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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 19: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Instructs Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī
Madhya 19.145Madhya 19.147

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 19.146

বেদনিষ্ঠ-মধ্যে অর্ধেক বেদ ‘মুখে’ মানে ।

বেদনিষিদ্ধ পাপ করে, ধর্ম নাহি গণে ॥ ১৪৬ ॥

veda-niṣṭha-madhye ardheka veda ‘mukhe’ māne

veda-niṣiddha pāpa kare, dharma nāhi gaṇe

Translation

“Among human beings, those who are followers of the Vedic principles are considered civilized. Among these, almost half simply give lip service while committing all kinds of sinful activities against these principles. Such people do not care for the regulative principles.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Religion Means Acting on Divine Knowledge

  1. 1

    The word veda means “knowledge.” Supreme knowledge means understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead, our relationship with Him, and acting according to that relationship.

  2. 2

    Religion means following the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Merely giving lip service while acting against the Vedic principles is not genuine observance.

  3. 3

    Knowledge that seeks the Supreme Being can be accepted as a bona fide religious system. Religious systems differ according to place, disciples and people’s capacity to understand.

Key points from the purport
  • The Vedic principles are the injunctions given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
  • Āryans are civilized human beings who have been following the Vedic principles since time immemorial.
  • No one can trace out the history of the Vedic principles set forth so that man might understand the Supreme Being.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

How it feels

Empowerment and hope. The seed of bhakti is received, planted, and watered; intimate realization becomes transmissible.

The mood of Madhya 19 as a whole, an editorial reading, not the text itself. See the emotional atlas

Further reading

Madhya 19: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Instructs Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī

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

During the ten days at Prayāga, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī was instructed by the Lord, who gave him the basic principles of the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. The Lord then sent Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī to Vṛndāvana.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 19
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. veda-niṣṭha-madhyeamong persons who are followers of the Vedas
  2. ardhekaalmost half
  3. vedaVedic scriptures
  4. mukhein the mouth
  5. māneaccept
  6. veda-niṣiddhaforbidden in the Vedas
  7. pāpasins
  8. kareperform
3

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: “service”

  • Kīrtana community · A movement of shared hearts

    Devotional community as a living network of branches, service, festivals, care, and collective chanting. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “followers”

  • Bhāva & rasa · The language of sacred feeling

    Transcendental devotional moods and relationships, discussed explicitly in Rāmānanda’s dialogue and the teachings on prema. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “relationship”

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

Where could your actions better reflect the religious principles you profess?

Practice

Choose one religious principle you already follow and make one deliberate choice in accordance with it today.

5

Śrīla Prabhupāda speaks

His recorded lectures on this verse, and the talks where he quotes it.

Quoted in 1 lecture. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.

Quoted in 1 lecture

In each of these he quotes this verse while speaking on another verse or subject. "Find the quote" opens the transcript at that spot.

Live this todayReligion Means Acting on Divine KnowledgeThis 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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