Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Madhya 17.132
Kṛṣṇa’s Name and Body Are Himself
“There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa’s body and Himself or between His name and Himself. But as far as the conditioned soul is concerned, one’s name is different from one’s body, from one’s original form and so on.
What the purport teaches
- Kṛṣṇa has no body separate from Himself. His body and Himself are the same Absolute Truth.
- Māyāvādī impersonalists mistakenly consider the Lord’s form a product of the material world and think He is covered by māyā.
- Names such as Govinda, Kṛṣṇa and Mādhava are as good as the person Himself. Considering these names material vibrations prevents appreciation of the holy name.
Try this today
Say “Kṛṣṇa” attentively today, remembering that His name is not a material vibration.
Ask yourself
Do you approach Kṛṣṇa’s name as Kṛṣṇa Himself, or merely as a sound that refers to Him?
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.