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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 20.289Madhya 20.291

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 20.290

‘রুদ্র’রূপ ধরি করে জগৎ সংহার ।

সৃষ্টি, স্থিতি, প্রলয় হয় ইচ্ছায় যাঁহার ॥ ২৯০ ॥

‘rudra’-rūpa dhari kare jagat saṁhāra

sṛṣṭi, sthiti, pralaya haya icchāya yāṅhāra

Translation

“The Supreme Lord in His form of Rudra [Lord Śiva] brings about the dissolution of this material creation. In other words, only by His will are there creation, maintenance and dissolution of the whole cosmic manifestation.

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.

Creation and Dissolution Depend on His Will

  1. 1

    The Supreme Lord brings about dissolution in His form of Rudra, Lord Śiva.

  2. 2

    This dissolution concerns the material creation.

  3. 3

    Creation, maintenance and dissolution of the whole cosmic manifestation occur only by the Supreme Lord’s 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:

Thus the Lord described the many forms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He also described the incarnations of God within the material world, incarnations such as the puruṣa-avatāras, manvantara-avatāras, guṇa-avatāras and śaktyāveśa-avatāras.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 20
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. rudra-rūpa dhariaccepting the form of Lord Śiva
  2. kareperforms
  3. jagat saṁhāradissolution of the universal creation
  4. sṛṣṭicreation
  5. sthitimaintenance
  6. pralayaand dissolution
  7. hayatake place
  8. icchāyaby the will
  9. yāṅhāraof whom
3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does this verse invite you to recognize about the Supreme Lord’s will?

Practice

Read the translation once and name the three cosmic activities that depend on the Supreme Lord’s will.

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 todayCreation and Dissolution Depend on His WillThis 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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