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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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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 88: Lord Śiva Saved from Vṛkāsura
10.88.1510.88.17

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.88.16

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Nārada Munisince 10.88.15inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

दशास्यबाणयोस्तुष्ट: स्तुवतोर्वन्दिनोरिव ।

ऐश्वर्यमतुलं दत्त्वा तत आप सुसङ्कटम् ॥ १६ ॥

daśāsya-bāṇayos tuṣṭaḥ

stuvator vandinor iva

aiśvaryam atulaṁ dattvā

tata āpa su-saṅkaṭam

Translation

He became pleased with ten-headed Rāvaṇa, and also with Bāṇa, when they each chanted his glories, like bards in a royal court. Lord Śiva then bestowed unprecedented power upon each of them, but in both cases he was consequently beset with great difficulty.

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.

Misused Power Burdens the Giver

  1. 1

    Rāvaṇa and Bāṇa pleased Lord Śiva by chanting his glories like bards in a royal court. He bestowed unprecedented power upon them.

  2. 2

    Rāvaṇa worshiped Lord Śiva to gain power, then misused it to uproot the lord's residence, sacred Kailāsa-parvata.

  3. 3

    Lord Śiva agreed to guard Bāṇa's capital personally. Later, he had to fight for Bāṇa against Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His sons.

Key points from the purport
  • Rāvaṇa worshiped Lord Śiva to gain power and then misused that power to uproot the lord’s residence, sacred Kailāsa-parvata.
  • On Bāṇāsura’s request, Lord Śiva agreed to personally guard Bāṇa’s capital, and later he had to fight for Bāṇa against Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His sons.

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

Awe → Reverent fulfillment. The canto closes with theological wonder.

Chapters 87–90 of Canto 10: The Vedas praise and the Lord's glories conclude. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 88: Lord Śiva Saved from Vṛkāsura

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

In this regard the Vedic literature relates the following account: Once the demon Vṛka asked Nārada which god was most quickly pleased, and Nārada answered that Lord Śiva was. Thus Vṛkāsura went to the holy place of Kedāranātha and began worshiping Lord Śiva by offering pieces of his own flesh as oblations into the fire.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.88
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. daśa-āsyawith ten-headed Rāvaṇa
  2. bāṇayoḥand with Bāṇa
  3. tuṣṭaḥsatisfied
  4. stuvatoḥwho sang his glories
  5. vandinoḥ ivalike minstrels
  6. aiśvaryampower
  7. atulamunequaled
  8. dattvāgiving
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

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 10.88

    In this verse: “chanted”, “chanting”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 10.88

    In this verse: “worshiped”

  • Rakṣā · Divine protection

    Protection of devotees through the Lord’s intervention. · Theme in SB 10.88

    In this verse: “guard”

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

Could the way I use an advantage create difficulty for someone who helped me?

Practice

Identify one ability or advantage you have, and use it today without burdening someone else.

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.

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 10.88's connections

Live this todayMisused Power Burdens the GiverThis 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 10.88.16? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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