Shloka 30

Pradyumna’s Abduction, Mahā-māyā, and the Slaying of Śambara

Devanagari script

अथ तत्रासितापाङ्गी वैदर्भी वल्गुभाषिणी । अस्मरत् स्वसुतं नष्टं स्‍नेहस्‍नुतपयोधरा ॥ ३० ॥

Transliteration

atha tatrāsitāpāṅgī vaidarbhī valgu-bhāṣiṇī asmarat sva-sutaṁ naṣṭaṁ sneha-snuta-payodharā

Translation

Di situ, Rukmiṇī puteri Vidarbha yang bermata hitam dan bertutur manis, melihat Pradyumna lalu teringat akan puteranya yang hilang; kerana kasih sayang, dadanya menjadi lembap.

Synonyms

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भ/अनन्तर्यवाचक निपात

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• असित-अपाङ्गी: she with dark sidelong glances
• असित-अपाङ्गी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असित (प्रातिपदिक) + अपाङ्गिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (कर्तृपदस्य)

• वैदर्भी: the Vidarbha princess (Rukmiṇī)
• वैदर्भी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैदर्भी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; जनपदवाचक (woman of Vidarbha)

• वल्गु-भाषिणी: sweet-speaking
• वल्गु-भाषिणी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वल्गु (प्रातिपदिक) + भाषिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘वल्गुं भाषते’

• अस्मरत्: she remembered
• अस्मरत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्व-सुतम्: her own son
• स्व-सुतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘स्वस्य सुतः’

• नष्टम्: lost, missing
• नष्टम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नश् (धातु) → नष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘विनष्टम्/अदृष्टम्’ (सुतस्य विशेषण)

• स्नेह-स्नुत-पयोधरा: whose breasts were moist with affection
• स्नेह-स्नुत-पयोधरा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्नेह (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + पयोधर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘स्नेहेन स्नुताः पयोधराः यस्याः’

Characters & Entities

• Rukmiṇī
• Pradyumna

FAQs

What does Srimad Bhagavatam say about a mother's love for her child?

This verse shows vatsalya (parental affection) as a powerful, natural devotion—Rukmiṇī’s remembrance of her lost son is so intense that her milk flows, revealing deep maternal love.

Why was Rukmiṇī grieving and remembering her son Pradyumna in Canto 10 Chapter 55?

Because Pradyumna had been taken away as an infant by Śambara, and in the course of the narration Śukadeva describes Rukmiṇī’s ongoing sorrow and longing for her missing child.

Practical application: what can this shloka teach about love and remembrance today?

It teaches that genuine love expresses itself through constant remembrance and heartfelt concern; similarly, sincere spiritual life grows when remembrance becomes steady and emotionally real, not merely intellectual.