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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

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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 4.14Ādi 4.17

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Texts Ādi 4.15-16

প্রেমরস–নির্যাস করিতে আস্বাদন ।

রাগমার্গ ভক্তি লোকে করিতে প্রচারণ ॥ ১৫ ॥

রসিক–শেখর কৃষ্ণ পরমকরুণ ।

এই দুই হেতু হৈতে ইচ্ছার উদ্‌গম ॥ ১৬ ॥

prema-rasa-niryāsa karite āsvādana

rāga-mārga bhakti loke karite pracāraṇa

Translation

The Lord’s desire to appear was born from two reasons: the Lord wanted to taste the sweet essence of the mellows of love of God, and He wanted to propagate devotional service in the world on the platform of spontaneous attraction. Thus He is known as supremely jubilant and as the most merciful of all.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Kṛṣṇa Appears to Taste and Share Love

  1. 1

    The Lord wanted to taste the sweet essence of love of God and spread devotional service based on spontaneous attraction. Thus He is supremely jubilant and most merciful.

  2. 2

    His pastimes at Vrajabhūmi exhibit the highest exchanges of reciprocal love between the living entity and the Supreme Lord. These exchanges are called rāga-bhakti, devotional service in transcendental rapture.

  3. 3

    Kṛṣṇa is more attracted by rāga-bhakti than by vidhi-bhakti, devotional service under scheduled regulations, and mercifully wants to bestow this privilege upon us. He appeared through His own internal energy, not under any outside force.

Key points from the purport
  • But the real purpose of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s appearance was to stage a dramatic performance of His transcendental pastimes at Vrajabhūmi, thus exhibiting the highest limit of transcendental mellow in the exchanges of reciprocal love between the living entity and the Supreme Lord.
  • These reciprocal exchanges of mellows are called rāga-bhakti, or devotional service to the Lord in transcendental rapture.
  • Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa wants to make known to all the conditioned souls that He is more attracted by rāga-bhakti than vidhi-bhakti, or devotional service under scheduled regulations.

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:

Thus the subject, the Lord, wanted to relish the loving mellow in the position of the object, Rādhārāṇī. The second reason for His appearance was to understand the transcendental mellow of Himself.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Ādi 4
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. prema-rasaof the mellow of love of God
  2. niryāsathe essence
  3. kariteto do
  4. āsvādanatasting
  5. rāga-mārgathe path of spontaneous attraction
  6. bhaktidevotional service
  7. lokein the world
  8. kariteto do
3

Key ideas in this verse

The themes of love and mercy this verse speaks of.

  • Why this verse matters

    The two linked purposes: relishing loving mellows and spreading devotional service through spontaneous attraction.

  • Prema · Love of Godhead

    The culminating devotional purpose that unites the narration: bestowed, cultivated, taught, celebrated, and tasted. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “love”

  • Bhāva & rasa · The language of sacred feeling

    Transcendental devotional moods and relationships, discussed explicitly in Rāmānanda’s dialogue and the teachings on prema. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “mellows”

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 does Kṛṣṇa’s desire to share loving exchanges shape your understanding of devotional service?

Practice

Before one act of devotional service today, pause and offer it with a sincere desire to serve the Lord with love.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa Appears to Taste and Share LoveThis 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 4.15-16? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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