1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

Read one verse of Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta with its Bengali, transliteration, word meanings, translation and study points.

Or browse by līlā and chapter

Antya-līlā · 20 chapters

1234567891011121314151617181920
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 ›
Antya-līlā · Chapter 1: Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī’s Second Meeting with the Lord
Antya 1.161Antya 1.163

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Antya 1.162

সদ্বংশতস্তব জনিঃ পুরুষোত্তমস্য পাণৌ স্থিতির্মুরলিকে সরলাসি জাত্যা ।

কস্মাত্ত্বয়া সখি গুরোর্বিষমা গৃহীতা গোপাঙ্গনাগণবিমোহনমন্ত্রদীক্ষা ॥ ১৬২ ॥

sad-vaṁśatas tava janiḥ puruṣottamasya

pāṇau sthitir muralike saralāsi jātyā

kasmāt tvayā sakhi guror viṣamā gṛhītā

gopāṅganā-gaṇa-vimohana-mantra-dīkṣā

Translation

“ ‘My dear friend the flute, it appears that you have been born of a very good family, for your residence is in the hands of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. By birth you are simple and are not at all crooked. Why then have you taken initiation into this dangerous mantra that enchants the assembled gopīs?’

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Rādhārāṇī Questions the Enchanting Flute

  1. 1

    Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī addresses the flute as Her dear friend. She says it appears to come from a very good family because it resides in Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s hands.

  2. 2

    She describes the flute as simple by birth and not at all crooked.

  3. 3

    She then asks why it has taken initiation into a dangerous mantra that enchants the assembled gopīs. Her question contrasts its simplicity with its enchanting influence.

Key points from the purport
  • This verse (Vidagdha-mādhava 5.17) is spoken by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.

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

Recognition and encouragement. Rūpa’s devotional insight receives the Lord’s approval; even a dog receives mercy.

The mood of Antya 1 as a whole, an editorial reading, not the text itself. See the emotional atlas

Further reading

Antya 1: Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī’s Second Meeting with the Lord

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

One day Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Rāmānanda Rāya, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya and others went to the place of Haridāsa Ṭhākura and heard some of the verses Rūpa Gosvāmī had composed for his books Lalita-mādhava and Vidagdha-mādhava. After examining the manuscripts of these two books, Rāmānanda Rāya approved and appreciated them very much.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Antya 1
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. sat-vaṁśataḥvery respectable family
  2. tavayour
  3. janiḥbirth
  4. puruṣottamasyaof Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa
  5. pāṇauin the hands
  6. sthitiḥresidence
  7. muralikeO good flute
  8. saralāsimple
3

Key ideas in this verse

The themes of love and mercy this verse speaks of.

  • Kīrtana community · A movement of shared hearts

    Devotional community as a living network of branches, service, festivals, care, and collective chanting. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “assembled”

  • Vraja-smaraṇa · Remembrance of Vṛndāvana

    The remembered sweetness of Vraja that colors Mahāprabhu’s pilgrimage, Ratha-yātrā, and later states of separation. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “gopīs”

  • 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: “rādhārāṇī”

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 do you notice about the contrast between the flute’s simplicity and its power to enchant the gopīs?

Practice

Read Rādhārāṇī’s address aloud today, noticing how Her words move from friendly praise to a pointed question.

Live this todayRādhārāṇī Questions the Enchanting FluteThis 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 Antya 1.162? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
  1. Learn
  2. Live
  3. Lead
Next in Learn · 5 of 9 · 2 minAsk Caitanya CaritamrtaBring your own question. Get an answer drawn only from the book's translations, with every verse shown.Back · LearnLīlās & chapters