1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

Read one verse of Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta with its Bengali, transliteration, word meanings, translation and study points.

Or browse by līlā and chapter

Madhya-līlā · 25 chapters

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 ›

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 14.123

বৃন্দাবন-লীলায় কৃষ্ণের সহায় গোপীগণ ।

গোপীগণ বিনা কৃষ্ণের হরিতে নারে মন ॥ ১২৩ ॥

vṛndāvana-līlāya kṛṣṇera sahāya gopī-gaṇa

gopī-gaṇa vinā kṛṣṇera harite nāre mana

Translation

“In the pastimes of Vṛndāvana, the only assistants are the gopīs. But for the gopīs, no one can attract the mind of Kṛṣṇa.”

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 Gopīs Alone Attract Kṛṣṇa’s Mind

  1. 1

    The gopīs are the only assistants in the pastimes of Vṛndāvana.

  2. 2

    They attract the mind of Kṛṣṇa.

  3. 3

    No one other than the gopīs can attract His mind in these pastimes.

How it feels

Intimacy and ecstatic play. Mercy to Pratāparudra and discussion of the gopīs reveal deep relational sweetness.

The mood of Madhya 14 as a whole, an editorial reading, not the text itself. See the emotional atlas

Further reading

Madhya 14: Performance of the Vṛndāvana Pastimes

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

When Lord Jagannātha was seated at Sundarācala, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw it as Vṛndāvana. He performed sporting pastimes in the water of the lake known as Indradyumna.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 14
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. vṛndāvana-līlāyain the pastimes of Vṛndāvana
  2. kṛṣṇeraof Lord Kṛṣṇa
  3. sahāyaassistants
  4. gopī-gaṇaall the gopīs
  5. gopī-gaṇa vināexcept for the gopīs
  6. kṛṣṇeraof Lord Kṛṣṇa
  7. hariteto attract
  8. nāreno one is able
  9. manathe mind
3

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”, “gopīs”

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

What stands out to me about the gopīs’ unique place in Vṛndāvana’s pastimes?

Practice

Write one sentence describing the gopīs’ role, using only what this verse says.

Live this todayThe Gopīs Alone Attract Kṛṣṇa’s MindThis 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.

Ask Caitanya CaritamrtaHave a question about CC Madhya 14.123? Get an answer from the verses themselves.