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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 20.293Madhya 20.295

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 20.294

তৃতীয়-পুরুষ বিষ্ণু — ‘গুণ-অবতার’ ।

দুই অবতার-ভিতর গণনা তাঁহার ॥ ২৯৪ ॥

tṛṭīya-puruṣa viṣṇu — ‘guṇa-avatāra’

dui avatāra-bhitara gaṇanā tāṅhāra

Translation

“The third expansion of Viṣṇu is Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, who is the incarnation of the quality of goodness. He is to be counted within both types of incarnations [puruṣa-avatāras and guṇa-avatāras].

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.

Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu Belongs to Both Incarnation Types

  1. 1

    Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is the third expansion of Viṣṇu.

  2. 2

    He is the incarnation of the quality of goodness.

  3. 3

    He is counted among both the puruṣa-avatāras and the guṇa-avatāras.

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:

He also described the incarnations of God within the material world, incarnations such as the puruṣa-avatāras, manvantara-avatāras, guṇa-avatāras and śaktyāveśa-avatāras. The Lord also discussed the divisions of Kṛṣṇa’s different ages, such as bālya and paugaṇḍa, and the different pastimes of the different ages.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 20
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. tṛtīya-puruṣathe third Personality
  2. viṣṇuLord Viṣṇu
  3. guṇa-avatārathe incarnation of the material quality of goodness
  4. dui avatāra-bhitarawithin the two incarnations
  5. gaṇanā tāṅhāraHe is designated
3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How would you describe Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu using the three facts given here?

Practice

Make a short study card listing His name, the quality of goodness, and both incarnation types.

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 todayKṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu Belongs to Both Incarnation TypesThis 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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