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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 22.16

কামাদীনাং কতি ন কতিধা পালিতা দুর্নিদেশা-

স্তেষাং জাতা ময়ি ন করুণা ন ত্রপা নোপশান্তিঃ ।

উৎসৃজ্যৈতানথ যদুপতে সাম্প্রতং লব্ধবুদ্ধি-

স্ত্বামায়াতঃ শরণমভয়ং মাং নিযুঙ্ক্ষ্বাত্মদাস্যে ॥ ১৬ ॥

kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśās

teṣāṁ jātā mayi na karuṇā na trapā nopaśāntiḥ

utsṛjyaitān atha yadu-pate sāmprataṁ labdha-buddhis

tvām āyātaḥ śaraṇam abhayaṁ māṁ niyuṅkṣvātma-dāsye

Translation

“ ‘O my Lord, there is no limit to the unwanted orders of lusty desires. Although I have rendered these desires so much service, they have not shown any mercy to me. I have not been ashamed to serve them, nor have I even desired to give them up. O my Lord, O head of the Yadu dynasty, recently, however, my intelligence has been awakened, and now I am giving them up. Due to transcendental intelligence, I now refuse to obey the unwanted orders of these desires, and I now come to You to surrender myself at Your fearless lotus feet. Kindly engage me in Your personal service and save me.’

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

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Surrender and Pray for Loving Service

  1. 1

    Awakened transcendental intelligence leads one to refuse the unwanted orders of lusty desires and surrender at the Lord’s fearless lotus feet.

  2. 2

    Chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra addresses the Lord and His spiritual potency. The devotee prays to Them for engagement in transcendental loving service.

  3. 3

    When the conditioned soul fully surrenders unto the Lord’s lotus feet, he tries to engage in the Lord’s service. This is the living entity’s real constitutional position.

Key points from the purport
  • The devotee always prays to the Lord and His internal energy (consort) so that he may engage in Their transcendental loving service.
  • When the conditioned soul attains his real spiritual energy and fully surrenders unto the Lord’s lotus feet, he tries to engage in the Lord’s service.
  • This is the real constitutional position of the living entity.

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

Trust and resolution. Devotional practice and association offer a steady path for awakening love.

The mood of Madhya 22 as a whole, an editorial reading, not the text itself. See the emotional atlas

Further reading

Madhya 22: The Process of Devotional Service

From Śrīla Prabhupāda's chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

One has to fully surrender unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and give up attraction for women and nondevotees. The six symptoms of fully surrendered souls are also described in this chapter.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 22
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Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. kāma-ādīnāmof my masters such as lust, anger, greed, illusion and envy
  2. katihow many
  3. nanot
  4. katidhāin how many ways
  5. pālitāḥobeyed
  6. duḥ-nideśāḥundesirable orders
  7. teṣāmof them
  8. jātāgenerated
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Key ideas in this verse

The themes of love and mercy this verse speaks of.

  • Śaraṇāgati · Taking shelter

    Turning toward Kṛṣṇa through shelter, surrender, dependence on guru, and unconditional devotional fidelity. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “surrender”, “lotus feet”

  • 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: “service”, “serve”

  • 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: “mercy”

Concept links are an editorial study map; only the verse is the text itself.

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Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How could your chanting become a more heartfelt prayer to be engaged in the Lord’s service?

Practice

Chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra today with the simple prayer, “Kindly engage me in Your service.”

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Śrīla Prabhupāda speaks

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

1 lecture given on it · quoted in 19 more lectures. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.

Quoted in 19 other lectures

In each of these he quotes this verse while speaking on another verse or subject. "Find the quote" opens the transcript at that spot.

Live this todaySurrender and Pray for Loving ServiceThis 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 22.16? Get an answer from the verses themselves.