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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 20: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Instructs Sanātana Gosvāmī in the Science of the Absolute Truth
Madhya 20.163Madhya 20.165

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 20.164

‘ভক্ত্যে’ ভগবানের অনুভব — পূর্ণরূপ ।

একই বিগ্রহে তাঁর অনন্ত স্বরূপ ॥ ১৬৪ ॥

‘bhaktye’ bhagavānera anubhava — pūrṇa-rūpa

eka-i vigrahe tāṅra ananta svarūpa

Translation

“Only by devotional activity can one understand the transcendental form of the Lord, which is perfect in all respects. Although His form is one, He can expand His form into unlimited numbers by His supreme will.

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.

Devotion Reveals the Lord’s Perfect Form

  1. 1

    Only by devotional activity can one understand the Lord’s transcendental form.

  2. 2

    His transcendental form is perfect in all respects.

  3. 3

    Although His form is one, He can expand it into unlimited numbers by His supreme will.

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:

After this, the Lord explained the way of devotional service. While discussing the Absolute Truth, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Lord analyzed Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān, as well as the expansions of the Lord called svayaṁ-rūpa, tad-ekātma and āveśa, which are divided into various branches known as vaibhava and prābhava.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 20
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. bhaktyeby devotional service
  2. bhagavāneraof the Supreme Personality of Godhead
  3. anubhavaperception
  4. pūrṇa-rūpaperfectly
  5. eka-ione
  6. vigrahein the transcendental form
  7. tāṅraHis
  8. anantaunlimited
  9. svarūpaexpansions of plenary portions
3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How can you make devotional activity part of your effort to understand the Lord?

Practice

Offer a brief, sincere prayer to the Lord today, remembering that understanding His form comes through devotion.

4

Śrīla Prabhupāda speaks

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

1 lecture given on it. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.

Live this todayDevotion Reveals the Lord’s Perfect FormThis 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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