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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 10.86.1

Who is speaking and story frame

श्रीराजोवाच

ब्रह्मन् वेदितुमिच्छाम: स्वसारां रामकृष्णयो: ।

यथोपयेमे विजयो या ममासीत् पितामही ॥ १ ॥

śrī-rājovāca

brahman veditum icchāmaḥ

svasārāṁ rāma-kṛṣṇayoḥ

yathopayeme vijayo

yā mamāsīt pitāmahī

Translation

King Parīkṣit said: O brāhmaṇa, we would like to learn how Arjuna married Lord Balarāma’s and Lord Kṛṣṇa’s sister, who was my grandmother.

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.

Learning Through Respectful Questions

  1. 1

    King Parīkṣit asks how Arjuna married his grandmother, the sister of Lord Balarāma and Lord Kṛṣṇa.

  2. 2

    The purport identifies her as Subhadrā and explains that Lord Balarāma opposed her marriage to Arjuna.

  3. 3

    Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī compares the difficulty of winning her hand to Lord Kṛṣṇa’s retrieving Devakī’s sons from the realm of the dead.

Key points from the purport
  • Parīkṣit Mahārāja turns now to the topic of the marriage of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s sister, Subhadrā.
  • In the opinion of Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, King Parīkṣit’s question here follows from the previous narration because Arjuna’s winning the hand of Subhadrā was just as difficult a feat as Lord Kṛṣṇa’s retrieving the sons of Devakī from the realm of the dead, since Lord Balarāma Himself opposed Subhadrā’s marriage to Arjuna.

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 86: Arjuna Kidnaps Subhadrā, and Kṛṣṇa Blesses His Devotees

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

When King Parīkṣit desired to learn about the marriage of his grandmother, Subhadrā-devī, Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said, “While touring on pilgrimage, Arjuna heard that Lord Baladeva intended to give the hand of His sister Subhadrā to Duryodhana in marriage. Wanting to kidnap Subhadrā and marry her himself, Arjuna disguised himself as a renunciant and went to Dvārakā.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.86
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-rājā uvācathe great King (Parīkṣit) said
  2. brahmanO brāhmaṇa (Śukadeva)
  3. veditumto know
  4. icchāmaḥwe wish
  5. svasāramthe sister
  6. rāma-kṛṣṇayoḥof Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa
  7. yathāhow
  8. upayememarried
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

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 10.86

    In this verse: “king”

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 can Parīkṣit’s respectful curiosity guide your own study?

Practice

Write down one sincere question you have about this marriage account.

Live this todayLearning Through Respectful QuestionsThis 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 10.86.1? Get an answer from the verses themselves.