1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

Read one verse of Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta with its Bengali, transliteration, word meanings, translation and study points.

Or browse by līlā and chapter

Madhya-līlā · 25 chapters

12345678910111213141516171819202122232425
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 20.27Madhya 20.29

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 20.28

রাজবন্দী আমি, গড়দ্বার যাইতে না পারি ।

পুণ্য হবে, পর্বত আমা দেহ’ পার করি ॥” ২৮ ॥

rāja-bandī āmi, gaḍa-dvāra yāite nā pāri

puṇya habe, parvata āmā deha’ pāra kari”

Translation

“I am a prisoner of the government, and I cannot go along the way of the ramparts. It will be very pious of you to take this money and kindly get me across this hilly tract of land.”

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.

Explaining Danger and Asking for Kindness

  1. 1

    Sanātana Gosvāmī explained that he was a prisoner of the government.

  2. 2

    He could not travel along the way of the ramparts.

  3. 3

    He said it would be very pious for the landlord to accept the money and kindly help him cross the hills.

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:

Thus the owner helped them cross the hilly tract and proceed toward Vārāṇasī. On the way, Sanātana Gosvāmī met his brother-in-law, Śrīkānta, at Hājipura, and Śrīkānta helped him after he had heard about all Sanātana’s troubles.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 20
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. rāja-bandīa prisoner of the government
  2. āmiI
  3. gaḍa-dvāra yāiteto go openly on the road by the ramparts
  4. nā pāriI am not able
  5. puṇyapious activity
  6. habethere will be
  7. parvatathe hilly tract of land
  8. āmāto me
  9. deha’give help
  10. pāra kariby crossing over
3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

When I need help, do I explain the difficulty honestly?

Practice

When asking for help today, briefly explain the obstacle you face.

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 todayExplaining Danger and Asking for KindnessThis 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 20.28? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
  1. Learn
  2. Live
  3. Lead
Next in Learn · 5 of 9 · 2 minAsk Caitanya CaritamrtaBring your own question. Get an answer drawn only from the book's translations, with every verse shown.Back · LearnLīlās & chapters