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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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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 5.149

নিত্যানন্দ–স্বরূপ পূর্বে হইলা লক্ষ্মণ ।

লঘুভ্রাতা হৈয়া করে রামের সেবন ॥ ১৪৯ ॥

nityānanda-svarūpa pūrve ha-iyā lakṣmaṇa

laghu-bhrātā haiyā kare rāmera sevana

Translation

Lord Nityānanda Svarūpa formerly appeared as Lakṣmaṇa and served Lord Rāmacandra as His younger brother.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Nityānanda Svarūpa Formerly Served as Lakṣmaṇa

  1. 1

    Lord Nityānanda Svarūpa formerly appeared as Lakṣmaṇa and served Lord Rāmacandra as His younger brother.

  2. 2

    Nityānanda Prabhu maintained Himself as a brahmacārī and never took sannyāsa. His brahmacārī name was Nityānanda Svarūpa.

  3. 3

    In the Śaṅkara-sampradāya, brahmacārī assistants receive names according to the sannyāsī they serve. The name Svarūpa indicates that the sannyāsī under whom He lived must have belonged to the tīrthas or āśramas.

Key points from the purport
  • Among the sannyāsīs of the Śaṅkara-sampradāya there are different names for brahmacārīs.
  • Among such brahmacārīs there are four names: Svarūpa, Ānanda, Prakāśa and Caitanya.
  • As a brahmacārī His name was Nityānanda Svarūpa, and therefore the sannyāsī under whom He was living must have been from the tīrthas or āśramas of the Śaṅkara-sampradāya, because one of the names for the assistant brahmacārī of such a sannyāsī is Svarūpa.

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

Shelter and wonder. The glory of Nityānanda reveals the intimate support behind the descent.

The mood of Ādi 5 as a whole, an editorial reading, not the text itself. See the emotional atlas

Further reading

Ādi 5: The Glories Of Lord Nityānanda Balarāma

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

Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja’s brother invited Śrī Mīnaketana Rāmadāsa, a great devotee of Lord Nityānanda, to his home, but a priest named Guṇārṇava Miśra did not receive him well, and Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī’s brother, not recognizing the glories of Lord Nityānanda, also took sides with the priest. Therefore Rāmadāsa became sorry, broke his flute and went away.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Ādi 5
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. nityānanda-svarūpaLord Nityānanda Svarūpa
  2. pūrveformerly
  3. ha-iyābecoming
  4. lakṣmaṇaLakṣmaṇa, Lord Rāmacandra’s younger brother
  5. laghu-bhrātrā haiyābecoming the younger brother
  6. karedoes
  7. rāmera sevanaservice to Lord Rāmacandra
3

Key ideas in this verse

The themes of love and mercy this verse speaks of.

  • Sevā · Love translated into service

    Devotional service expressed through cleansing, caring, teaching, honoring others, and living as Kṛṣṇa’s servant. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “served”

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 His former appearance as Lakṣmaṇa deepen your understanding of Nityānanda Svarūpa’s service?

Practice

Write one sentence recalling whom Nityānanda Svarūpa served in His appearance as Lakṣmaṇa.

Live this todayNityānanda Svarūpa Formerly Served as LakṣmaṇaThis 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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