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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 20.223Madhya 20.225

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 20.224

বাসুদেব — গদাশঙ্খচক্রপদ্মধর ।

সঙ্কর্ষণ — গদাশঙ্খপদ্মচক্রকর ॥ ২২৪ ॥

vāsudeva — gadā-śaṅkha-cakra-padma-dhara

saṅkarṣaṇa — gadā-śaṅkha-padma-cakra-kara

Translation

“In His lower right hand, Lord Vāsudeva holds a club, in the upper right hand a conchshell, in the upper left hand a disc and in the lower left hand a lotus flower. In His lower right hand, Saṅkarṣaṇa holds a club, in His upper right hand a conchshell, in His upper left hand a lotus flower and in His lower left hand a disc.

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.

Vāsudeva and Saṅkarṣaṇa: Distinct Weapon Arrangements

  1. 1

    Vāsudeva holds a club in His lower right hand, a conchshell in His upper right, a disc in His upper left and a lotus flower in His lower left.

  2. 2

    Saṅkarṣaṇa holds a club in His lower right hand, a conchshell in His upper right, a lotus flower in His upper left and a disc in His lower left.

  3. 3

    Their right-hand arrangements are the same. The disc and lotus flower exchange positions in Their left 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:

Caitanya Mahāprabhu called him in and ordered him to change his dress so that he would look like a gentleman. For his garment, he used an old cloth of Tapana Miśra’s.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 20
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. vāsudevaVāsudeva
  2. gadāclub
  3. śaṅkhaconchshell
  4. cakradisc
  5. padmalotus flower
  6. dharaholding
  7. saṅkarṣaṇaSaṅkarṣaṇa
  8. gadāclub
3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Can I recognize the difference between Vāsudeva’s and Saṅkarṣaṇa’s left-hand arrangements?

Practice

Write both arrangements side by side and mark the two positions that differ.

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 todayVāsudeva and Saṅkarṣaṇa: Distinct Weapon ArrangementsThis 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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