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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 21: The Opulence and Sweetness of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa
Madhya 21.139Madhya 21.141

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 21.140

স্মিত-কিরণ-সুকর্পূরে,     পৈশে অধর-মধুরে,

সেই মধু মাতায় ত্রিভুবনে ।

বংশীছিদ্র আকাশে,     তার গুণ শব্দে পৈশে,

ধ্বনিরূপে পাঞা পরিণামে ॥ ১৪০ ॥

smita-kiraṇa-sukarpūre, paiśe adhara-madhure,

sei madhu mātāya tribhuvane

vaṁśī-chidra ākāśe, tāra guṇa śabde paiśe,

dhvani-rūpe pāñā pariṇāme

Translation

“His slight smiling and fragrant illumination are compared to camphor, which enters the sweetness of His lips. That sweetness is transformed and enters into space as vibrations from the holes of His flute.

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’s Sweetness Becomes His Flute’s Sound

  1. 1

    Kṛṣṇa’s slight smiling and fragrant illumination are compared to camphor.

  2. 2

    They enter the sweetness of His lips.

  3. 3

    That sweetness is transformed into vibrations from the holes of His flute and enters into space.

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. smita-kiraṇathe shining of Kṛṣṇa’s smile
  2. su-karpūrecompared to camphor
  3. paiśeenters
  4. adhara-madhurewithin the sweetness of the lips
  5. sei madhuthat ambrosia
  6. mātāyamaddens
  7. tri-bhuvanethe three worlds
  8. vaṁśī-chidraof the holes in the flute
3

Key ideas in this verse

The themes of love and mercy this verse speaks of.

  • Kṛpā & transformation · Mercy changes a life

    Transformative encounters with grace, from scholars and travelers to renunciants and householders. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “transformed”

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 do you notice about the connection between Kṛṣṇa’s smile, lips, and flute?

Practice

Read the verse once, following its description from Kṛṣṇa’s smile to the sound of His flute.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa’s Sweetness Becomes His Flute’s SoundThis 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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