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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 4: The Confidential Reasons for the Appearance of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu
Ādi 4.116Ādi 4.118

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Ādi 4.117

বাচা সূচিতশর্বরীরতিকলাপ্রাগল্‌ভ্যয়া রাধিকাং

ব্রীড়াকুঞ্চিতলোচনাং বিরচয়ন্নগ্রে সখীনামসৌ ।

তদ্বক্ষোরুহচিত্রকেলিমকরীপাণ্ডিত্যপারং গতঃ

কৈশোরং সফলীকরোতি কলয়ন্‌ কুঞ্জে বিহারং হরিঃ ॥ ১১৭ ॥

vācā sūcita-śarvarī-rati-kalā-prāgalbhyayā rādhikāṁ

vrīḍā-kuñcita-locanāṁ viracayann agre sakhīnām asau

tad-vakṣo-ruha-citra-keli-makarī-pāṇḍitya-pāraṁ gataḥ

kaiśoraṁ saphalī-karoti kalayan kuñje vihāraṁ hariḥ

Translation

“Lord Kṛṣṇa made Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī close Her eyes in shame before Her friends by His words relating Their amorous activities on the previous night. Then He showed the highest limit of cleverness in drawing pictures of dolphins in various playful sports on Her breasts. In this way Lord Hari made His youth successful by performing pastimes in the bushes with Śrī Rādhā and Her friends.”

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Lord Hari’s Youth Fulfilled in Loving Pastimes

  1. 1

    Lord Kṛṣṇa’s words about Their previous night’s amorous activities made Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī close Her eyes in shame before Her friends.

  2. 2

    He showed the highest limit of cleverness by drawing pictures of dolphins in playful sports on Her breasts.

  3. 3

    Lord Hari made His youth successful through pastimes in the bushes with Śrī Rādhā and Her friends. The purport identifies this verse as from Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī’s Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu.

Key points from the purport
  • This is a verse from the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (2.1.231) of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.

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:

The Lord thought that undoubtedly Rādhārāṇī enjoyed His company and He enjoyed the company of Rādhārāṇī, but the exchange of transcendental mellow between the spiritual couple was more pleasing to Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī than to Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Rādhārāṇī felt more transcendental pleasure in the company of Kṛṣṇa than He could understand without taking Her position, but for Śrī Kṛṣṇa to enjoy in the position of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī was impossible because that position was completely foreign to Him.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Ādi 4
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. vācāby speech
  2. sūcitarevealing
  3. śarvarīof the night
  4. ratiin amorous pastimes
  5. kalāof the portion
  6. prāgalbhyayāthe impudence
  7. rādhikāmŚrīmatī Rādhārāṇī
  8. vrīḍāfrom shame
3

Key ideas in this verse

The themes of love and mercy this verse speaks of.

  • Rādhā-bhāva · The confidential inner purpose

    The Lord’s desire to taste the love and perspective of Śrī Rādhā, illuminated by later ecstatic pastimes. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “rādhārāṇī”

  • Nāma-saṅkīrtana · The holy name shared together

    Chanting the holy names as the yuga-dharma, the Lord’s public movement, and the opening prayer of Śikṣāṣṭaka. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “hari”

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

What does the verse identify as making Lord Hari’s youth successful?

Practice

Reread the final sentence of the translation and note its conclusion about Lord Hari’s youth.

Live this todayLord Hari’s Youth Fulfilled in Loving PastimesThis 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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