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Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

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Canto 11 · General History · 31 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 11.30.20

Who is speaking and story frame

शरेषु हीयमानेषु भज्यमानेसु धन्वसु ।

शस्‍त्रेषु क्षीयमानेषु मुष्टिभिर्जह्रुरेरका: ॥ २० ॥

śareṣu hīyamāneṣu

bhajyamāneṣu dhanvasu

śastreṣu kṣīyamāneṣu

muṣṭibhir jahrur erakāḥ

Translation

When all their bows had been broken and their arrows and other missiles spent, they seized the tall stalks of cane with their bare hands.

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.

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Weapons Exhausted, Fighting Still Continues

  1. 1

    All their bows had been broken.

  2. 2

    Their arrows and other missiles had been spent.

  3. 3

    They then seized tall stalks of cane with their bare hands rather than ending the conflict.

How it feels

Sorrow and shock → Remembrance and acceptance. Devotees face a devastating change in visible association.

Chapters 30–31 of Canto 11: The Yadu dynasty and Kṛṣṇa disappear. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 30: The Disappearance of the Yadu Dynasty

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Afterward, Śrī Baladeva went to the shore of the ocean and by the mystic strength of yoga gave up His body. Seeing the disappearance of Baladeva, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa sat down silently upon the ground.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.30
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śareṣuthe arrows
  2. hīyamāneṣuas they became depleted
  3. bhajyamāneṣuas they became broken
  4. dhanvasuthe bows
  5. śastreṣuthe missile weapons
  6. kṣīyamāneṣuas they were used up
  7. muṣṭibhiḥwith their fists
  8. jahruḥthey seized
  9. erakāḥcane stalks
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Nirodha · Returning home, back to Godhead

    What happens when everything here comes to an end? · Subject 8 of 10

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

When an argument runs out of substance, do I keep finding new ways to continue it?

Practice

Let one disagreement end today without adding another accusation or bringing up an old grievance.

5

The story around it

The stories this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayWeapons Exhausted, Fighting Still ContinuesThis 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 11.30.20? Get an answer from the verses themselves.