Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Madhya 13.80
Our Identity Is Service to Kṛṣṇa’s Servants
“ ‘I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a vaiśya or a śūdra. Nor am I a brahmacārī, a householder, a vānaprastha or a sannyāsī. I identify Myself only as the servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the maintainer of the gopīs. He is like an ocean of nectar, and He is the cause of universal transcendental bliss. He is always existing with brilliance.’”
What the purport teaches
- This verse comes from the Padyāvalī, an anthology compiled by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. The speaker rejects identification with the four social classes and the four stages of life.
- The speaker identifies only as the servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the maintainer of the gopīs.
- Kṛṣṇa is like an ocean of nectar and is the cause of universal transcendental bliss. He is always existing with brilliance.
Try this today
Do one small, helpful task for a devotee today, remembering this identity of service.
Ask yourself
How would remembering myself as a servant of Kṛṣṇa’s servants change my actions today?
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.