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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 13: The Ecstatic Dancing of the Lord at Ratha-yātrā
Madhya 13.117Madhya 13.119

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 13.118

গৌর যদি পাছে চলে, শ্যাম হয় স্থিরে ।

গৌর আগে চলে, শ্যাম চলে ধীরে-ধীরে ॥ ১১৮ ॥

gaura yadi pāche cale, śyāma haya sthire

gaura āge cale, śyāma cale dhīre-dhīre

Translation

When Caitanya Mahāprabhu was dramatically enacting the song, He would sometimes fall behind in the procession. At such times, Lord Jagannātha would come to a standstill. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu again went forward, Lord Jagannātha’s car would slowly start again.

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.

Lord Jagannātha Waits for Caitanya Mahāprabhu

  1. 1

    While dramatically enacting the song, Caitanya Mahāprabhu sometimes fell behind in the procession.

  2. 2

    Whenever He fell behind, Lord Jagannātha came to a standstill.

  3. 3

    When Caitanya Mahāprabhu went forward again, Lord Jagannātha’s car slowly started moving.

How it feels

Public ecstasy with inward longing. The festival’s collective joy carries the profound Vraja mood of meeting and separation.

The mood of Madhya 13 as a whole, an editorial reading, not the text itself. See the emotional atlas

Further reading

Madhya 13: The Ecstatic Dancing of the Lord at Ratha-yātrā

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

Lord Jagannātha took permission from the goddess of fortune and then started in the car for the Guṇḍicā temple. The road to the temple led along a broad, sandy beach, and on both sides of the road were residential quarters, houses and gardens.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 13
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. gauraŚrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu
  2. yadiif
  3. pāche calegoes behind
  4. śyāmaJagannātha
  5. hayabecomes
  6. sthirestill
  7. gauraŚrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu
  8. āge calegoes forward
3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What draws your attention in Lord Jagannātha’s waiting and then moving again?

Practice

Reread the verse today and notice its three movements: Mahāprabhu falls behind, Lord Jagannātha stops, and the car starts again.

Live this todayLord Jagannātha Waits for Caitanya MahāprabhuThis 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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