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Read one verse of Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta with its Bengali, transliteration, word meanings, translation and study points.
Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 19.147
ধর্মাচারি-মধ্যে বহুত ‘কর্মনিষ্ঠ’ ।
কোটি-কর্মনিষ্ঠ-মধ্যে এক ‘জ্ঞানী’ শ্রেষ্ঠ ॥ ১৪৭ ॥
dharmācāri-madhye bahuta ‘karma-niṣṭha’
koṭi-karma-niṣṭha-madhye eka ‘jñānī’ śreṣṭha
“Among the followers of Vedic knowledge, most are following the process of fruitive activity and distinguishing between good and bad work. Out of many such sincere fruitive actors, there may be one who is actually wise.
Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.ioThree study points drawn from the translation and purport.
A karma-niṣṭha may seek the results of good work or offer those results to the Absolute Truth. Those who earn money for themselves or for public benefit are included among karma-niṣṭhas.
Out of millions of karma-niṣṭhas, one may be wise. The jñānīs seek to avoid fruitive activity and merge into the spiritual existence of the Absolute Truth.
Both fruitive workers and jñānīs are interested in personal benefit. One seeks benefit within the material world, while the other seeks cessation of work and merging into the Supreme.
Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.
Quoted in the purport ofSB 4.25.3
Koṭi-karmaniṣṭha-madhye eka ‘jñānī’ śreṣṭha: “One jñānī, or impersonalist, is better than many thousands of fruitive actors.”
Each link is a verse the purport itself quotes, or a purport elsewhere that quotes this verse, shown with the purport's own words.
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
From Śrīla Prabhupāda's chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:
In this way Rūpa Gosvāmī retired, but Sanātana Gosvāmī told the Nawab that he was sick and could not attend to his work. Giving this excuse, he sat at home and studied Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with learned brāhmaṇa scholars.Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 19
Learn the words of the verse.
The themes of love and mercy this verse speaks of.
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”
Concept links are an editorial study map; only the verse is the text itself.
Take one thing from this verse into your day.
What personal benefit do you hope to receive from your good actions?
Examine one good action you take today and write down the result you hope to gain from it.
His recorded lectures on this verse, and the talks where he quotes it.
Quoted in 4 lectures. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.
In each of these he quotes this verse while speaking on another verse or subject. "Find the quote" opens the transcript at that spot.
Study points are short summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport on Vedabase.
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