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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

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 21.113

তারুণ্যামৃত — পারাবার,     তরঙ্গ — লাবণ্যসার,

তাতে সে আবর্ত ভাবোদ্‌গম ।

বংশীধ্বনি — চক্রবাত,     নারীর মন — তৃণপাত,

তাহা ডুবায়, না হয় উদ্‌গম ॥ ১১৩ ॥

tāruṇyāmṛta — pārāvāra, taraṅga — lāvaṇya-sāra,

tāte se āvarta bhāvodgama

vaṁśī-dhvani — cakravāta, nārīra mana — tṛṇa-pāta,

tāhā ḍubāya, nā haya udgama

Translation

“The bodily beauty of Śrī Kṛṣṇa is like a wave in the ocean of eternal youth. In that great ocean is the whirlpool of the awakening of ecstatic love. The vibration of Kṛṣṇa’s flute is like a whirlwind, and the flickering minds of the gopīs are like straws and dry leaves. After they fall down in the whirlwind, they never rise again but remain eternally at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.

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.

The Gopīs Remain Eternally at Kṛṣṇa’s Feet

  1. 1

    Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s bodily beauty is like a wave in the ocean of eternal youth. Within that ocean is the whirlpool of awakening ecstatic love.

  2. 2

    The vibration of His flute is like a whirlwind, and the flickering minds of the gopīs are like straws and dry leaves.

  3. 3

    Once caught in that whirlwind, their minds never rise again. They remain eternally at Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet.

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. tāruṇya-amṛtaeternal youth
  2. pārāvāralike a great ocean
  3. taraṅgawaves
  4. lāvaṇya-sārathe essence of bodily beauty
  5. tātein that ocean
  6. sethat
  7. āvartalike a whirlpool
  8. bhāva-udgamaawakening of different ecstatic emotions
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”

  • Prema · Love of Godhead

    The culminating devotional purpose that unites the narration: bestowed, cultivated, taught, celebrated, and tasted. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “ecstatic love”

  • 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

What does the image of the gopīs’ minds remaining at Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet invite you to reflect on?

Practice

Spend one quiet minute contemplating the final image: the gopīs’ minds resting eternally at Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet.

Live this todayThe Gopīs Remain Eternally at Kṛṣṇa’s FeetThis 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 21.113? Get an answer from the verses themselves.