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Read one verse of Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta with its Bengali, transliteration, word meanings, translation and study points.
Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 21.60
কৃষ্ণ কহেন — ‘কোন্ ব্রহ্মা, কি নাম তাহার ?’
দ্বারী আসি’ ব্রহ্মারে পুছে আর বার ॥ ৬০ ॥
kṛṣṇa kahena — ‘kon brahmā, ki nāma tāhāra?’
dvārī āsi’ brahmāre puche āra bāra
“When Kṛṣṇa was so informed, He immediately asked the doorman, ‘Which Brahmā? What is his name?’ The doorman therefore returned and questioned Lord Brahmā.
Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.ioThree study points drawn from the translation and purport.
Kṛṣṇa asked which Brahmā had come and what his name was. Brahmā is the name of a post, and its occupant also has a particular name.
The present predominating deity of the sun is generally called Sūrya, but his particular name is Vivasvān. Similarly, a governor called rāja-pāla also has an individual name.
There are hundreds and thousands of Brahmās with different names. Kṛṣṇa therefore wanted to know which one had come to see Him.
Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.
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
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
Learn the words of the verse.
Take one thing from this verse into your day.
How does distinguishing a post from its occupant help you understand Kṛṣṇa’s question?
Write a short note distinguishing the title Sūrya from the particular name Vivasvān.
His recorded lectures on this verse, and the talks where he quotes it.
1 lecture given on it. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.
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 21.60? Get an answer from the verses themselves.