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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 82: Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma Meet the Inhabitants of Vṛndāvana
10.82.1910.82.21

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.82.20

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Vasudevasince 10.82.20inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

श्रीवसुदेव उवाच

अम्ब मास्मानसूयेथा दैवक्रीडनकान् नरान् ।

ईशस्य हि वशे लोक: कुरुते कार्यतेऽथ वा ॥ २० ॥

śrī-vasudeva uvāca

amba māsmān asūyethā

daiva-krīḍanakān narān

īśasya hi vaśe lokaḥ

kurute kāryate ’tha vā

Translation

Śrī Vasudeva said: Dear sister, please do not be angry with us. We are only ordinary men, playthings of fate. Indeed, whether a person acts on his own or is forced by others, he is always under the Supreme Lord’s control.

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.

Everyone Is Under the Lord’s Control

  1. 1

    Vasudeva gently asks his sister not to be angry with them.

  2. 2

    He describes himself and the others as ordinary men, playthings of fate.

  3. 3

    Whether someone acts independently or is made to act by others, that person remains under the Supreme Lord’s control.

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 82: Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma Meet the Inhabitants of Vṛndāvana

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Vasudeva replied, “My dear sister, everyone is merely a plaything of fate. We Yādavas were so harassed by Kaṁsa that we were forced to scatter and take shelter in foreign lands.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.82
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-vasudevaḥ uvācaŚrī Vasudeva said
  2. ambamy dear sister
  3. māplease do not
  4. asmānwith us
  5. asūyethāḥbe angry
  6. daivaof fate
  7. krīḍanakānthe playthings
  8. narānmen
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Āśraya · The summum bonum

    Who is the shelter of everything? · Subject 10 of 10

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How might remembering the Supreme Lord’s control soften your anger toward someone?

Practice

Before responding to a frustration today, pause and remember that neither you nor the other person has complete control.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayEveryone Is Under the Lord’s ControlThis 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 10.82.20? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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