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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 21.36Madhya 21.38

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 21.37

সৃজামি তন্নিযুক্তোঽহং হরো হরতি তদ্বশঃ ।

বিশ্বং পুরুষরূপেণ পরিপাতি ত্রিশক্তিধৃক্‌ ॥ ৩৭ ॥

sṛjāmi tan-niyukto ’haṁ

haro harati tad-vaśaḥ

viśvaṁ puruṣa-rūpeṇa

paripāti tri-śakti-dhṛk

Translation

“[Lord Brahmā said:] ‘Following the will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I create, Lord Śiva destroys, and He Himself in the form of Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu maintains all the affairs of material nature. Thus the supreme controller of the three modes of material nature is Lord Viṣṇu.’

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Creation, Maintenance and Destruction Follow Supreme Will

  1. 1

    Lord Brahmā creates and Lord Śiva destroys, following the will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

  2. 2

    The Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, in the form of Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, maintains all the affairs of material nature.

  3. 3

    Lord Viṣṇu is the supreme controller of the three modes of material nature.

Connected verses· 1

The purport of CC Madhya 21.37 quotesSB 2.6.32

This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.6.32).

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. sṛjāmicreate
  2. tat-niyuktaḥengaged by Him
  3. ahamI
  4. haraḥLord Śiva
  5. haratiannihilates
  6. tat-vaśaḥunder His control
  7. viśvamthe whole universe
  8. puruṣa-rūpeṇain the form of Lord Viṣṇu
  9. paripātimaintains
  10. tri-śakti-dhṛkthe controller of the three modes of material nature
3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How does this description help me see creation, maintenance and destruction as governed by the Supreme will?

Practice

Make a three-line note naming who creates, who maintains and who destroys, as described here.

4

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 todayCreation, Maintenance and Destruction Follow Supreme WillThis 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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