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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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Ādi-līlā · 17 chapters

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 ›

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Ādi 3.8

একাত্তর চতুর্যুগে এক মন্বন্তর ।

চৌদ্দ মন্বন্তর ব্রহ্মার দিবস ভিতর ॥ ৮ ॥

ekāttara catur-yuge eka manv-antara

caudda manv-antara brahmāra divasa bhitara

Translation

Seventy-one divya-yugas constitute one manv-antara. There are fourteen manv-antaras in one day of Brahmā.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Understanding the Time of Brahmā

  1. 1

    Seventy-one divya-yugas constitute one manv-antara, the period controlled by one Manu.

  2. 2

    The reign of fourteen Manus equals one day, or twelve hours, in the life of Brahmā. His night is of the same duration.

  3. 3

    These calculations are given in the authentic astronomy book Sūrya-siddhānta. Bimal Prasād Datta, later known as Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī, compiled an annotated Bengali translation and was honored with the title Siddhānta Sarasvatī.

Key points from the purport
  • A manv-antara is the period controlled by one Manu.
  • The reign of fourteen Manus equals the length of one day (twelve hours) in the life of Brahmā, and the night of Brahmā is of the same duration.
  • An annotated Bengali translation of this book was compiled by the great professor of astronomy and mathematics Bimal Prasād Datta, later known as Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī, who was our merciful spiritual master.

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

Compassion and urgency. The holy name is offered for the age; divine love moves outward toward others.

The mood of Ādi 3 as a whole, an editorial reading, not the text itself. See the emotional atlas

Further reading

Ādi 3: The External Reasons for the Appearance of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu

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

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, after displaying His pastimes as Lord Kṛṣṇa, thought it wise to make His advent in the form of a devotee to explain personally the transcendental mellows of reciprocal service and love exchanged between Himself and His servants, friends, parents and fiancées. According to the Vedic literature, the foremost occupational duty for humanity in this Age of Kali is nāma-saṅkīrtana, or congregational chanting of the holy name of the Lord.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Ādi 3
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. ekāttaraseventy-one
  2. catuḥ-yugein cycles of four ages
  3. ekaone
  4. manu-antaraperiod of a Manu
  5. cauddafourteen
  6. manu-antaraperiods of Manu
  7. brahmāraof Lord Brahmā
  8. divasaa day
  9. bhitarawithin
3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How does learning these units of time broaden my sense of the duration of Brahmā's day?

Practice

Make a two-line note: '71 divya-yugas = one manv-antara' and '14 manv-antaras = one day of Brahmā.'

Live this todayUnderstanding the Time of BrahmāThis 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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