Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Madhya 9.1
The Lord’s mercy delivers people into devotion
“Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu converted the inhabitants of South India. These people were as strong as elephants, but they were in the clutches of the crocodiles of various philosophies, such as the Buddhist, Jain and Māyāvāda philosophies. With His disc of mercy the Lord delivered them all by converting them into Vaiṣṇavas, devotees of the Lord.”
What the purport teaches
- The people of South India were compared to strong elephants caught by crocodiles. These crocodiles represent Buddhist, Jain and Māyāvāda philosophies.
- Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s deliverance of these people is compared to Lord Viṣṇu’s saving Gajendra from a crocodile.
- With His disc of mercy, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu freed them from these philosophies and made them Vaiṣṇavas, devotees of the Lord.
Try this today
Take a moment today to ask Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu for His mercy to become a devotee of the Lord.
Ask yourself
What does the image of a strong elephant needing rescue teach me about dependence on the Lord’s mercy?
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.