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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 13.138Madhya 13.140

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 13.139

পূর্বে উদ্ধব-দ্বারে,     এবে সাক্ষাৎ আমারে,

যোগ-জ্ঞানে কহিলা উপায় ।

তুমি — বিদগ্ধ, কৃপাময়,     জানহ আমার হৃদয়,

মোরে ঐছে কহিতে না যুয়ায় ॥ ১৩৯ ॥

pūrve uddhava-dvāre, ebe sākṣāt āmāre,

yoga-jñāne kahilā upāya

tumi — vidagdha, kṛpāmaya, jānaha āmāra hṛdaya,

more aiche kahite nā yuyāya

Translation

“My dear Kṛṣṇa, formerly, when You were staying in Mathurā, You sent Uddhava to teach Me speculative knowledge and mystic yoga. Now You Yourself are speaking the same thing, but My mind doesn’t accept it. There is no place in My mind for jñāna-yoga or dhyāna-yoga. Although You know Me very well, You are still instructing Me in jñāna-yoga and dhyāna-yoga. It is not right for You to do so.”

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Deity Worship Is Direct Service

  1. 1

    Speculative knowledge and mystic yoga do not appeal to a devotee always absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa. The devotee should instead worship the Deity and continuously serve the Lord.

  2. 2

    The Deity, known as the arcā-vigraha or arcā-avatāra, is an incarnation of the Supreme Lord. For Kṛṣṇa, there is no distinction between matter and spirit, since both are His energies.

  3. 3

    Through constant Deity worship according to the śāstras and the spiritual master’s instructions, a devotee gradually realizes direct contact with the Lord. Interest in mental speculation and mystic yoga then falls away.

Key points from the purport
  • The process of mystic yoga, the speculative method for searching out the Supreme Absolute Truth, does not appeal to one who is always absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa.
  • Instead of cultivating speculative knowledge or practicing mystic yoga, a devotee should worship the Deity in the temple and continuously engage in the Lord’s service.
  • Temple Deity worship is realized by the devotees to be the same as direct service to the Lord.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

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:

When the cars reached the place known as Balagaṇḍi, the devotees offered the deities simple food. At this time, in a nearby garden, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His devotees took a brief rest from the dancing.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 13
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. pūrvepreviously
  2. uddhava-dvārethrough Uddhava
  3. ebenow
  4. sākṣātdirectly
  5. āmāreunto Me
  6. yogamystic yogic meditation
  7. jñānephilosophical speculation
  8. kahilāYou have said
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: “serve”

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

How does understanding the Deity as the Lord Himself change my attitude toward Deity worship?

Practice

Read the explanation of the arcā-vigraha again today, pausing to reflect that Deity worship is direct service to the Lord.

Live this todayDeity Worship Is Direct ServiceThis 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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