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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 20.317Madhya 20.319

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 20.318

সৃজামি তন্নিযুক্তোঽহং হরো হরতি তদ্বশঃ ।

বিশ্বং পুরুষরূপেণ পরিপাতি ত্রিশক্তিধৃক্ ॥ ৩১৮ ॥

sṛjāmi tan-niyukto ’haṁ

haro harati tad-vaśaḥ

viśvaṁ puruṣa-rūpeṇa

paripāti tri-śakti-dhṛk

Translation

“[Lord Brahmā said:] ‘I am engaged by the Supreme Personality of Godhead to create. Following His orders, Lord Śiva dissolves everything. The Supreme Personality of Godhead in His form of Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu maintains all the affairs of material nature. Thus the supreme controller of the three modes of material nature is Lord Viṣṇu.’

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Lord Viṣṇu Controls the Three Modes

  1. 1

    Lord Brahmā is engaged by the Supreme Personality of Godhead to create. Lord Śiva dissolves everything by following His orders.

  2. 2

    The Supreme Personality of Godhead, as Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, maintains all the affairs of material nature.

  3. 3

    Lord Viṣṇu is the supreme controller of the three modes of material nature. Lord Brahmā explains that both his position and Lord Śiva’s position are controlled by Lord Viṣṇu.

Key points from the purport
  • Lord Brahmā gave this information to Devarṣi Nārada when he was receiving instructions from Lord Brahmā to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Paramātmā.
  • After describing the universal form of the Lord, Lord Brahmā explained that his position and Lord Śiva’s position are controlled by Lord Viṣṇu.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

Connected verses· 1

The purport of CC Madhya 20.318 quotesSB 2.6.32

This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.6.32).

Each link is a verse the purport itself quotes, or a purport elsewhere that quotes this verse, shown with the purport's own words.

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. sṛjāmicreate
  2. tat-niyuktaḥengaged by Him
  3. ahamI
  4. haraḥLord Śiva
  5. haratiannihilates
  6. tat-vaśaḥunder His control
  7. viśvamthe whole universe
  8. puruṣa-rūpeṇain the form of Lord Viṣṇu
  9. paripātimaintains
  10. tri-śakti-dhṛkthe controller of the three modes of material nature
3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How does recognizing Viṣṇu’s control help me understand the roles of Brahmā and Śiva?

Practice

Write the three functions—creation, dissolution and maintenance—beside the names given in this verse, noting Viṣṇu as the supreme controller.

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 todayLord Viṣṇu Controls the Three ModesThis 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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