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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 20.357Madhya 20.359

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 20.358

ভাগবতারম্ভে ব্যাস মঙ্গলাচরণে ।

‘পরমেশ্বর’ নিরূপিল এই দুই লক্ষণে ॥ ৩৫৮ ॥

bhāgavatārambhe vyāsa maṅgalācaraṇe

‘parameśvara’ nirūpila ei dui lakṣaṇe

Translation

“In the auspicious invocation at the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śrīla Vyāsadeva has described the Supreme Personality of Godhead by these symptoms.

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.

Vyāsadeva Describes the Supreme Lord’s Characteristics

  1. 1

    Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam begins with an auspicious invocation.

  2. 2

    In that invocation, Śrīla Vyāsadeva describes the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

  3. 3

    He describes the Supreme Personality of Godhead by these symptoms.

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. bhāgavata-ārambhein the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
  2. vyāsathe great author Vyāsadeva
  3. maṅgala-ācaraṇein the auspicious invocation
  4. parama-īśvarathe Supreme Personality of Godhead
  5. nirūpilahas described
  6. ei dui lakṣaṇeby these two characteristics, namely svarūpa (personal) and taṭastha (marginal) symptoms
3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does this verse invite me to notice in the opening invocation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam?

Practice

Write a study reminder to look for the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s characteristics when reading the opening invocation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

4

Śrīla Prabhupāda speaks

His recorded lectures on this verse, and the talks where he quotes it.

2 lectures given on it. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.

Live this todayVyāsadeva Describes the Supreme Lord’s CharacteristicsThis 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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