Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Antya 6.193
Kṛṣṇa’s mercy overcomes material bondage
“Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “The mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa is stronger than anything else. Therefore the Lord has delivered you from the ditch of materialistic life, which is like a hole into which people pass stool.””
What the purport teaches
- According to the law of karma, everyone is destined to suffer or enjoy according to a certain material standard. Kṛṣṇa’s mercy is so powerful that He can change all the reactions of one’s past karma.
- Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu compared bondage to materialistic life to a filthy ditch. Attachment can make people cling to material comforts even though that life is actually miserable.
- Only Kṛṣṇa’s special mercy can free one from this entanglement. Although Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu knew Raghunātha dāsa was already liberated, He emphasized Kṛṣṇa’s mercy in delivering him from materialistic life.
Try this today
Name one material attachment in a private prayer and ask Kṛṣṇa for His mercy to become free from its hold.
Ask yourself
Which material comfort do you find difficult to give up, and how might you seek Kṛṣṇa’s mercy rather than rely only on yourself?
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.