Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Ādi 17.1
Mercy and Chanting Can Transform Anyone
“Let me offer my respectful obeisances to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, by whose mercy even unclean yavanas become perfectly well bred gentlemen by chanting the holy name of the Lord. Such is the power of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.”
What the purport teaches
- Caste brāhmaṇas, or smārtas, think that one cannot become a brāhmaṇa without changing one’s body. The purport explains that everything is possible by the Lord’s supremely powerful potency.
- Caitanya Mahāprabhu is as fully independent as Kṛṣṇa. By His mercy, even someone following non-Vedic principles can become a perfectly well-behaved gentleman.
- Members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement who were not born in Vedic culture became wonderful devotees simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. They were welcomed in India as well-behaved Vaiṣṇavas.
Try this today
Chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra today while remembering the transforming power of Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mercy.
Ask yourself
Do I judge someone’s devotional possibilities by their birth, or allow room for the Lord’s mercy?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport; the practice and question are plain words for trying the verse today.