Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Madhya 2.64
Ecstasy Like Elephants in a Sugarcane Field
“The body of the Lord was just like a field of sugarcane into which the mad elephants of ecstasy entered. There was a fight amongst the elephants, and in the process the entire field of sugarcane was destroyed. Thus transcendental madness was awakened in the body of the Lord, and He experienced despondency in mind and body. In this ecstatic condition, He began to speak as follows.”
What the purport teaches
- The Lord’s body is compared to a field of sugarcane, and His ecstasies to mad elephants entering it.
- The elephants fight and destroy the field. This image conveys the force of the ecstasies within His body.
- Transcendental madness awakened, and the Lord experienced despondency in mind and body. In this ecstatic condition, He began to speak.
Try this today
Reread the comparison and write one sentence about what it conveys concerning the Lord’s condition.
Ask yourself
What does the sugarcane-field image help you notice about the force of the Lord’s ecstasy?
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.