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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 · Texts 10.9.1-2

Who is speaking and story frame

श्रीशुक उवाच

एकदा गृहदासीषु यशोदा नन्दगेहिनी ।

कर्मान्तरनियुक्तासु निर्ममन्थ स्वयं दधि ॥ १ ॥

यानि यानीह गीतानि तद्बालचरितानि च ।

दधिनिर्मन्थने काले स्मरन्ती तान्यगायत ॥ २ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca

ekadā gṛha-dāsīṣu

yaśodā nanda-gehinī

karmāntara-niyuktāsu

nirmamantha svayaṁ dadhi

yāni yānīha gītāni

tad-bāla-caritāni ca

dadhi-nirmanthane kāle

smarantī tāny agāyata

Translation

Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: One day when mother Yaśodā saw that all the maidservants were engaged in other household affairs, she personally began to churn the yogurt. While churning, she remembered the childish activities of Kṛṣṇa, and in her own way she composed songs and enjoyed singing to herself about all those activities.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
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Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Remember Kṛṣṇa While You Work

  1. 1

    Mother Yaśodā personally prepared butter because she wanted Kṛṣṇa to enjoy the milk and yogurt of her household rather than steal from neighboring homes.

  2. 2

    While churning, she sang about Kṛṣṇa’s childhood activities. She put these activities into poetry because she did not want to forget them at any time.

  3. 3

    Persons eager to remain Kṛṣṇa conscious throughout the day should follow her example. Ordinary work can be accompanied by remembering and singing about Kṛṣṇa.

Key points from the purport
  • Mother Yaśodā wanted to collect the milk from these cows, make it into yogurt and churn it into butter personally, since she thought that this child Kṛṣṇa was going to the houses of neighborhood gopas and gopīs to steal butter because He did not like the milk and yogurt ordinarily prepared.
  • While churning the butter, mother Yaśodā was singing about the childhood activities of Kṛṣṇa.
  • This incident shows how Kṛṣṇa conscious mother Yaśodā was.

Śrīla Prabhupāda'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

Worry and play → Parental tenderness. The Supreme becomes the beloved child of His devotees.

Chapters 5–11 of Canto 10: Gokula, Yaśodā and the infant Lord. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 9: Mother Yaśodā Binds Lord Kṛṣṇa

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

One day, the maidservants being engaged in other work, mother Yaśodā was churning the yogurt into butter herself, and in the meantime Kṛṣṇa came and requested her to allow Him to suck her breast milk.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.9
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-śukaḥ uvācaŚrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said
  2. ekadāone day
  3. gṛha-dāsīṣuwhen all the maidservants of the household were otherwise engaged
  4. yaśodāmother Yaśodā
  5. nanda-gehinīthe queen of Nanda Mahārāja
  6. karma-antarain other household affairs
  7. niyuktāsubeing engaged
  8. nirmamanthachurned
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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

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 10.9

    In this verse: “yaśodā”, “mother”, “childish”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 10.9

    In this verse: “household”

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Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Which daily task could become an opportunity to remember Kṛṣṇa?

Practice

During one household task today, softly sing about Kṛṣṇa’s childhood activities.

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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.

Live this todayRemember Kṛṣṇa While You WorkThis 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 10.9.1-2? Get an answer from the verses themselves.