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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 ›
Antya-līlā · Chapter 5: How Pradyumna Miśra Received Instructions from Rāmānanda Rāya
Antya 5.47Antya 5.49-50

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Antya 5.48

বিক্রীড়িতং ব্রজবধূভিরিদঞ্চ বিষ্ণোঃ শ্রদ্ধান্বিতোঽনুশৃণুয়াদথ বর্ণয়েদ্যঃ ।

ভক্তিং পরাং ভগবতি প্রতিলভ্য কামং হৃদ্রোগমাশ্বপহিনোত্যচিরেণ ধীরঃ ॥ ৪৮ ॥

vikrīḍitaṁ vraja-vadhūbhir idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ

śraddhānvito ’nuśṛṇuyād atha varṇayed yaḥ

bhaktiṁ parāṁ bhagavati pratilabhya kāmaṁ

hṛd-rogam āśv apahinoty acireṇa dhīraḥ

Translation

“ ‘A transcendentally sober person who, with faith and love, continually hears from a realized soul about the activities of Lord Kṛṣṇa in His rāsa dance with the gopīs, or one who describes such activities, can attain full transcendental devotional service at the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus lusty material desires, which are the heart disease of all materialistic persons, are for him quickly and completely vanquished.’

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

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Hear Faithfully From a Realized Soul

  1. 1

    A transcendentally sober person continually hears about Lord Kṛṣṇa’s rāsa dance from a realized soul with faith and love, or describes those activities.

  2. 2

    All Lord Kṛṣṇa’s activities are transcendental, and the gopīs are also transcendentally situated. Seriously understanding their activities frees one from material attachment rather than awakening lust.

  3. 3

    Such hearing or describing leads to full transcendental devotional service at the Lord’s lotus feet. Lusty material desires, the heart disease of materialistic persons, are quickly and completely vanquished.

Key points from the purport
  • All the activities of Lord Kṛṣṇa are transcendental, and the gopīs are also transcendentally situated.
  • Therefore the activities of the gopīs and Lord Kṛṣṇa, if seriously understood, will certainly free one from material attachment.
  • Then there is no possibility that lusty material desires will awaken.

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:

Pradyumna Miśra, a resident of Śrīhaṭṭa, came to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to hear from Him about Lord Kṛṣṇa and His pastimes. The Lord, however, sent him to Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Antya 5
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. vikrīḍitamthe activity of the rāsa dance
  2. vraja-vadhūbhiḥthe damsels of Vraja, the gopīs
  3. idamthis
  4. caand
  5. viṣṇoḥof Lord Kṛṣṇa
  6. śraddhā-anvitaḥwith transcendental faith
  7. anuśṛṇuyātcontinually hears in the paramparā system
  8. athaalso
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Key ideas in this verse

The themes of love and mercy this verse speaks of.

  • 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”

  • 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: “rāsa”

  • 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

Do I approach these pastimes seeking devotional service and freedom from material attachment?

Practice

Before reading this verse today, pause and renew your intention to hear with faith and love for the sake of devotional service.

5

Śrīla Prabhupāda speaks

His recorded lectures on this verse, and the talks where he quotes it.

Quoted in 1 lecture. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.

Quoted in 1 lecture

In each of these he quotes this verse while speaking on another verse or subject. "Find the quote" opens the transcript at that spot.

Live this todayHear Faithfully From a Realized SoulThis 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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