Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Antya 10.21
Love Gives a Gift Its Value
“A dear lover strung a garland and placed it on the shoulder of his beloved in the presence of her co-wives. She had raised breasts and was very beautiful, yet although the garland was tainted with mud, she did not reject it, for its value lay not in material things but in love.”
What the purport teaches
- A dear lover strung a garland and placed it on his beloved’s shoulder in the presence of her co-wives.
- Although the garland was tainted with mud, she did not reject it. Its value lay in love, not in material things.
- The purport identifies this quotation as a verse from the Kirātārjunīya, by Bhāravī.
Try this today
Thank someone today for the care behind a gift or kind act, rather than focusing on its outward value.
Ask yourself
Do I notice the love behind a gift, even when the gift is imperfect?
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.