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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 17: The Pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His Youth
Ādi 17.157Ādi 17.159

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Ādi 17.158

তোমার বেদেতে আছে গোবধের বাণী ।

অতএব গোবধ করে বড় বড় মুনি ॥ ১৫৮ ॥

tomāra vedete āche go-vadhera vāṇī

ataeva go-vadha kare baḍa baḍa muni

Translation

As a learned scholar, the Kazi challenged Caitanya Mahāprabhu, “In Your Vedic scriptures there is an injunction for killing a cow. On the strength of this injunction, great sages performed sacrifices involving cow-killing.”

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.

The Kazi Challenges the Scriptural Position

  1. 1

    The Kazi approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s position as a learned scholar.

  2. 2

    He claimed that the Vedic scriptures contain an injunction for killing a cow.

  3. 3

    To support his challenge, he said that great sages had performed sacrifices involving cow-killing on the strength of that injunction.

How it feels

Public courage and ecstatic joy. The saṅkīrtana movement confronts opposition and moves toward recognition and expansion.

The mood of Ādi 17 as a whole, an editorial reading, not the text itself. See the emotional atlas

Further reading

Ādi 17: The Pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His Youth

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

In this chapter we shall find descriptions of the mango distribution festival and Lord Caitanya’s discourses with Chand Kazi. Finally, the chapter shows that the same son of mother Yaśodā, Lord Kṛṣṇa, tasted four transcendental mellows of devotional service in His form of Śacīnandana, the son of mother Śacī.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Ādi 17
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. tomāra vedetein Your Vedic literatures
  2. āchethere is
  3. go-vadherafor cow-killing
  4. vāṇīinjunction
  5. ataevatherefore
  6. go-vadhacow-killing
  7. karedoes
  8. baḍa baḍavery, very great
  9. munisages
3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Can you distinguish the Kazi’s claim from the evidence he offers for it?

Practice

Write one sentence summarizing the Kazi’s challenge, clearly identifying it as his claim.

Live this todayThe Kazi Challenges the Scriptural PositionThis 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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