Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Ādi 17.195
A Warning Invokes the King’s Power
“ ‘Vibrating “Hari, Hari,” the Hindus make a tumultuous sound. If the king [pātasāha] hears it, certainly he will punish you.’
What the purport teaches
- The petitioner described the chanting of “Hari, Hari” as tumultuous and warned that the king would punish the person being addressed.
- Pātasāha means the king. The purport identifies the ruler at that time as Nawab Hussain Shah, the independent King of Bengal.
- The purport recounts violence surrounding the throne. It also describes the cruelty of Hussain Shah’s successor, Nasaratsā, who committed many atrocities against the Vaiṣṇavas.
Try this today
Write a short definition of pātasāha and note why invoking the king made the warning serious.
Ask yourself
How does the purport’s account of the rulers help you understand the threat of punishment?
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.