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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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Madhya-līlā · 25 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 ›

Madhya-līlā · Chapter 11: The Beḍā-kīrtana Pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu

Madhya 11.232 Madhya 11.234

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 11.233

পুলিন-ভোজনে যেন কৃষ্ণ মধ্য-স্থানে ।

চৌদিকের সখা কহে, — আমারে নেহানে ॥ ২৩৩ ॥

pulina-bhojane yena kṛṣṇa madhya-sthāne

caudikera sakhā kahe, — āmāre nehāne

Translation

In His own pastimes in Vṛndāvana, when Kṛṣṇa used to eat on the bank of the Yamunā and sit in the center of His friends, every one of the cowherd boys would perceive that Kṛṣṇa was looking at him. In the same way, when Caitanya Mahāprabhu observed the dancing, everyone saw that Caitanya Mahāprabhu was facing him.

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.

The Same Wonder in His Own Pastimes

1
In His own pastimes in Vṛndāvana, Kṛṣṇa ate on the bank of the Yamunā, sitting in the center of His friends.
2
Every cowherd boy perceived that Kṛṣṇa was looking at him.
3
In the same way, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu observed the dancing, everyone saw Him facing them. The verse connects this scene with His own pastimes as Kṛṣṇa.

How it feels

Communal anticipation. Arriving devotees, kīrtana, and longing to meet the Lord converge.

The mood of Madhya 11 as a whole, an editorial reading, not the text itself. See the emotional atlas

Madhya 11: The Beḍā-kīrtana Pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu

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

Haridāsa Ṭhākura also came, and due to his humble and submissive attitude, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave him a nice solitary place near the temple. After this, the Lord began performing saṅkīrtana, dividing all the devotees into four groups.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in Madhya 11

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

pulina-bhojaneeating on the bank of Yamunā
yenaas
kṛṣṇaLord Kṛṣṇa
madhya-sthānesitting in the middle
cau-dikeraon four sides
sakhācowherd boyfriends
kahesay
āmāre nehānejust seeing me

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”, “yamunā”, “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

How does the comparison with Kṛṣṇa’s own pastimes deepen your appreciation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu?

Practice

Read the two scenes again and identify the shared experience of the cowherd boys and the dancers.

Live this todayThe Same Wonder in His Own PastimesThis 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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