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Read one verse of Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta with its Bengali, transliteration, word meanings, translation and study points.
Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 20.248
অনন্ত অবতার কৃষ্ণের, নাহিক গণন ।
শাখা-চন্দ্র-ন্যায় করি দিগ্দরশন ॥ ২৪৮ ॥
ananta avatāra kṛṣṇera, nāhika gaṇana
śākhā-candra-nyāya kari dig-daraśana
“There are innumerable incarnations of Kṛṣṇa, and there is no possibility of counting them. We can simply indicate them by giving the example of the moon and the branches of a tree.
Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.ioThree study points drawn from the translation and purport.
Kṛṣṇa’s incarnations are innumerable; there is no possibility of counting them. We can only indicate them through an example.
The moon may appear to be located among a tree’s branches, although it is actually very far away. Similarly, the Lord’s incarnations should not be considered to belong to this material world.
The incarnations become visible by the causeless mercy of the Lord. Their visibility does not make them material.
Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.
The purport of CC Madhya 20.248 quotesBG 9.11
As stated by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā:
Each link is a verse the purport itself quotes, or a purport elsewhere that quotes this verse, shown with the purport's own words.
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
From Śrīla Prabhupāda's chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:
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. Thus the Lord described the many forms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 20
Learn the words of the verse.
The themes of love and mercy this verse speaks of.
Kīrtana community · A movement of shared hearts
Devotional community as a living network of branches, service, festivals, care, and collective chanting. · In the Prema Atlas
In this verse: “branches”
Kṛpā & transformation · Mercy changes a life
Transformative encounters with grace, from scholars and travelers to renunciants and householders. · In the Prema Atlas
In this verse: “mercy”
Concept links are an editorial study map; only the verse is the text itself.
Take one thing from this verse into your day.
How does the example of the moon and branches help you understand the Lord’s incarnations?
Write one sentence explaining how the moon-and-branches example guards against considering the incarnations material.
His recorded lectures on this verse, and the talks where he quotes it.
1 lecture given on it. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.
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 20.248? Get an answer from the verses themselves.