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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 20.335Madhya 20.337

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 20.336

‘কৃষ্ণপদার্চন’ হয় দ্বাপরের ধর্ম ।

‘কৃষ্ণ’-বর্ণে করায় লোকে কৃষ্ণার্চন-কর্ম ॥ ৩৩৬ ॥

‘kṛṣṇa-padārcana’ haya dvāparera dharma

‘kṛṣṇa’-varṇe karāya loke kṛṣṇārcana-karma

Translation

“In Dvāpara-yuga the people’s occupational duty was to worship the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa, appearing in a blackish body, personally induced people to worship Him.

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.

Kṛṣṇa Personally Encourages Worship

  1. 1

    In Dvāpara-yuga, people’s occupational duty was to worship the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.

  2. 2

    Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared in a blackish body.

  3. 3

    He personally encouraged people to worship Him.

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:

While discussing the Absolute Truth, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Lord analyzed Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān, as well as the expansions of the Lord called svayaṁ-rūpa, tad-ekātma and āveśa, which are divided into various branches known as vaibhava and prābhava. Thus the Lord described the many forms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 20
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. kṛṣṇa-pada-arcanaworshiping the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa
  2. hayais
  3. dvāpareraof Dvāpara millennium
  4. dharmathe occupational duty
  5. kṛṣṇa-varṇein a blackish color
  6. karāyainduces
  7. loketo the people
  8. kṛṣṇa-arcana-karmathe activities of worshiping Lord Kṛṣṇa
3

Key ideas in this verse

The themes of love and mercy this verse speaks of.

  • Śaraṇāgati · Taking shelter

    Turning toward Kṛṣṇa through shelter, surrender, dependence on guru, and unconditional devotional fidelity. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “lotus feet”

Concept links are an editorial study map; only the verse is the text itself.

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How does knowing that Kṛṣṇa personally encourages worship affect your desire to worship Him?

Practice

Take a quiet moment today to offer your respect to Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet.

5

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 todayKṛṣṇa Personally Encourages WorshipThis 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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