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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

1Say the verse. Read the transliteration aloud, slowly.
2Read the word meanings. Go through each word and its meaning.
3Read the translation. Ask: what is happening here, and who is it about?
4Read the purport slowly. Read it twice. Don't rush.
5See Lord Caitanya as Kṛṣṇa. Remember who is acting in the pastime.
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 13.156 Madhya 13.158

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 13.157

সেই শত্রুগণ হৈতে, ব্রজজন রাখিতে,

রহি রাজ্যে উদাসীন হঞা ।

যেবা স্ত্রী-পুত্র-ধনে, করি রাজ্য আবরণে,

যদুগণের সন্তোষ লাগিয়া ॥ ১৫৭ ॥

sei śatru-gaṇa haite, vraja-jana rākhite,

rahi rājye udāsīna hañā

yebā strī-putra-dhane, kari rājya āvaraṇe,

yadu-gaṇera santoṣa lāgiyā

Translation

“I wish to protect the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana from the attacks of My enemies. That is why I remain in My kingdom; otherwise I am indifferent to My royal position. Whatever wives, sons and wealth I maintain in the kingdom are only for the satisfaction of the Yadus.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Protection Rather Than Royal Position

1
The Lord remains in His kingdom to protect the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana from His enemies.
2
Apart from this purpose, He is indifferent to His royal position.
3
The wives, sons and wealth He maintains in the kingdom are only for the satisfaction of the Yadus.

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

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

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

With two mṛdaṅgas in each division, there were altogether fourteen mṛdaṅgas. While performing kīrtana, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu exhibited various symptoms of transcendental ecstasy, and Jagannātha and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu exchanged Their feelings very blissfully.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in Madhya 13

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

seithose
śatru-gaṇa haitefrom enemies
vraja-janato the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana
rākhiteto give protection
rahiI remain
rājyein My kingdom
udāsīnaindifferent
hañābecoming

Key ideas in this verse

The themes of love and mercy this verse speaks of.

Vraja-smaraṇa · Remembrance of Vṛndāvana
The remembered sweetness of Vraja that colors Mahāprabhu’s pilgrimage, Ratha-yātrā, and later states of separation. · In the Prema Atlas
In this verse: “vṛndāvana”

Concept links are an editorial study map; only the verse is the text itself.

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Do I value my responsibilities for the care they allow me to offer, or for the position they give me?

Practice

Carry out one responsibility today with attention to another person’s welfare rather than your own recognition.

Live this todayProtection Rather Than Royal PositionThis 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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