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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 ›

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Antya 16.124

সচেতন রহু দূরে, অচেতন সচেতন করে, তোমার অধর — বড় বাজিকর ।

তোমার বেণু শুষ্কেন্ধন, তার জন্মায় ইন্দ্রিয়-মন, তারে আপনা পিয়ায় নিরন্তর ॥ ১২৪ ॥

sacetana rahu dūre, acetana sacetana kare,

tomāra adhara — baḍa vājikara

tomāra veṇu śuṣkendhana, tāra janmāya indriya-mana,

tāre āpanā piyāya nirantara

Translation

“Aside from conscious living beings, even unconscious matter is sometimes made conscious by Your lips. Therefore, Your lips are great magicians. Paradoxically, although Your flute is nothing but dry wood, Your lips constantly make it drink their nectar. They create a mind and senses in the dry wooden flute and give it transcendental bliss.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Kṛṣṇa’s Lips Give Bliss to Dry Wood

  1. 1

    Kṛṣṇa’s lips are called great magicians because they make even unconscious matter conscious.

  2. 2

    Although the flute is only dry wood, His lips constantly make it drink their nectar.

  3. 3

    His lips create a mind and senses in the wooden flute and give it transcendental bliss.

How it feels

Sweetness amidst longing. Jagannātha’s prasādam awakens intense awareness of Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness.

The mood of Antya 16 as a whole, an editorial reading, not the text itself. See the emotional atlas

Further reading

Antya 16: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Tastes Nectar from the Lips of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa

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

When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ate the remnants of food known as vallabha-bhoga, He described the glories of such remnants of the Lord’s food and then fed all the devotees the prasādam. Thus they all tasted adharāmṛta, the nectar from the lips of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Antya 16
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. sa-cetanaconscious living beings
  2. rahu dūreleave aside
  3. acetanaunconscious
  4. sa-cetanaconscious
  5. karemake
  6. tomāraYour
  7. adharalips
  8. baḍavery great
3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What strikes you about dry wood receiving transcendental bliss through Kṛṣṇa’s lips?

Practice

Write one sentence describing why this verse calls Kṛṣṇa’s lips “great magicians.”

Live this todayKṛṣṇa’s Lips Give Bliss to Dry WoodThis 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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