Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Madhya 1.67
Offering Obeisances Like a Rod
“After reading the verse, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went into an ecstatic mood. While He was in that state, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī came and immediately fell down on the floor like a rod.”
What the purport teaches
- After reading the verse, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu entered an ecstatic mood. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī arrived and immediately fell down like a rod.
- Daṇḍa means a rod or pole. Offering obeisances to one’s superior with all eight aṅgas, or parts of the body, is called daṇḍavat.
- Sometimes we speak of daṇḍavats without actually falling down. Daṇḍavat means falling down like a rod before one’s superior.
Try this today
Today, pause when using the word daṇḍavat and recall the full bodily gesture it describes.
Ask yourself
How can I make my expression of respect more than words alone?
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.