Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Antya 1.19
Care Worth Paying For
“Śivānanda Sena, unhappy that the dog had to stay behind, paid the boatman ten paṇa of conchshells to take the dog across the river.”
What the purport teaches
- Śivānanda Sena was unhappy that the dog had to stay behind. He paid the boatman ten paṇa of conchshells to take it across.
- One paṇa equaled eighty kaḍis, or small conchshells. His payment therefore amounted to eight hundred kaḍis.
- The purport explains that small conchshells served as currency, alongside coins of gold, silver and copper. It also recalls a time when one paisa could buy enough vegetables for a whole family.
Try this today
Use a small amount of your resources today to help meet someone’s practical need.
Ask yourself
Am I willing to spend something to meet another living being’s need?
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.