Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Antya 6.195
Affectionate Relationships Give Context to Joking
“The Lord continued, “Your father and his elder brother are both related as brothers to My grandfather, Nīlāmbara Cakravartī. Therefore I consider them My grandfathers.”
What the purport teaches
- Nīlāmbara Cakravartī was intimately related to Raghunātha dāsa’s father and uncle. He called them his younger brothers because they were respectable gentlemen devoted to the brāhmaṇas.
- They addressed him as Dādā Cakravartī, an elder brother brāhmaṇa. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore considered them His grandfathers.
- A grandchild may joke about his grandfather. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu used this relationship as the setting for His joking words.
Try this today
Before reading the following remarks, recall the family relationship that frames them.
Ask yourself
How does knowing this affectionate relationship help you understand the Lord’s words?
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.