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Study a Verse

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

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 ›

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 21.105

ভূষণের ভূষণ অঙ্গ,     তাহেঁ ললিত ত্রিভঙ্গ,

তাহার উপর ভ্রূধনু-নর্তন ।

তেরছে নেত্রান্ত বাণ,     তার দৃঢ় সন্ধান,

বিন্ধে রাধা-গোপীগণ-মন ॥ ১০৫ ॥

bhūṣaṇera bhūṣaṇa aṅga, tāheṅ lalita tri-bhaṅga,

tāhāra upara bhrūdhanu-nartana

terache netrānta bāṇa, tāra dṛḍha sandhāna,

vindhe rādhā-gopī-gaṇa-mana

Translation

“Ornaments caress that body, but the transcendental body of Kṛṣṇa is so beautiful that it beautifies the ornaments He wears. Therefore Kṛṣṇa’s body is said to be the ornament of ornaments. Enhancing the wonderful beauty of Kṛṣṇa is His three-curved style of standing. Above all these beautiful features, Kṛṣṇa’s eyes dance and move obliquely, acting like arrows to pierce the minds of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and the gopīs. When the arrow succeeds in hitting its target, their minds become agitated.

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 Is the Ornament of Ornaments

  1. 1

    Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental body beautifies the ornaments He wears. His body is therefore called the ornament of ornaments.

  2. 2

    His three-curved style of standing enhances His wonderful beauty.

  3. 3

    His dancing, sidelong eyes act like arrows that pierce the minds of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and the gopīs. When these arrows reach their target, their minds become agitated.

How it feels

Awe becoming attraction. The Lord’s vast opulence is placed beside the intimate sweetness of Kṛṣṇa.

The mood of Madhya 21 as a whole, an editorial reading, not the text itself. See the emotional atlas

Further reading

Madhya 21: The Opulence and Sweetness of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa

From Śrīla Prabhupāda's chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

In this chapter the author of the Caitanya-caritāmṛta has presented some nice poems about the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa’s superexcellent beauty. Throughout the rest of the chapter, our intimate relationship ( sambandha ) with Kṛṣṇa is described.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 21
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. bhūṣaṇeraof the ornament
  2. bhūṣaṇathe ornament
  3. aṅgathe limbs of the body
  4. tāheṅthat feature
  5. lalitadelicate
  6. tri-bhaṅgabent in three places
  7. tāhāra uparaabove that
  8. bhrū-dhanu-nartanadancing of the eyebrows
3

Key ideas in this verse

The themes of love and mercy this verse speaks of.

  • Vraja-smaraṇa · Remembrance of Vṛndāvana

    The remembered sweetness of Vraja that colors Mahāprabhu’s pilgrimage, Ratha-yātrā, and later states of separation. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “gopīs”

  • Rādhā-bhāva · The confidential inner purpose

    The Lord’s desire to taste the love and perspective of Śrī Rādhā, illuminated by later ecstatic pastimes. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “rādhārāṇī”

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 the phrase “ornament of ornaments” change the way you think about Kṛṣṇa’s beauty?

Practice

Read the translation slowly and identify its three descriptions of beauty: His body, His stance and His eyes.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa Is the Ornament of OrnamentsThis 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.

Ask Caitanya CaritamrtaHave a question about CC Madhya 21.105? Get an answer from the verses themselves.