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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 ›
Antya-līlā · Chapter 15: The Transcendental Madness of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu
Antya 15.69Antya 15.71

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Antya 15.70

বীক্ষ্যালকাবৃতমুখং তব কুণ্ডলশ্রি গণ্ডস্থলাধরসুধং হসিতাবলোকম্ ।

দত্তাভয়ঞ্চ ভুজদণ্ডযুগং বিলোক্য বক্ষঃ শ্রিয়ৈকরমণঞ্চ ভবাম দাস্যঃ ॥ ৭০ ॥

vīkṣyālakāvṛta-mukhaṁ tava kuṇḍala-śrī-

gaṇḍa-sthalādhara-sudhaṁ hasitāvalokam

dattābhayaṁ ca bhuja-daṇḍa-yugaṁ vilokya

vakṣaḥ śriyaika-ramaṇaṁ ca bhavāma dāsyaḥ

Translation

“ ‘Dear Kṛṣṇa, by seeing Your beautiful face decorated with tresses of hair, by seeing the beauty of Your earrings falling on Your cheeks, and by seeing the nectar of Your lips, the beauty of Your smiling glances, Your two arms, which assure complete fearlessness, and Your broad chest, whose beauty arouses conjugal attraction, we have simply surrendered ourselves to becoming Your maidservants.’”

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Kṛṣṇa’s Beauty Inspires Surrender to Service

  1. 1

    The gopīs spoke this verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam when they arrived before Kṛṣṇa for the rāsa dance.

  2. 2

    They describe His beautiful face, tresses of hair, earrings, nectarean lips and smiling glances. His two arms assure complete fearlessness, and His broad chest arouses conjugal attraction.

  3. 3

    Seeing this beauty, the gopīs declare that they have surrendered themselves to become Kṛṣṇa’s maidservants.

Key points from the purport
  • This verse quoted from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.29.39) was spoken by the gopīs when they arrived before Kṛṣṇa for the rāsa dance.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

Connected verses· 1

The purport of CC Antya 15.70 quotesSB 10.29.39

This verse quoted from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.29.39) was spoken by the gopīs when they arrived before Kṛṣṇa for the rāsa dance.

Each link is a verse the purport itself quotes, or a purport elsewhere that quotes this verse, shown with the purport's own words.

How it feels

Absorbed searching. The Lord lives the gopīs’ search for Kṛṣṇa with ecstatic transformations.

The mood of Antya 15 as a whole, an editorial reading, not the text itself. See the emotional atlas

Further reading

Antya 15: The Transcendental Madness of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu

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

Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī recited a verse from the Gīta-govinda just suitable to the Lord’s emotions. Caitanya Mahāprabhu then exhibited the ecstatic transformations known as bhāvodaya, bhāva-sandhi, bhāva-śābalya and so on.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Antya 15
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. vīkṣyaseeing
  2. alaka-āvṛtadecorated with curling tresses of hair
  3. mukhamface
  4. tavaYour
  5. kuṇḍala-śrīthe beauty of the earrings
  6. gaṇḍa-sthalafalling on Your cheeks
  7. adhara-sudhamand the nectar of Your lips
  8. hasita-avalokamYour smiling glance
3

Key ideas in this verse

The themes of love and mercy this verse speaks of.

  • 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: “conjugal”, “rāsa”

  • Śaraṇāgati · Taking shelter

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

    In this verse: “surrendered”

  • 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”

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 do the gopīs connect their appreciation of Kṛṣṇa’s beauty with their wish to serve Him?

Practice

Read the gopīs’ declaration of surrender aloud, paying special attention to their desire to become Kṛṣṇa’s maidservants.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa’s Beauty Inspires Surrender to ServiceThis 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 15.70? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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