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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 4: The Confidential Reasons for the Appearance of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu
Ādi 4.51Ādi 4.53

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Ādi 4.52

অপারং কস্যাপি প্রণয়িজনবৃন্দস্য কুতুকী

রসস্তোমং হৃত্বা মধুরমুপভোক্তুং কমপি যঃ ।

রুচং স্বামাবব্রে দ্যুতিমিহ তদীয়াং প্রকটয়ন্‌

স দেবশ্চৈতন্যাকৃতিরতিতরাং নঃ কৃপয়তু ॥ ৫২ ॥

apāraṁ kasyāpi praṇayi-jana-vṛndasya kutukī

rasa-stomaṁ hṛtvā madhuram upabhoktuṁ kam api yaḥ

rucaṁ svām āvavre dyutim iha tadīyāṁ prakaṭayan

sa devaś caitanyākṛtir atitarāṁ naḥ kṛpayatu

Translation

“Lord Kṛṣṇa desired to taste the limitless nectarean mellows of the love of one of His multitude of loving damsels [Śrī Rādhā], and so He has assumed the form of Lord Caitanya. He has tasted that love while hiding His own dark complexion with Her effulgent yellow color. May that Lord Caitanya confer upon us His grace.”

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
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Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Kṛṣṇa Becomes Caitanya to Taste Rādhā’s Love

  1. 1

    Lord Kṛṣṇa desired to taste the limitless nectarean mellows of Śrī Rādhā’s love. For this purpose, He assumed the form of Lord Caitanya.

  2. 2

    He tasted that love while hiding His own dark complexion with Her effulgent yellow color.

  3. 3

    The prayer asks Lord Caitanya to confer His grace upon us. The purport identifies it as coming from the Stava-mālā of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.

Key points from the purport
  • texts 51 and 52 are, respectively, Prathama Śrī Caitanyā-ṣṭaka 2 and Dvitīya Śrī Caitanyāṣṭaka 3, from the Stava-mālā 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 third reason that Lord Caitanya appeared was to enjoy the bliss tasted by Rādhārāṇī. 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.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Ādi 4
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Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. apāramboundless
  2. kasya apiof someone
  3. praṇayi-jana-vṛndasyaof the multitude of lovers
  4. kutukīone who is curious
  5. rasa-stomamthe group of mellows
  6. hṛtvāstealing
  7. madhuramsweet
  8. upabhoktumto enjoy
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: “rādhā”, “rādhā’s”

  • 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 knowing that Lord Caitanya is Kṛṣṇa Himself shape my reading of this prayer?

Practice

Offer the verse’s simple prayer today: “May that Lord Caitanya confer upon us His grace.”

Live this todayKṛṣṇa Becomes Caitanya to Taste Rādhā’s 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.

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