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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 21.123

যস্যাননং মকরকুণ্ডলচারুকর্ণ-

ভ্রাজৎকপোলসুভগং সবিলাসহাসম্‌ ।

নিত্যোৎসবং ন ততৃপুর্দৃশিভিঃ পিবন্ত্যো

নার্যো নরাশ্চ মুদিতাঃ কুপিতা নিমেশ্চ ॥ ১২৩ ॥

yasyānanaṁ makara-kuṇḍala-cāru-karṇa-

bhrājat-kapola-subhagaṁ sa-vilāsa-hāsam

nityotsavaṁ na tatṛpur dṛśibhiḥ pibantyo

nāryo narāś ca muditāḥ kupitā nimeś ca

Translation

“ ‘All men and women were accustomed to enjoying the beauty of the shining face of Lord Kṛṣṇa, as well as His shark-shaped earrings swinging on His ears. His beautiful features, His cheeks and His playful smiles all combined to form a constant festival for the eyes, and the blinking of the eyes became obstacles that impeded one from seeing that beauty. For this reason, men and women became very angry at the creator [Lord Brahmā].’

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Kṛṣṇa’s Beauty Is a Constant Festival

  1. 1

    Men and women were accustomed to enjoying Lord Kṛṣṇa’s shining face and His swinging, shark-shaped earrings.

  2. 2

    His beautiful features, cheeks and playful smiles combined to form a constant festival for the eyes.

  3. 3

    Blinking interrupted their sight of that beauty, so they became very angry at the creator, Lord Brahmā.

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. yasyaof Kṛṣṇa
  2. ānanamface
  3. makara-kuṇḍalaby earrings resembling sharks
  4. cārubeautified
  5. karṇathe ears
  6. bhrājatshining
  7. kapolacheeks
  8. su-bhagamdelicate
3

Key ideas in this verse

The themes of love and mercy this verse speaks of.

  • Kīrtana community · A movement of shared hearts

    Devotional community as a living network of branches, service, festivals, care, and collective chanting. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “festival”

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 “a constant festival for the eyes” help you appreciate Kṛṣṇa’s beauty?

Practice

Choose one feature described here and spend a quiet moment remembering it.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa’s Beauty Is a Constant FestivalThis 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 21.123? Get an answer from the verses themselves.