortunate master.

Key points from the purport
  • As explained by Ācārya Viśvanātha Cakravartī, the word pratyagṛhṇan (“they acknowledged in turn”) indicates that first Sudāmā accepted the servants within his mind, deciding “My Lord must want me to have them,” and in response to the visible change in his attitude, they approached him as their master.

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

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 81: The Lord Blesses Sudāmā Brāhmaṇa

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

While he stood astonished, a group of beautiful men and women came forward to greet him with singing and music. The brāhmaṇa’s wife, wonderfully adorned with celestial jewelry, came out of the palace and welcomed him with great love and reverence.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.81
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. evamthus
  2. mīmāṁsamānamwho was deeply pondering
  3. tamhim
  4. narāḥthe men
  5. nāryaḥand women
  6. amaralike the demigods’
  7. prabhāḥwhose effulgent complexions
  8. pratyagṛhṇangreeted
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

How does Sudāmā’s thought about the Lord’s wish shape his acceptance of the servants?

Practice

Before accepting help today, pause and remember Sudāmā’s thoughtful attitude toward what the Lord wanted for him.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayAccepting What the Lord WantsThis 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.

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