Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Antya 1.142
Love Awakens Through Name, Flute, and Picture
“[Experiencing previous attachment to Kṛṣṇa (pūrva-rāga), Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī thought:] ‘Since I have heard the name of a person called Kṛṣṇa, I have practically lost My good sense. Then, there is another person who plays His flute in such a way that after I hear the vibration, intense madness arises in My heart. And again there is still another person to whom My mind becomes attached when I see His beautiful lightninglike effulgence in His picture. Therefore I think that I am greatly condemned, for I have become simultaneously attached to three persons. It would be better for Me to die because of this.’
What the purport teaches
- Experiencing previous attachment to Kṛṣṇa, called pūrva-rāga, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī feels that hearing His name has made Her lose Her good sense.
- The flute's vibration causes intense madness in Her heart, while the beautiful lightninglike effulgence in His picture attracts Her mind.
- She thinks these attractions are toward three different persons. Feeling condemned by this apparent attachment, She expresses overwhelming distress.
Try this today
List the three ways attraction awakens in this verse: the name, the flute's vibration, and the picture.
Ask yourself
What does this verse reveal about the intensity of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s awakening attachment?
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.