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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 2: The Ecstatic Manifestations of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu
Madhya 2.36Madhya 2.38

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 2.37

যে কালে বা স্বপনে,     দেখিনু বংশীবদনে,

সেই কালে আইলা দুই বৈরি ।

‘আনন্দ’ আর ‘মদন’,     হরি’ নিল মোর মন,

দেখিতে না পাইনু নেত্র ভরি’ ॥ ৩৭ ॥

ye kāle vā svapane, dekhinu vaṁśī-vadane,

sei kāle āilā dui vairi

‘ānanda’ āra ‘madana’, hari’ nila mora mana,

dekhite nā pāinu netra bhari’

Translation

“Whenever I had the chance to see Lord Kṛṣṇa’s face and His flute, even in a dream, two enemies would appear before Me. They were pleasure and Cupid, and since they took away My mind, I was not able to see the face of Kṛṣṇa to the full satisfaction of My eyes.

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.

Longing Beyond the Distraction of Pleasure

  1. 1

    The speaker recalls opportunities to see Lord Kṛṣṇa’s face and His flute, even in a dream.

  2. 2

    Pleasure and Cupid are called two enemies because they took away the speaker’s mind.

  3. 3

    As a result, the speaker could not see Kṛṣṇa’s face to the full satisfaction of the eyes.

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. ye kāleat the time
  2. vā svapaneor in dreams
  3. dekhinuI saw
  4. vaṁśī-vadaneLord Kṛṣṇa’s face with His flute
  5. sei kāleat that time
  6. āilāappeared
  7. duitwo
  8. vairienemies
3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Why are pleasure and Cupid called enemies in this expression of longing?

Practice

Read the verse slowly and note what the speaker longs for more than pleasure.

Live this todayLonging Beyond the Distraction of PleasureThis 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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