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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 5: How Pradyumna Miśra Received Instructions from Rāmānanda Rāya

Antya 5.136 Antya 5.138

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Antya 5.137

বাচালং বালিশং স্তব্ধমজ্ঞং পণ্ডিতমানিনম্ ।

কৃষ্ণং মর্ত্যমুপাশ্রিত্য গোপা মে চক্রুরপ্রিয়ম্ ॥ ১৩৭ ॥

vācālaṁ bāliśaṁ stabdham

ajñaṁ paṇḍita-māninam

kṛṣṇaṁ martyam upāśritya

gopā me cakrur apriyam

Translation

“[Lord Indra said:] ‘This Kṛṣṇa, who is an ordinary human being, is talkative, childish, impudent and ignorant, although He thinks Himself very learned. The cowherd men in Vṛndāvana have offended me by accepting Him. This has not been greatly appreciated by me.’

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Indra Mistakes Kṛṣṇa for an Ordinary Person

1
Indra described Kṛṣṇa as an ordinary human being.
2
He called Kṛṣṇa talkative, childish, impudent and ignorant, while claiming that Kṛṣṇa thought Himself very learned.
3
Indra felt offended because the cowherd men in Vṛndāvana had accepted Kṛṣṇa.

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

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 summary Back to this verse in Antya 5

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

vācālamtalkative
bāliśamchildish
stabdhamimpudent
ajñamfoolish
paṇḍita-māninamthinking Himself a very learned scholar
kṛṣṇamKṛṣṇa
martyaman ordinary mortal human being
upāśrityataking shelter of

Key ideas in this verse

The themes of love and mercy this verse speaks of.

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: “vṛndāvana”, “cowherd”

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

Do I let feeling personally offended shape the way I speak about others?

Practice

Before responding to something that displeases you today, pause and check whether your words are becoming insulting.

Live this todayIndra Mistakes Kṛṣṇa for an Ordinary PersonThis 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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