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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 20.399Madhya 20.401

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 20.400

প্রকাশিতাখিলগুণঃ স্মৃতঃ পূর্ণতমো বুধৈঃ ।

অসর্বব্যঞ্জকঃ পূর্ণতরঃ পূর্ণোঽল্পদর্শকঃ ॥ ৪০০ ॥

prakāśitākhila-guṇaḥ

smṛtaḥ pūrṇatamo budhaiḥ

asarva-vyañjakaḥ pūrṇa-

taraḥ pūrṇo ’lpa-darśakaḥ

Translation

“ ‘When the Supreme Personality of Godhead does not manifest all His transcendental qualities, He is called complete. When all the qualities are manifested, but not fully, He is called more complete. When He manifests all His qualities in fullness, He is called most complete. This is the version of all learned scholars in the devotional science.

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.

Completeness Describes How Qualities Are Manifested

  1. 1

    The Supreme Personality of Godhead is called complete when He does not manifest all His transcendental qualities.

  2. 2

    He is called more complete when all His qualities are manifested, but not fully.

  3. 3

    He is called most complete when all His qualities are manifested in fullness. This is the understanding of learned scholars in devotional science.

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. prakāśita-akhila-guṇaḥhaving all transcendental qualities manifested
  2. smṛtaḥis understood
  3. pūrṇa-tamaḥmost perfect
  4. budhaiḥby learned scholars
  5. asarva-vyañjakaḥhaving qualities not fully manifested
  6. pūrṇa-taraḥmore perfect
  7. pūrṇaḥperfect
  8. alpa-darśakaḥstill less fully manifested
3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Can I distinguish these three degrees by how His qualities are manifested?

Practice

Make a three-line note matching complete, more complete and most complete with their definitions.

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 todayCompleteness Describes How Qualities Are ManifestedThis 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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