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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 5.120

দুই-ঠাঞি অপরাধে পাইবি দুর্গতি ! অতত্ত্বজ্ঞ ‘তত্ত্ব’ বর্ণে, তার এই রীতি ! ১২০ ।। ॥ ১২০ ॥

dui-ṭhāñi aparādhe pāibi durgati!

atattva-jña ‘tattva’ varṇe, tāra ei rīti!

Translation

Svarūpa Dāmodara continued, “Because you have committed an offense to Lord Jagannātha and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, you will attain a hellish destination. You do not know how to describe the Absolute Truth, but nevertheless you have tried to do so. Therefore you must be condemned.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
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Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Learn Before Describing the Absolute Truth

  1. 1

    The poet tried to describe the Absolute Truth without knowledge of it. Svarūpa Dāmodara condemned this as offensive and warned of a hellish destination.

  2. 2

    The poet separated Lord Jagannātha’s body from His soul and indicated that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was different from Lord Jagannātha. In this way, he offended both Lords.

  3. 3

    One who lacks knowledge of the Absolute Truth is called a-tattva-jña. Describing the Absolute Truth from a position of bodily self-worship, fruitive activity or sense gratification leads to offense.

Key points from the purport
  • The brāhmaṇa poet from Bengal was an offender in the estimation of Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, for although the poet had no knowledge of the Absolute Truth, he had nevertheless tried to describe it.
  • The Bengali poet was an offender to both Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Lord Jagannātha.
  • If an ahaṅgrahopāsaka-māyāvādī, a person engaged in fruitive activities or a person interested only in sense gratification describes the Absolute Truth, he immediately becomes an offender.

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

Humility and discernment. The Lord directs a seeker to Rāmānanda and clarifies genuine spiritual qualification.

The mood of Antya 5 as a whole, an editorial reading, not the text itself. See the emotional atlas

Further reading

Antya 5: How Pradyumna Miśra Received Instructions from Rāmānanda Rāya

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

Although Svarūpa Dāmodara condemned the entire drama, by reference to secondary meanings of the introductory verse he nevertheless satisfied the brāhmaṇa. That brāhmaṇa poet thus became greatly obliged to Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, renounced his family connections and stayed at Jagannātha Purī with the associates of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Antya 5
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Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. dui-ṭhāñiunto both
  2. aparādheby offense
  3. pāibiyou will get
  4. durgatihellish destination
  5. a-tattva-jñaone who has no knowledge of the Absolute Truth
  6. tattva varṇedescribes the Absolute Truth
  7. tārahis
  8. eithis
  9. rīticourse
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Key ideas in this verse

The themes of love and mercy this verse speaks of.

  • Vipralambha · Love in separation

    Separation that intensifies remembrance and longing; especially central to the confidential pastimes at Purī. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “separated”

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

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Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Am I willing to acknowledge what I do not yet understand before speaking about the Lord?

Practice

Choose one statement you would make about the Lord and check it against this translation and purport.

Live this todayLearn Before Describing the Absolute TruthThis 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 5.120? Get an answer from the verses themselves.