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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 2: The Ecstatic Manifestations of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu
Madhya 2.32Madhya 2.34

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 2.33

মৃগমদ নীলোৎপল,     মিলনে যে পরিমল,

যেই হরে তার গর্ব-মান ।

হেন কৃষ্ণ-অঙ্গ-গন্ধ,     যার নাহি সে সম্বন্ধ,

সেই নাসা ভস্ত্রার সমান ॥ ৩৩ ॥

mṛga-mada nīlotpala, milane ye parimala,

yei hare tāra garva-māna

hena kṛṣṇa-aṅga-gandha, yāra nāhi se sambandha,

sei nāsā bhastrāra samāna

Translation

“One’s nostrils are no better than the bellows of a blacksmith if one has not smelled the fragrance of Kṛṣṇa’s body, which is like the aroma of musk combined with that of the bluish lotus flower. Indeed, such combinations are actually defeated by the aroma of Kṛṣṇa’s body.

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.

The Incomparable Fragrance of Kṛṣṇa’s Body

  1. 1

    The fragrance of Kṛṣṇa’s body is compared to musk combined with the aroma of the bluish lotus flower.

  2. 2

    Even this fragrant combination is surpassed by the aroma of Kṛṣṇa’s body.

  3. 3

    Nostrils that have not smelled His fragrance are compared to a blacksmith’s bellows: they move air without receiving this precious fragrance.

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

Further reading

Madhya 2: The Ecstatic Manifestations of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu

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

The author expects that reading the pastimes of the Lord will gradually help a person awaken his dormant love of Kṛṣṇa. Actually this Caitanya-caritāmṛta was compiled by the author during very old age.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 2
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. mṛga-madathe fragrance of musk
  2. nīla-utpalaand the bluish lotus flower
  3. milanein mixing
  4. yethat
  5. parimalafragrance
  6. yeiwhich
  7. harevanquishes
  8. tāraof them
3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does the comparison to bellows suggest about the true value of the sense of smell?

Practice

Read the description of Kṛṣṇa’s fragrance slowly, pausing to reflect on how it surpasses musk and the bluish lotus.

Live this todayThe Incomparable Fragrance of Kṛṣṇa’s BodyThis 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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