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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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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 17: The Lord Travels to Vṛndāvana
Madhya 17.169Madhya 17.171

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 17.170

প্রভু কহে, — “তুমি ‘গুরু,’ আমি ‘শিষ্য’-প্রায় ।

‘গুরু’ হঞা ‘শিষ্যে’ নমস্কার না যুয়ায় ॥” ১৭০ ॥

prabhu kahe, — “tumi ‘guru’, āmi ‘śiṣya’-prāya

‘guru’ hañā ‘śiṣye’ namaskāra nā yuyaya

Translation

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “You are on the platform of My spiritual master, and I am your disciple. Since you are My spiritual master, it is not befitting that you offer Me obeisances.”

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.

Honoring the Spiritual Master’s Position

  1. 1

    Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu placed the brāhmaṇa on the platform of His spiritual master.

  2. 2

    The Lord described Himself as the brāhmaṇa’s disciple.

  3. 3

    He explained that it was therefore not befitting for the brāhmaṇa to offer Him obeisances.

How it feels

Wonder and contagious joy. Even forest animals chant; nature seems drawn into the saṅkīrtana movement.

The mood of Madhya 17 as a whole, an editorial reading, not the text itself. See the emotional atlas

Further reading

Madhya 17: The Lord Travels to Vṛndāvana

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

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu next passed through Prayāga and Mathurā and then took His lunch at the home of a Sānoḍiyā brāhmaṇa, a disciple of Mādhavendra Purī. He bestowed His blessings upon the brāhmaṇa by accepting lunch at his place.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 17
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. prabhu kaheŚrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said
  2. tumiyou
  3. guruMy spiritual master
  4. āmiI
  5. śiṣya-prāyalike your disciple
  6. guru hañābeing the spiritual master
  7. śiṣyeunto the disciple
  8. namaskāraobeisances
  9. nā yuyayais not befitting
3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does the Lord’s statement teach you about honoring the spiritual master’s position?

Practice

Write down the Lord’s words “I am your disciple” and briefly reflect on the humility they express.

Live this todayHonoring the Spiritual Master’s 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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