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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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Antya-līlā · 20 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 · Text Antya 20.156

পরিমলবাসিতভুবনং স্বরসোন্মাদিত-রসজ্ঞ-রোলম্বম্ ।

গিরিধরচরণাম্ভোজং কঃ খলু রসিকঃ সমীহতে হাতুম্ ॥ ১৫৬ ॥

parimala-vāsita-bhuvanaṁ sva-rasonmādita-rasajña-rolambam

giridhara-caraṇāmbhojaṁ kaḥ khalu rasikaḥ samīhate hātum

Translation

Realized devotees are like bumblebees maddened by their own mellows at Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet. The scent of those lotus feet perfumes the entire world. Who is the realized soul that could give them up?

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.

Devotees Treasure Kṛṣṇa’s Lotus Feet

  1. 1

    Realized devotees are compared to bumblebees maddened by their own mellows, or devotional tastes, at Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet.

  2. 2

    The scent of those lotus feet perfumes the entire world.

  3. 3

    The closing question expresses how precious Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet are: what realized soul could give them up?

How it feels

Unconditional devotion. Eight prayers move from cleansing the heart to love that endures even without reciprocation.

The mood of Antya 20 as a whole, an editorial reading, not the text itself. See the emotional atlas

Further reading

Antya 20: The Śikṣāṣṭaka Prayers

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

Altogether the Lord was present in this mortal world for forty-eight years. After hinting about the Lord’s disappearance, the author of the Caitanya-caritāmṛta gives a short description of the entire Antya-līlā and then ends his book.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Antya 20
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. parimalawith the scent
  2. vāsitaperfumed
  3. bhuvanamthe whole world
  4. sva-rasa-unmāditainspired by their own mellows
  5. rasa-jñadevotees
  6. rolambamlike bumblebees
  7. giridhara-caraṇa-ambhojamthe lotus feet of Lord Giridhārī
  8. kaḥwho
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: “mellows”

  • 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”

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 does the image of bumblebees suggest to me about the devotees’ attraction to Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet?

Practice

Spend a quiet minute today remembering Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet through the image of their fragrance perfuming the world.

Live this todayDevotees Treasure Kṛṣṇa’s Lotus FeetThis 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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