Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Madhya 22.155
Hearing Awakens Longing for Particular Devotion
“ ‘When an advanced, realized devotee hears about the affairs of the devotees of Vṛndāvana — in the mellows of śānta, dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya and mādhurya — he becomes inclined in one of these ways, and his intelligence becomes attracted. Indeed, he begins to covet that particular type of devotion. When such covetousness is awakened, one’s intelligence no longer depends on the instructions of śāstra [revealed scripture] or on logic and argument.’
What the purport teaches
- An advanced, realized devotee hears about the devotees of Vṛndāvana in the mellows of śānta, dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya and mādhurya.
- His intelligence becomes attracted to one of these ways, and he begins to covet that particular type of devotion.
- When this longing awakens, his intelligence no longer depends on the instructions of śāstra or on logic and argument.
Try this today
Spend a few minutes hearing or reading about the devotion of Vṛndāvana’s inhabitants.
Ask yourself
What distinction do you notice between reasoning about devotion and longing for a particular kind of service?
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.