1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min
Read one verse of Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta with its Bengali, transliteration, word meanings, translation and study points.
Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 12.53
প্রভু কহে, — পূর্ণ যৈছে দুগ্ধের কলস ।
সুরাবিন্দু-পাতে কেহ না করে পরশ ॥ ৫৩ ॥
prabhu kahe, — pūrṇa yaiche dugdhera kalasa
surā-bindu-pāte keha nā kare paraśa
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then said, “There may be much milk in a big pot, but if it is contaminated by a drop of liquor, it is untouchable.
Read this verse on Vedabase.ioThis verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.
Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu gives the example of a large pot containing much milk.
Even one drop of liquor contaminates that milk.
The large quantity of milk does not cancel the contamination; the milk becomes untouchable.
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
From Śrīla Prabhupāda's chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:
The next day, when Rāmānanda Rāya again entreated Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to see the King, the Lord, denying the request, asked Rāmānanda Rāya to bring the King’s son before Him. The prince visited the Lord dressed like a Vaiṣṇava, and this awakened remembrance of Kṛṣṇa.Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 12
Learn the words of the verse.
Take one thing from this verse into your day.
What does this example teach me about overlooking something small but contaminating?
Write one sentence explaining why the single drop matters despite the large amount of milk.
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 12.53? Get an answer from the verses themselves.