Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 10

Utthāna Ceremony, Śakaṭa-bhañga, Tṛṇāvarta-vadha, and the Vision of the Universe in Kṛṣṇa’s Mouth

Devanagari script

न ते श्रद्दधिरे गोपा बालभाषितमित्युत । अप्रमेयं बलं तस्य बालकस्य न ते विदु: ॥ १० ॥

Transliteration

na te śraddadhire gopā bāla-bhāṣitam ity uta aprameyaṁ balaṁ tasya bālakasya na te viduḥ

Translation

Hindi naniwala ang mga gopa at gopī sa sinabi ng mga bata, sapagkat inakala nilang iyon ay usapang pambata lamang. Hindi nila nalalaman ang di-masusukat at di-maaarok na kapangyarihan ng sanggol na si Kṛṣṇa.

Synonyms

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• te: they
• te: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• śraddadhire: believed / had faith
• śraddadhire: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śrad-√dhā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), आत्मनेपद (Ātmanepada)

• gopāḥ: the cowherds
• gopāḥ: Karta (कर्ता; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gopa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• bāla-bhāṣitam: the child’s statement
• bāla-bhāṣitam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāla + bhāṣita (प्रातिपदिक; भासित/भाषित = √bhāṣ (धातु) क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘spoken by a child’

• iti: thus
• iti: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: इत्यादि-उद्धरणसूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• uta: indeed / also
• uta: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: uta (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (particle: ‘and/also/indeed’)

• aprameyam: immeasurable
• aprameyam: Visheshaṇa (विशेषण; of balaṁ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-prameya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण—‘immeasurable’

• balam: strength
• balam: Karma (कर्म; object of ‘viduḥ’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine/Neuter), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• bālakasya: of the boy
• bālakasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; apposition to tasya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bālaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• te: they
• te: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• viduḥ: knew / understood
• viduḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

Characters & Entities

• Gopāḥ (cowherd men of Vraja)
• Kṛṣṇa (the child)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the cowherds not believing a child's words?

This verse says the gopas dismissed the report as mere child-talk and therefore failed to recognize the immeasurable, inconceivable strength present in baby Kṛṣṇa.

Why did the Vrajavasis not recognize Krishna’s power in Canto 10?

Because of their simple, familial mood, they related to Him as a child and interpreted extraordinary events in ordinary ways, not knowing His aprameya (immeasurable) potency.

Practical application of this teaching in modern life?

Do not judge spiritual truth only by external appearances; cultivate humility and faith, recognizing that the Divine can act beyond what the mind can measure.