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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

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 2: The Ecstatic Manifestations of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu

Madhya 2.18 Madhya 2.20

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 2.19

উপজিল প্রেমাঙ্কুর, ভাঙ্গিল যে দুঃখ-পূর,

কৃষ্ণ তাহা নাহি করে পান ।

বাহিরে নাগররাজ, ভিতরে শঠের কাজ,

পরনারী বধে সাবধান ॥ ১৯ ॥

upajila premāṅkura, bhāṅgila ye duḥkha-pūra,

kṛṣṇa tāhā nāhi kare pāna

bāhire nāgara-rāja, bhitare śaṭhera kāja,

para-nārī vadhe sāvadhāna

Translation

[Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī spoke thus, in distress due to separation from Kṛṣṇa:] “Oh, what shall I say of My distress? After I met Kṛṣṇa My loving propensities sprouted, but upon separating from Him I sustained a great shock, which is now continuing like the sufferings of a disease. The only physician for this disease is Kṛṣṇa Himself, but He is not taking care of this sprouting plant of devotional service. What can I say about the behavior of Kṛṣṇa? Outwardly He is a very attractive young lover, but at heart He is a great cheat, very expert in killing others’ wives.”

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.

Kṛṣṇa Alone Can Heal Separation

1
Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī says that Her loving propensities sprouted upon meeting Kṛṣṇa. Separation brought a great shock that continues like a disease.
2
Kṛṣṇa Himself is the only physician for this disease. Yet She laments that He is not caring for the sprouting plant of devotional service.
3
In Her distress, She contrasts Kṛṣṇa’s outward appearance as an attractive young lover with what She calls His cheating heart.

How it feels

Overwhelming divine separation. A preview of the last years reveals the Lord’s intense separation from Kṛṣṇa.

The mood of Madhya 2 as a whole, an editorial reading, not the text itself. See the emotional atlas

Madhya 2: The Ecstatic Manifestations of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu

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

Śrīla Kavirāja Gosvāmī has confirmed that the opinion of Svarūpa Dāmodara is authoritative in the matter of devotional service. Over and above this are the notes of Svarūpa Dāmodara, memorized by Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, who also helped in the compilation of the Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in Madhya 2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

upajilagrew up
prema-aṅkurafructification of love of God
bhāṅgilawas broken
yethat
duḥkha-pūrafull of miseries
kṛṣṇaLord Kṛṣṇa
tāhāthat
nāhinot

Key ideas in this verse

The themes of love and mercy this verse speaks of.

Vipralambha · Love in separation
Separation that intensifies remembrance and longing; especially central to the confidential pastimes at Purī. · In the Prema Atlas
In this verse: “separation”, “laments”
Rādhā-bhāva · The confidential inner purpose
The Lord’s desire to taste the love and perspective of Śrī Rādhā, illuminated by later ecstatic pastimes. · In the Prema Atlas
In this verse: “rādhārāṇī”
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: “lover”

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 does the image of Kṛṣṇa as the only physician reveal about Her dependence on Him?

Practice

Pause over the words “The only physician for this disease is Kṛṣṇa Himself,” and reflect on Her longing for His care.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa Alone Can Heal SeparationThis 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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