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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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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 20.326Madhya 20.328

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 20.327

ব্রহ্মসাবর্ণ্যে ‘বিষ্বক্‌সেন’, ‘ধর্মসেতু’ ধর্মসাবর্ণ্যে ।

রুদ্রসাবর্ণ্যে ‘সুধামা’, ‘যোগেশ্বর’ দেবসাবর্ণ্যে ॥ ৩২৭ ॥

brahma-sāvarṇye ‘viṣvaksena’, ‘dharmasetu’ dharma-sāvarṇye

rudra-sāvarṇye ‘sudhāmā’, ‘yogeśvara’ deva-sāvarṇye

Translation

“In the Brahma-sāvarṇya-manvantara, the avatāra is named Viṣvaksena, and in the Dharma-sāvarṇya, he is named Dharmasetu. In the Rudra-sāvarṇya he is named Sudhāmā, and in the Deva-sāvarṇya, he is named Yogeśvara.

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.

Avatāras Named for Their Manvantaras

  1. 1

    In the Brahma-sāvarṇya-manvantara, the avatāra is named Viṣvaksena.

  2. 2

    In the Dharma-sāvarṇya, the avatāra is named Dharmasetu.

  3. 3

    In the Rudra-sāvarṇya he is named Sudhāmā, and in the Deva-sāvarṇya he is named Yogeśvara.

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. brahma-sāvarṇyein the Brahma-sāvarṇya-manvantara
  2. viṣvaksenathe avatāra named Viṣvaksena
  3. dharmasetuthe avatāra named Dharmasetu
  4. dharma-sāvarṇyein the Dharma-sāvarṇya-manvantara
  5. rudra-sāvarṇyein the Rudra-sāvarṇya-manvantara
  6. sudhāmāthe avatāra named Sudhāmā
  7. yogeśvarathe avatāra named Yogeśvara
  8. deva-sāvarṇyein the Deva-sāvarṇya-manvantara
3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Which of these avatāra names can you remember with its manvantara?

Practice

Write down one manvantara and its avatāra’s name, then read the pair aloud.

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 todayAvatāras Named for Their ManvantarasThis 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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