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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

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 ›

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 20.124

বেদশাস্ত্র কহে — ‘সম্বন্ধ’, ‘অভিধেয়,’ ‘প্রয়োজন’ ।

‘কৃষ্ণ’ — প্রাপ্য সম্বন্ধ, ‘ভক্তি’ — প্রাপ্ত্যের সাধন ॥ ১২৪ ॥

veda-śāstra kahe — ‘sambandha’, ‘abhidheya’, ‘prayojana’

‘kṛṣṇa’ — prāpya sambandha, ‘bhakti’ — prāptyera sādhana

Translation

“The Vedic literatures give information about the living entity’s eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa, which is called sambandha. The living entity’s understanding of this relationship and his acting accordingly is called abhidheya. Returning home, back to Godhead, is the ultimate goal of life and is called prayojana.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

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Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Relationship, Action and the Ultimate Goal

  1. 1

    The Vedic literatures teach the living entity’s eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. This relationship is called sambandha.

  2. 2

    Understanding this relationship and acting accordingly is called abhidheya.

  3. 3

    Returning home, back to Godhead, is the ultimate goal of life. This goal is called prayojana.

How it feels

Humility and restored identity. A seeker relinquishes status, asks fundamental questions, and receives sambandha knowledge.

The mood of Madhya 20 as a whole, an editorial reading, not the text itself. See the emotional atlas

Further reading

Madhya 20: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Instructs Sanātana Gosvāmī in the Science of the Absolute Truth

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

First they discussed the constitutional position of the living entities, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu explained to Sanātana Gosvāmī how the living entity is one of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s energies. After this, the Lord explained the way of devotional service.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 20
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Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. veda-śāstra kahethe Vedic literature instructs
  2. sambandhathe conditioned soul’s relationship with the Lord
  3. abhidheyathe regulated activities of the conditioned soul for reviving that relationship
  4. prayojanaand the ultimate goal of life to be attained by the conditioned soul
  5. kṛṣṇaLord Kṛṣṇa
  6. prāpyato be awakened
  7. sambandhathe original relationship
  8. bhaktidevotional service
  9. prāptyera sādhanathe means of attaining Kṛṣṇa
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Key ideas in this verse

The themes of love and mercy this verse speaks of.

  • 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.

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Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How can one choice today reflect my eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa and life’s ultimate goal?

Practice

Write the three terms sambandha, abhidheya and prayojana, with their meanings from this verse.

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Śrīla Prabhupāda speaks

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

3 lectures given on it · quoted in 1 more lecture. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.

Show 1 more lecture on it
Quoted in 1 other 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 todayRelationship, Action and the Ultimate GoalThis 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.

Ask Caitanya CaritamrtaHave a question about CC Madhya 20.124? Get an answer from the verses themselves.