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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 21.26Madhya 21.28

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 21.27

জানন্ত এব জানন্তু কিং বহূক্ত্যা ন মে প্রভো ।

মনসো বপুষো বাচো বৈভবং তব গোচরঃ ॥ ২৭ ॥

jānanta eva jānantu

kiṁ bahūktyā na me prabho

manaso vapuṣo vāco

vaibhavaṁ tava gocaraḥ

Translation

“ ‘There are people who say, “I know everything about Kṛṣṇa.” Let them think that way. As far as I am concerned, I do not wish to speak very much about this matter. O my Lord, let me say this much. As far as Your opulences are concerned, they are all beyond the reach of my mind, body and words.’

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Opulence Beyond Mind, Body, and Words

  1. 1

    Brahmā spoke this prayer after stealing Lord Kṛṣṇa’s calves and cowherd boys.

  2. 2

    Kṛṣṇa exhibited His transcendental opulence by re-creating all the stolen calves and cowherd boys through His viṣṇu-mūrti expansions.

  3. 3

    After seeing this, Brahmā offered his prayer, acknowledging that the Lord’s opulences are beyond his mind, body, and words.

Key points from the purport
  • This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.38), spoken by Lord Brahmā after he had stolen Lord Kṛṣṇa’s calves and cowherd boys and Kṛṣṇa had exhibited His transcendental opulence by re-creating all the stolen calves and cowherd boys by His viṣṇu-mūrti expansions.
  • After he had seen this, Brahmā offered the above prayer.

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

Connected verses· 1

The purport of CC Madhya 21.27 quotesSB 10.14.38

This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.38), spoken by Lord Brahmā after he had stolen Lord Kṛṣṇa’s calves and cowherd boys and Kṛṣṇa had exhibited His transcendental opulence by re-creating all the stolen calves and cowherd boys by His viṣṇu-mūrti expansions.

Each link is a verse the purport itself quotes, or a purport elsewhere that quotes this verse, shown with the purport's own words.

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:

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then describes Lord Brahmā’s interview with Kṛṣṇa at Dvārakā and the Lord’s curbing the pride of Brahmā. There is also a description of one of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes with Brahmā.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 21
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. jānantaḥpersons who think they are aware of Your unlimited potency
  2. evacertainly
  3. jānantulet them think like that
  4. kimwhat is the use
  5. bahu-uktyāwith many words
  6. nanot
  7. memy
  8. prabhoO Lord
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: “cowherd”

  • Sevā · Love translated into service

    Devotional service expressed through cleansing, caring, teaching, honoring others, and living as Kṛṣṇa’s servant. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “offered”

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 Brahmā’s response encourage humility in my understanding of Kṛṣṇa?

Practice

Read Brahmā’s concluding words aloud once, paying attention to the limits he acknowledges.

5

Śrīla Prabhupāda speaks

His recorded lectures on this verse, and the talks where he quotes it.

1 lecture given on it. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.

Live this todayOpulence Beyond Mind, Body, and WordsThis 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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