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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 16: The Pastimes of the Lord in His Childhood and Youth
Ādi 16.70Ādi 16.72

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Ādi 16.71

রসালঙ্কারবৎ কাব্যং দোষযুক্‌ চেদ্বিভূষিতম্ ।

স্যাদ্বপুঃ সুন্দরমপি শ্বিত্রেণৈকেন দুর্ভগম্ ॥ ৭১ ॥

rasālaṅkāra-vat kāvyaṁ

doṣa-yuk ced vibhūṣitam

syād vapuḥ sundaram api

śvitreṇaikena durbhagam

Translation

“ ‘As one’s body, although well-decorated with ornaments, is made unfortunate by even one spot of white leprosy, so an entire poem is made useless by a fault, despite alliteration, similes and metaphors.’

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Poetic Beauty Cannot Overcome a Fault

  1. 1

    The comparison describes an ornamented body made unfortunate by even one spot of white leprosy.

  2. 2

    Similarly, a fault makes an entire poem useless.

  3. 3

    Alliteration, similes and metaphors do not prevent that fault from spoiling the poem.

How it feels

Grief and transformed pride. Lakṣmīdevī’s departure brings sorrow; Keśava Kāśmīrī’s pride yields to surrender.

The mood of Ādi 16 as a whole, an editorial reading, not the text itself. See the emotional atlas

Further reading

Ādi 16: The Pastimes of the Lord in His Childhood and Youth

From Śrīla Prabhupāda's chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

In this prayer the Lord found five kinds of literary ornaments and five kinds of literary faults, thus defeating the paṇḍita. Later the Kāśmīrī Paṇḍita, who was known to have been victorious all over the country, submitted himself to the goddess of learning, and by her order he met Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu on the morning of the next day and surrendered unto Him.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Ādi 16
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. rasawith humors
  2. alaṅkāra-vatwith ornaments (metaphors, similes, etc.)
  3. kāvyampoetry
  4. doṣa-yukfaulty
  5. cetif
  6. vibhūṣitamvery nicely decorated
  7. syātit becomes so
  8. vapuḥthe body
3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Do beautiful sounds and comparisons distract me from checking a poem's faults?

Practice

Read a short poem once for its ornaments and once for any faulty expression.

Live this todayPoetic Beauty Cannot Overcome a FaultThis 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.

Ask Caitanya CaritamrtaHave a question about CC Ādi 16.71? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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