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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
  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 ›
Madhya-līlā · Chapter 12: The Cleansing of the Guṇḍicā Temple
Madhya 12.89Madhya 12.91

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 12.90

প্রভু কহে, — কে কত করিয়াছ সংমার্জন ।

তৃণ, ধূলি দেখিলেই জানিব পরিশ্রম ॥ ৯০ ॥

prabhu kahe, — ke kata kariyācha sammārjana

tṛṇa, dhūli dekhilei jāniba pariśrama

Translation

The Lord then told the devotees, “I can tell how much you have labored and how well you have cleansed the temple simply by seeing all the straw and dust you have collected outside.”

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 Collected Dust Shows the Work

  1. 1

    The Lord told the devotees that their collected straw and dust showed how much they had labored.

  2. 2

    He could also judge how well they had cleansed the temple by seeing what they had removed.

  3. 3

    The straw and dust gathered outside were visible evidence of their cleaning.

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:

After this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu washed the Guṇḍicā temple before the Ratha-yātrā took place. He then took His bath at Indradyumna Lake and partook of prasādam in the garden nearby.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 12
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. prabhu kahethe Lord said
  2. keevery one of you
  3. katahow much
  4. kariyāchahave done
  5. sammārjanacleansing
  6. tṛṇastraw
  7. dhūlidust
  8. dekhileiwhen I see
  9. jānibaI can understand
  10. pariśramahow much you have labored
3

Key ideas in this verse

The themes of love and mercy this verse speaks of.

  • Sevā · Love translated into service

    Devotional service expressed through cleansing, caring, teaching, honoring others, and living as Kṛṣṇa’s servant. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “cleansed”

  • Kīrtana community · A movement of shared hearts

    Devotional community as a living network of branches, service, festivals, care, and collective chanting. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “gathered”

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

When you finish cleaning, what shows you that the work has been done well?

Practice

Clean one small space and check what you removed before disposing of it.

Live this todayThe Collected Dust Shows the WorkThis 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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