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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 21.144

কাণের ভিতর বাসা করে,     আপনে তাঁহা সদা স্ফুরে,

অন্য শব্দ না দেয় প্রবেশিতে ।

আন কথা না শুনে কাণ,     আন বলিতে বোলয় আন,

এই কৃষ্ণের বংশীর চরিতে ॥ ১৪৪ ॥

kāṇera bhitara vāsā kare, āpane tāṅhā sadā sphure,

anya śabda nā deya praveśite

āna kathā nā śune kāṇa, āna balite bolaya āna,

ei kṛṣṇera vaṁśīra carite

Translation

“The vibration of His flute is just like a bird that creates a nest within the ears of the gopīs and always remains prominent there, not allowing any other sound to enter their ears. Indeed, the gopīs cannot hear anything else, nor are they able to concentrate on anything else, not even to give a suitable reply. Such are the effects of the vibration of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s flute.”

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
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Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Hear and Chant With Attention to Kṛṣṇa

  1. 1

    The vibration of Kṛṣṇa’s flute remains prominent in the gopīs’ ears. Constant remembrance of this holy sound keeps them enlightened and enlivened.

  2. 2

    Their attention is so fixed on Kṛṣṇa’s flute that they cannot divert their minds to another subject.

  3. 3

    The flute’s vibration is represented by the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. A serious devotee who chants and hears it becomes absorbed in subjects related to Kṛṣṇa’s blissful characteristics and paraphernalia.

Key points from the purport
  • The vibration of Kṛṣṇa’s flute is always prominent in the ears of the gopīs.
  • Since their attention is fixed on Kṛṣṇa’s flute, they cannot divert their minds to any other subject.
  • In other words, a devotee who has heard the sound of Kṛṣṇa’s flute forgets to talk or hear of any other subject.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

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
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Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. kāṇerathe hole of the ear
  2. bhitarawithin
  3. vāsā karemakes a residence
  4. āpanepersonally
  5. tāṅhāthere
  6. sadāalways
  7. sphureis prominent
  8. anyaother
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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”, “gopīs’”

  • Nāma-saṅkīrtana · The holy name shared together

    Chanting the holy names as the yuga-dharma, the Lord’s public movement, and the opening prayer of Śikṣāṣṭaka. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “chants”

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 attentively do you hear the holy sound when you chant?

Practice

Chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra today for one minute, giving your attention to hearing its sound.

Live this todayHear and Chant With Attention to KṛṣṇaThis 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 21.144? Get an answer from the verses themselves.