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

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90

Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

How to study this verse, in six steps

1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
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 89: Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna Retrieve a Brāhmaṇa’s Sons

10.89.30-31 10.89.33

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.89.32

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:Śrī Arjunasince 10.89.32inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

श्रीअर्जुन उवाच

नाहं सङ्कर्षणो ब्रह्मन् न कृष्ण: कार्ष्णिरेव च ।

अहं वा अर्जुनो नाम गाण्डीवं यस्य वै धनु: ॥ ३२ ॥

śrī-arjuna uvāca

nāhaṁ saṅkarṣaṇo brahman

na kṛṣṇaḥ kārṣṇir eva ca

ahaṁ vā arjuno nāma

gāṇḍīvaṁ yasya vai dhanuḥ

Translation

Śrī Arjuna said: I am neither Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa, O brāhmaṇa, nor Lord Kṛṣṇa, nor even Kṛṣṇa’s son. Rather, I am Arjuna, wielder of the Gāṇḍīva bow.

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.

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Arjuna Points to His Own Identity

1
Arjuna states that he is neither Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa nor Lord Kṛṣṇa.
2
He also distinguishes himself from Kṛṣṇa’s son.
3
He identifies himself as Arjuna, the wielder of the Gāṇḍīva bow, emphasizing his identity as a warrior.

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

Chapter 89: Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna Retrieve a Brāhmaṇa’s Sons

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Once in Dvārakā a brāhmaṇa’s wife gave birth to a son who immediately died. The brāhmaṇa took his dead son to the court of King Ugrasena and berated the King: “This duplicitous, greedy enemy of brāhmaṇas has caused my son’s death by failing to execute his duties properly!”

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 10.89