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Study a Verse

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

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How to study this verse, in six steps

1Say the verse. Read the transliteration aloud, slowly.
2Read the word meanings. Go through each word and its meaning.
3Read the translation. Ask: what is happening here, and who is it about?
4Read the purport slowly. Read it twice. Don't rush.
5See Lord Caitanya as Kṛṣṇa. Remember who is acting in the pastime.
6Take one thing into your day. Note one point and one practice.

Read the full guide: how to read Caitanya Caritamrta ›

Antya-līlā · Chapter 3: The Glories of Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura

Antya 3.265 Antya 3.267

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Antya 3.266

মায়া-দাসী ‘প্রেম’ মাগে, — ইথে কি বিস্ময় ? ‘সাধুকৃপা’-‘নাম’ বিনা ‘প্রেম’ না জন্মায় ॥ ২৬৬ ॥

māyā-dāsī ‘prema’ māge, — ithe ki vismaya?

‘sādhu-kṛpā’-‘nāma’ vinā ‘prema’ nā janmaya

Translation

What is the wonder if the maidservant of Kṛṣṇa, His external energy, begs for love of Godhead? Without the mercy of a devotee and without the chanting of the holy name of the Lord, love of Godhead cannot be possible.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

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

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Devotee Mercy and Chanting Are Essential

1
Kṛṣṇa’s external energy is His maidservant.
2
There is no cause for wonder when even His external energy begs for love of Godhead.
3
Without the mercy of a devotee and without chanting the Lord’s holy name, love of Godhead cannot be possible.

How it feels

Steadfast compassion. Haridāsa’s spiritual conviction and the reach of the holy name confront prejudice and temptation.

The mood of Antya 3 as a whole, an editorial reading, not the text itself. See the emotional atlas

Antya 3: The Glories of Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura

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

Haridāsa Ṭhākura later left Cāndapura and went to the house of Advaita Ācārya, where he was tested by Māyādevī, the personification of the external energy. She also received his favor by being blessed with the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in Antya 3

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

māyā-dāsīthe external energy is a maidservant
prema māgeshe wants love of Godhead
ithein this
ki vismayawhat is the wonder
sādhu-kṛpāthe mercy of the devotee
nāmachanting of the holy name
vināwithout
premalove of Godhead
nā janmayais not possible

Key ideas in this verse

The themes of love and mercy this verse speaks of.

Nāma-saṅkīrtana · The holy name shared together
Chanting the holy names as the yuga-dharma, the Lord’s public movement, and the opening prayer of Śikṣāṣṭaka. · In the Prema Atlas
In this verse: “chanting”, “holy name”
Kṛpā & transformation · Mercy changes a life
Transformative encounters with grace, from scholars and travelers to renunciants and householders. · In the Prema Atlas
In this verse: “mercy”
Prema · Love of Godhead
The culminating devotional purpose that unites the narration: bestowed, cultivated, taught, celebrated, and tasted. · In the Prema Atlas
In this verse: “love of godhead”

Concept links are an editorial study map; only the verse is the text itself.

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How can you seek a devotee’s mercy while giving time to chanting?

Practice

Ask a devotee for help with your chanting, and chant the Lord’s holy name today.

Live this todayDevotee Mercy and Chanting Are EssentialThis 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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