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Study a Verse

Read one verse of Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta with its Bengali, transliteration, word meanings, translation and study points.

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How to study this verse, in six steps
  1. 1Say the verse. Read the transliteration aloud, slowly.
  2. 2Read the word meanings. Go through each word and its meaning.
  3. 3Read the translation. Ask: what is happening here, and who is it about?
  4. 4Read the purport slowly. Read it twice. Don't rush.
  5. 5See Lord Caitanya as Kṛṣṇa. Remember who is acting in the pastime.
  6. 6Take one thing into your day. Note one point and one practice.
Read the full guide: how to read Caitanya Caritamrta ›
Ādi-līlā · Chapter 10: The Trunk, Branches and Subbranches of the Caitanya Tree
Ādi 10.6Ādi 10.8

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Ādi 10.7

বন্দে শ্রীকৃষ্ণচৈতন্য–প্রেমামরতরোঃ প্রিয়ান্‌ ।

শাখারূপান্ ভক্তগণান্ কৃষ্ণপ্রেমফলপ্রদান্ ॥ ৭ ॥

vande śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-

premāmara-taroḥ priyān

śākhā-rūpān bhakta-gaṇān

kṛṣṇa-prema-phala-pradān

Translation

I offer my obeisances to all the dear devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the eternal tree of love of Godhead. I offer my respects to all the branches of the tree, the devotees of the Lord who distribute the fruit of love of Kṛṣṇa.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
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Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Respect All Genuine Preacher Devotees

  1. 1

    Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the eternal tree of love of Godhead. His devotees are branches who distribute the fruit of love of Kṛṣṇa.

  2. 2

    Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī offers equal respect to all the preacher devotees of Lord Caitanya. Enviously considering one preacher great and another lowly is a material distinction with no place in spiritual activities.

  3. 3

    A bona fide preacher must respect the real devotees of Lord Caitanya. ISKCON is one branch of this tree and should be respected by all sincere devotees of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Key points from the purport
  • Śrī Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī sets the example of offering obeisances to all the preacher devotees of Lord Caitanya, without distinction as to higher and lower.
  • Anyone who is a bona fide preacher of the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu must be respectful to the real devotees of Lord Caitanya; one should not be envious, considering one preacher to be very great and another to be very lowly.
  • ISKCON is one of these branches, and it should therefore be respected by all sincere devotees of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

How it feels

Belonging and gratitude. Many devotees become branches of one living network of devotion.

The mood of Ādi 10 as a whole, an editorial reading, not the text itself. See the emotional atlas

Further reading

Ādi 10: The Trunk, Branches and Subbranches of the Caitanya Tree

Śrīla Prabhupāda's summary of this chapter:

This chapter describes the branches of the tree named Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Back to this verse in Ādi 10
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Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. vandeI offer my obeisances
  2. śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanyato Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu
  3. prema-amara-taroḥof the eternal tree full of love of Godhead
  4. priyānthose who are devotees
  5. śākhā-rūpānrepresented as branches
  6. bhakta-gaṇānall the devotees
  7. kṛṣṇa-premaof love of Kṛṣṇa
  8. phalaof the fruit
  9. pradānthe givers
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Key ideas in this verse

The themes of love and mercy this verse speaks of.

  • Prema · Love of Godhead

    The culminating devotional purpose that unites the narration: bestowed, cultivated, taught, celebrated, and tasted. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “love of godhead”, “love of krsna”

  • Audārya · Love that moves outward

    The freely offered gift of bhakti and prema, especially through nāma-saṅkīrtana and Mahāprabhu’s compassionate dealings. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “distribute”

  • Kīrtana community · A movement of shared hearts

    Devotional community as a living network of branches, service, festivals, care, and collective chanting. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “branches”

Concept links are an editorial study map; only the verse is the text itself.

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Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How can you appreciate genuine preacher devotees without making envious comparisons?

Practice

Offer a respectful bow today to all who genuinely distribute love of Kṛṣṇa, without ranking them.

Live this todayRespect All Genuine Preacher DevoteesThis verse's lesson: one practice and one question for today

Study points are short summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport on Vedabase.

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