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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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Madhya-līlā · 25 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 Madhya 12.17

প্রভু কহে, — কি কহিতে সবার আগমন ।

দেখিয়ে কহিতে চাহ, — না কহ, কি কারণ ? ১৭ ॥

prabhu kahe, — ki kahite sabāra āgamana

dekhiye kahite cāha, — nā kaha, ki kāraṇa?

Translation

After they arrived at Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s place, the Lord, seeing them, said, “What have you all come here to say? I see that you want to say something, but you do not speak. What is the reason?”

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.

The Lord Invites Them to Speak

  1. 1

    When they arrived, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw that they wanted to say something.

  2. 2

    Although they wished to speak, they remained silent.

  3. 3

    The Lord asked what they had come to say and why they were not speaking.

How it feels

Purification through joyful service. Collective cleansing becomes a visible devotional act before Ratha-yātrā.

The mood of Madhya 12 as a whole, an editorial reading, not the text itself. See the emotional atlas

Further reading

Madhya 12: The Cleansing of the Guṇḍicā Temple

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

The King of Orissa, Mahārāja Pratāparudra, tried his best to see Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu and the other devotees informed the Lord about the King’s desire, but Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would not agree to see him.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 12
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. prabhu kaheŚrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said
  2. kiwhat
  3. kahiteto speak
  4. sabāraof all of you
  5. āgamanathere is the presence here
  6. dekhiyeI see
  7. kahite cāhayou want to speak
  8. nā kahabut do not speak
  9. ki kāraṇawhat is the reason
3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What sometimes keeps you silent when you have something important to say?

Practice

Today, gently invite someone who seems hesitant to share what they want to say.

Live this todayThe Lord Invites Them to SpeakThis 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 Madhya 12.17? Get an answer from the verses themselves.