1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

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

Or browse by līlā and chapter

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 4.1

শ্রীচৈতন্যপ্রসাদেন তদ্রূপস্য বিনির্ণয়ম্‌ ।

বালোঽপি কুরুতে শাস্ত্রং দৃষ্ট্বা ব্রজবিলাসিনঃ ॥ ১ ॥

śrī-caitanya-prasādena

tad-rūpasya vinirṇayam

bālo ’pi kurute śāstraṁ

dṛṣṭvā vraja-vilāsinaḥ

Translation

By the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, even a foolish child can fully describe the real nature of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the enjoyer of the pastimes of Vraja, according to the vision of the revealed scriptures.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Understanding Kṛṣṇa Through Lord Caitanya’s Mercy

  1. 1

    Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the absolute Personality of Godhead, cannot be known through mundane instruments of vision. He reserves the right not to reveal Himself through the intellectual feats of nondevotees.

  2. 2

    By Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s causeless mercy, even a small child can understand Kṛṣṇa and His transcendental pastimes in Vṛndāvana.

  3. 3

    This mercy enables one to describe Kṛṣṇa’s real nature according to the vision of the revealed scriptures.

Key points from the purport
  • One can ascertain the meaning of this Sanskrit śloka only when one is endowed with the causeless mercy of Lord Caitanya.
  • Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, being the absolute Personality of Godhead, cannot be exposed to the mundane instruments of vision.
  • Notwithstanding this truth, even a small child can easily understand Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His transcendental pastimes in the land of Vṛndāvana by the grace 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

Profound longing. Kṛṣṇa desires to taste Rādhā’s love, His own sweetness as She sees it, and Her joy.

The mood of Ādi 4 as a whole, an editorial reading, not the text itself. See the emotional atlas

Further reading

Ādi 4: The Confidential Reasons for the Appearance of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu

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

In this chapter of the epic Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī has stressed that Lord Caitanya appeared for three principal purposes of His own. The first purpose was to relish the position of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, who is the prime reciprocator of transcendental love of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Ādi 4
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. śrī-caitanya-prasādenaby the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu
  2. tatof Him
  3. rūpasyaof the form
  4. vinirṇayamcomplete determination
  5. bālaḥa child
  6. apieven
  7. kurutemakes
  8. śāstramthe revealed scriptures
  9. dṛṣṭvāhaving seen
  10. vraja-vilāsinaḥwho enjoys the pastimes of Vraja
3

Key ideas in this verse

The themes of love and mercy this verse speaks of.

  • Vraja-smaraṇa · Remembrance of Vṛndāvana

    The remembered sweetness of Vraja that colors Mahāprabhu’s pilgrimage, Ratha-yātrā, and later states of separation. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “vraja”, “vṛndāvana”

  • Kṛpā & transformation · Mercy changes a life

    Transformative encounters with grace, from scholars and travelers to renunciants and householders. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “mercy”

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

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How can I approach understanding Kṛṣṇa with dependence on Lord Caitanya’s mercy rather than my intellect alone?

Practice

Before studying today, briefly ask Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu for mercy to understand Kṛṣṇa.

Live this todayUnderstanding Kṛṣṇa Through Lord Caitanya’s MercyThis 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 4.1? Get an answer from the verses themselves.