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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 20.206Madhya 20.208

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 20.207

এই চব্বিশ মূর্তি — প্রাভব-বিলাস প্রধান ।

অস্ত্রধারণ-ভেদে ধরে ভিন্ন ভিন্ন নাম ॥ ২০৭ ॥

ei cabbiśa mūrti — prābhava-vilāsa pradhāna

astra-dhāraṇa-bhede dhare bhinna bhinna nāma

Translation

“All these twenty-four forms constitute the chief prābhava-vilāsa pastime forms of the Lord. They are named differently according to the position of the weapons in Their hands.

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.

Twenty-four Chief Prābhava-vilāsa Forms

  1. 1

    These twenty-four forms are the Lord’s chief prābhava-vilāsa pastime forms.

  2. 2

    The forms have different names.

  3. 3

    Their names differ according to the position of the weapons in Their hands.

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
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. ei cabbiśa mūrtiall of these twenty-four forms
  2. prābhava-vilāsapastime forms of the prābhava expansions
  3. pradhānachief
  4. astra-dhāraṇaof holding the weapons
  5. bhedein terms of differences
  6. dhareaccept
  7. bhinna bhinnaseparate from one another
  8. nāmanames
3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What determines the different names of these twenty-four forms?

Practice

Write a short reminder: “The positions of the weapons distinguish the names of these forms.”

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 todayTwenty-four Chief Prābhava-vilāsa FormsThis 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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