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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 5: The Glories Of Lord Nityānanda Balarāma
Ādi 5.88Ādi 5.90

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Ādi 5.89

আমি ত’ জগতে বসি, জগৎ আমাতে ।

না আমি জগতে বসি, না আমা জগতে ॥ ৮৯ ॥

āmi ta’ jagate vasi, jagat āmāte

nā āmi jagate vasi, nā āmā jagate

Translation

[Lord Kṛṣṇa said:] “I am situated in the material world, and the world rests in Me. But at the same time I am not situated in the material world, nor does it rest in Me in truth.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Creation Depends on the Transcendent Lord

  1. 1

    Nothing can exist unless energized by the Lord’s will. The entire manifested creation therefore rests on His energy.

  2. 2

    Material nature and its products are never identical with the Supreme Lord. A cloud rests in the sky, but the cloud and sky are not the same.

  3. 3

    When the Lord descends, He remains transcendental and unaffected by material qualities. In both the spiritual and material worlds, He always controls all energies.

Key points from the purport
  • The entire manifested creation is therefore resting on the energy of the Lord, but one should not therefore presume that the material manifestation is identical with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
  • Similarly, the qualitative material nature and its products are never identical with the Supreme Lord.
  • The tendency to lord it over material nature, or māyā, cannot be a feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

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:

Beyond the limitation of this material world is the spiritual sky, paravyoma, which has many spiritual planets, the supreme of which is called Kṛṣṇaloka. Kṛṣṇaloka, the abode of Kṛṣṇa, has three divisions, which are known as Dvārakā, Mathurā and Gokula.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Ādi 5
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. āmiI
  2. ta’certainly
  3. jagatein the material world
  4. vasisituated
  5. jagatthe whole material creation
  6. āmātein Me
  7. nānot
  8. āmiI
3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How does the cloud and sky example help you distinguish the Lord from His material creation?

Practice

Write a short reminder today: “Creation rests on the Lord’s energy, but it is not identical with Him.”

Live this todayCreation Depends on the Transcendent LordThis 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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