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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

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 · Texts Ādi 5.27-28

স্বরূপবিগ্রহ কৃষ্ণের কেবল দ্বিভুজ ।

নারায়ণরূপে সেই তনু চতুর্ভুজ ॥ ২৭ ॥

শঙ্খ–চক্র–গদা–পদ্ম, মহৈশ্বর্যময় ।

শ্রী–ভূ–নীলা–শক্তি যাঁর চরণ সেবয় ॥ ২৮ ॥

svarūpa-vigraha kṛṣṇera kevala dvi-bhuja

nārāyaṇa-rūpe sei tanu catur-bhuja

Translation

Kṛṣṇa’s own form has only two hands, but in the form of Lord Nārāyaṇa He has four hands. Lord Nārāyaṇa holds a conchshell, disc, club and lotus flower, and He is full of great opulence. The śrī, bhū and nīlā energies serve at His lotus feet.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Nārāyaṇa’s Form, Opulence and Serving Energies

  1. 1

    Kṛṣṇa’s own form has two hands, while His form as Lord Nārāyaṇa has four. Nārāyaṇa holds a conchshell, disc, club and lotus flower and is full of great opulence.

  2. 2

    The śrī, bhū and nīlā energies serve four-handed Nārāyaṇa at His lotus feet in Vaikuṇṭha.

  3. 3

    The Rāmānuja and Madhva sects of Vaiṣṇavism describe these energies extensively. In Bengal, the nīlā energy is sometimes called the līlā energy.

Key points from the purport
  • In the Rāmānuja and Madhva sects of Vaiṣṇavism there are extensive descriptions of the śrī, bhū and nīlā energies.
  • These three energies are employed in the service of four-handed Nārāyaṇa in Vaikuṇṭha.
  • Relating how three of the Ālvārs, namely Bhūta-yogī, Sara-yogī and Bhrānta-yogī, saw Nārāyaṇa in person when they took shelter at the house of a brāhmaṇa in the village of Gehalī, the Prapannāmṛta of the Śrī-sampradāya describes Nārāyaṇa as follows:

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:

On each Vaikuṇṭha planet a four-handed Nārāyaṇa, expanded from the first quadruple manifestation, is present. The Personality of Godhead known as Śrī Balarāma in Kṛṣṇaloka is the original Saṅkarṣaṇa (attracting Deity), and from this Saṅkarṣaṇa expands another Saṅkarṣaṇa, called Mahā-saṅkarṣaṇa, who resides in one of the Vaikuṇṭha planets.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Ādi 5
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Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. svarūpa-vigrahapersonal form
  2. kṛṣṇeraof Lord Kṛṣṇa
  3. kevalaonly
  4. dvi-bhujatwo hands
  5. nārāyaṇa-rūpein the form of Lord Nārāyaṇa
  6. seithat
  7. tanubody
  8. catuḥ-bhujafour-handed
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Key ideas in this verse

The themes of love and mercy this verse speaks of.

  • Śaraṇāgati · Taking shelter

    Turning toward Kṛṣṇa through shelter, surrender, dependence on guru, and unconditional devotional fidelity. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “lotus feet”

  • 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: “serve”

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 draws your attention to the energies serving at Nārāyaṇa’s lotus feet?

Practice

Write down the four objects Nārāyaṇa holds, then reread how His energies serve Him.

Live this todayNārāyaṇa’s Form, Opulence and Serving EnergiesThis 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 5.27-28? Get an answer from the verses themselves.