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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

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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 8: Rāmacandra Purī Criticizes the Lord
Antya 8.56Antya 8.59

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Texts Antya 8.57-58

সেইদিন একবিপ্র কৈল নিমন্ত্রণ ।

এক-চৌঠি ভাত, পাঁচ-গণ্ডার ব্যঞ্জন ॥ ৫৭ ॥

sei-dina eka-vipra kaila nimantraṇa

eka-cauṭhi bhāta, pāṅca-gaṇḍāra vyañjana

Translation

That day, a brāhmaṇa extended an invitation to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. When Govinda accepted only five gaṇḍās’ worth of vegetables and a fourth of a pot of rice, the brāhmaṇa, in great despair, struck his head with his hand and cried, “Alas! Alas!”

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.

A Host’s Distress at the Small Meal

  1. 1

    A brāhmaṇa invited Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to eat that day.

  2. 2

    Govinda accepted only five gaṇḍās’ worth of vegetables and a fourth of a pot of rice.

  3. 3

    The brāhmaṇa was deeply distressed by this small amount. He struck his head with his hand and cried, “Alas! Alas!”

How it feels

Discomfort and vigilance. Fault-finding disrupts devotional life, exposing the emotional cost of criticism.

The mood of Antya 8 as a whole, an editorial reading, not the text itself. See the emotional atlas

Further reading

Antya 8: Rāmacandra Purī Criticizes the Lord

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

For this reason he was not very respectful to the Vaiṣṇavas, and later he became so fallen that he began criticizing Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu for His eating. Hearing his criticisms, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu reduced His eating, but after Rāmacandra Purī left Jagannātha Purī, the Lord resumed His usual behavior.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Antya 8
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. sei-dinathat day
  2. eka-vipraone brāhmaṇa
  3. kaila nimantraṇainvited
  4. eka-cauṭhi bhātaone-fourth of a pot of rice
  5. pāṅca-gaṇḍāra vyañjanavegetables worth only five gaṇḍās
  6. ei-mātraonly this
  7. govindathe servant of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu
  8. kaila aṅgīkāraaccepted
3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How might I respond gently when someone is distressed that their hospitality cannot be fully accepted?

Practice

Thank someone today for the care they put into offering you food or help.

Live this todayA Host’s Distress at the Small MealThis 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 8.57-58? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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