Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Antya 1.195
Poetry That Deeply Moves the Heart
“ ‘What is the use of a bowman’s arrow or a poet’s poetry if they penetrate the heart but do not cause the head to spin?’
What the purport teaches
- The verse compares a poet’s poetry to a bowman’s arrow: both penetrate the heart.
- The question asks what use either has if it does not also cause the head to spin. The image emphasizes a powerful effect, not merely reaching the heart.
- In context, this comparison praises the deeply moving power of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī’s poetry.
Try this today
Read the verse aloud slowly, and pause to consider the image of poetry piercing the heart.
Ask yourself
What words in this verse make its comparison especially striking to you?
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.