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Study a Verse

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 18: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s Visit to Śrī Vṛndāvana

Madhya 18.19 Madhya 18.21

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 18.20

প্রভু-প্রেম-সৌন্দর্য দেখি’ লোকে চমৎকার ।

হরিদেবের ভৃত্য প্ৰভুর করিল সত্কার ॥ ২০ ॥

prabhu-prema-saundarya dekhi’ loke camatkāra

haridevera bhṛtya prabhura karila satkāra

Translation

The people were astonished when they saw Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s ecstatic love and personal beauty. The priests who served the Harideva Deity offered the Lord a good reception.

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.

Astonishment and a Warm Reception

1
The people saw Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s ecstatic love.
2
His ecstatic love and personal beauty astonished them.
3
The priests serving the Harideva Deity offered the Lord a good reception.

How it feels

Overwhelmed recognition. Seeing the places of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes evokes extraordinary remembrance and ecstasy.

The mood of Madhya 18 as a whole, an editorial reading, not the text itself. See the emotional atlas

Madhya 18: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s Visit to Śrī Vṛndāvana

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

He then saw the Deity Harideva at Govardhana Village. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had no desire to climb Govardhana Hill because the hill is worshiped as Kṛṣṇa.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in Madhya 18

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

prabhuof Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu
prema-saundaryaecstatic love and beauty
dekhi’seeing
lokepeople
camatkāraastonished
harideveraof Lord Harideva
bhṛtyaservants
prabhuraof Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu
karila satkāraoffered a good reception

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: “served”, “offered”, “serving”
Prema · Love of Godhead
The culminating devotional purpose that unites the narration: bestowed, cultivated, taught, celebrated, and tasted. · In the Prema Atlas
In this verse: “ecstatic love”
Nāma-saṅkīrtana · The holy name shared together
Chanting the holy names as the yuga-dharma, the Lord’s public movement, and the opening prayer of Śikṣāṣṭaka. · In the Prema Atlas
In this verse: “harideva”

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

What do you notice about the different ways the people and priests responded to the Lord?

Practice

Offer someone a thoughtful, warm welcome today, recalling the priests’ good reception.

Live this todayAstonishment and a Warm ReceptionThis 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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