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Canto 10 · The Summum Bonum · 90 chapters

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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

10.89.40 10.89.42

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.89.41

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

धिगर्जुनं मृषावादं धिगात्मश्लाघिनो धनु: ।

दैवोपसृष्टं यो मौढ्यादानिनीषति दुर्मति: ॥ ४१ ॥

dhig arjunaṁ mṛṣā-vādaṁ

dhig ātma-ślāghino dhanuḥ

daivopasṛṣṭaṁ yo mauḍhyād

āninīṣati durmatiḥ

Translation

“To hell with that liar Arjuna! To hell with that braggart’s bow! He is so foolish that he has deluded himself into thinking he can bring back a person whom destiny has taken away.”

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.

Pride Cannot Guarantee Success

1
The brāhmaṇa condemned Arjuna as a liar and a braggart.
2
He also condemned Arjuna’s bow, rejecting confidence in his weapons.
3
In the brāhmaṇa’s judgment, Arjuna had deluded himself by thinking he could bring back someone taken by destiny.

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:

The same misfortune continued to befall the brāhmaṇa, and each time he would bring his dead infant’s body to the royal court and berate the King. When the ninth son died at birth, Arjuna happened to hear the brāhmaṇa’s complaint, and he said, “My lord, I will protect your progeny.

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