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

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Canto 8 · Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations · 24 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 8.10.7

Who is speaking and story frame

शङ्खतूर्यमृदङ्गानां भेरीडमरिणां महान् ।

हस्त्यश्वरथपत्तीनां नदतां निस्वनोऽभवत् ॥ ७ ॥

śaṅkha-tūrya-mṛdaṅgānāṁ

bherī-ḍamariṇāṁ mahān

hasty-aśva-ratha-pattīnāṁ

nadatāṁ nisvano ’bhavat

Translation

The sounds of the conchshells, bugles, drums, bherīs and ḍamarīs [kettledrums], as well as the sounds made by the elephants, horses and soldiers, who were both on chariots and on foot, were tumultuous.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Battlefield Resounded with Tumultuous Sounds

  1. 1

    Conchshells, bugles, drums, bherīs and ḍamarīs sounded on the battlefield.

  2. 2

    Elephants, horses and soldiers also added their sounds.

  3. 3

    Soldiers on chariots and on foot joined in the tumultuous noise.

How it feels

Danger and ambition → Divine rescue and surprise. Cooperation, rivalry and revelation alternate rapidly.

Chapters 5–12 of Canto 8: Churning the ocean, poison and nectar. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 10: The Battle Between the Demigods and the Demons

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

When the demigods were almost defeated by demoniac maneuvers and became morose, Lord Viṣṇu appeared among them. Both the demigods and the demons are expert in activities involving the material energy, but the demigods are devotees of the Lord, whereas the demons are just the opposite.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.10
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śaṅkhaof conchshells
  2. tūryaof big bugles
  3. mṛdaṅgānāmand of drums
  4. bherīof bugles
  5. ḍamariṇāmof kettledrums
  6. mahāngreat and tumultuous
  7. hastiof elephants
  8. aśvaof horses
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

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

How does noticing these sounds deepen my attention to the description?

Practice

Reread the verse and identify three different sources of sound.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Battlefield Resounded with Tumultuous SoundsThis 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 8.10.7? Get an answer from the verses themselves.