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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 16: The Lord’s Attempt to Go to Vṛndāvana
Madhya 16.65Madhya 16.67

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 16.66

নিত্যানন্দ কহে, — আমি ‘দেহ’ তুমি ‘প্রাণ’ ।

‘দেহ’ ‘প্রাণ’ ভিন্ন নহে, — এই ত প্রমাণ ॥ ৬৬ ॥

nityānanda kahe, — āmi ‘deha’ tumi ‘prāṇa’

‘deha’ ‘prāṇa’ bhinna nahe, — ei ta pramāṇa

Translation

Nityānanda Prabhu replied, “O Lord, You are the life, and I am the body. There is no difference between the body and life itself, but life is more important than the body.

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 Lord Is Life Itself

  1. 1

    Nityānanda Prabhu addressed the Lord as the life and Himself as the body.

  2. 2

    He said there is no difference between the body and life itself.

  3. 3

    At the same time, He affirmed that life is more important than the body.

How it feels

Yearning and deferral. Attempts, delays, meetings, and farewells heighten the desire to reach Vraja.

The mood of Madhya 16 as a whole, an editorial reading, not the text itself. See the emotional atlas

Further reading

Madhya 16: The Lord’s Attempt to Go to Vṛndāvana

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

Caitanya Mahāprabhu forbade Nityānanda to visit Nīlācala every year. Questioned by the inhabitants of Kulīna-grāma, Caitanya Mahāprabhu again repeated the symptoms of a Vaiṣṇava.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 16
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. nityānanda kaheLord Nityānanda Prabhu said
  2. āmiI
  3. dehathe body
  4. tumiYou
  5. prāṇathe life
  6. dehathe body
  7. prāṇathe life
  8. bhinna nahenot separate
  9. ei ta pramāṇathis is the evidence
3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does Nityānanda Prabhu’s comparison reveal about the importance He gives the Lord?

Practice

Read Nityānanda Prabhu’s reply slowly today, pausing over the words “You are the life, and I am the body.”

Live this todayThe Lord Is Life ItselfThis 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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