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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 20.362Madhya 20.364

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 20.363

অবতার-কালে হয় জগতে গোচর ।

এই দুই লক্ষণে কেহ জানয়ে ঈশ্বর ॥” ৩৬৩ ॥

avatāra-kāle haya jagate gocara

ei dui lakṣaṇe keha jānaye īśvara”

Translation

“At the time of Their appearance, the incarnations of the Lord are known in the world because people can consult the śāstras to understand an incarnation’s chief characteristics, known as svarūpa and taṭastha. In this way the incarnations become known to great saintly persons.”

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.

Consult Scripture to Recognize the Lord

  1. 1

    When the Lord’s incarnations appear, people can consult the śāstras to understand Them.

  2. 2

    The śāstras describe an incarnation’s chief characteristics, known as svarūpa and taṭastha.

  3. 3

    Through these characteristics, the incarnations become known to great saintly persons.

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. avatāra-kāleat the time of incarnation
  2. hayathere is
  3. jagatein the world
  4. gocarainformation
  5. ei dui lakṣaṇeby these two characteristics, namely svarūpa and taṭastha
  6. kehasome persons
  7. jānayeknow
  8. īśvarathe incarnation of the Supreme Lord
3

Key ideas in this verse

The themes of love and mercy this verse speaks of.

  • Sādhu-saṅga · Love grows through association

    Spiritual association shapes the movement, empowers disciples, and reveals truths through loving conversations. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “saintly”

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

Why is consulting the śāstras important when trying to recognize an incarnation?

Practice

Write down the verse’s guidance for recognizing an incarnation: consult the śāstras for svarūpa and taṭastha characteristics.

Live this todayConsult Scripture to Recognize the LordThis 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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