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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

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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 22: The Process of Devotional Service
Madhya 22.47Madhya 22.49

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 22.48

নৈবোপযন্ত্যপচিতিং কবয়স্তবেশ

ব্রহ্মায়ুষাপি কৃতমৃদ্ধমুদঃ স্মরন্তঃ ।

যোঽন্তর্বহিস্তনুভৃতামশুভং বিধুন্ব-

ন্নাচার্যচৈত্ত্যবপুষা স্বগতিং ব্যনক্তি ॥ ৪৮ ॥

naivopayanty apacitiṁ kavayas taveśa

brahmāyuṣāpi kṛtam ṛddha-mudaḥ smarantaḥ

yo ’ntar bahis tanu-bhṛtām aśubhaṁ vidhunvann

ācārya-caittya-vapuṣā sva-gatiṁ vyanakti

Translation

“ ‘O my Lord! Transcendental poets and experts in spiritual science could not fully express their indebtedness to You, even if they were endowed with the prolonged lifetime of Brahmā, for You appear in two features — externally as the ācārya and internally as the Supersoul — to deliver the embodied living being by directing him how to come to You.’

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

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Gratitude for the Lord’s Guiding Mercy

  1. 1

    Transcendental poets and experts in spiritual science cannot fully express their indebtedness to the Lord, even with a lifetime as long as Brahmā’s.

  2. 2

    The Lord appears externally as the ācārya and internally as the Supersoul.

  3. 3

    Through these two features, He delivers the embodied living being by directing that person how to come to Him.

Key points from the purport
  • It was spoken by Uddhava after he had been instructed in yoga by Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

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 22.48 quotesSB 11.29.6

This is a verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.29.6).

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

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:

If one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness fully, even though he may sometimes be agitated due to having previously practiced mental speculation and yogic mysticism, he will be saved by Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself. The fact is that devotional service is bestowed by the blessings of a pure devotee ( sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ ) .
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. na evanot at all
  2. upayantiare able to express
  3. apacitimtheir gratitude
  4. kavayaḥlearned devotees
  5. tavaYour
  6. īśaO Lord
  7. brahma-āyuṣāwith a lifetime equal to Lord Brahmā’s
  8. apiin spite of
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Key ideas in this verse

The themes of love and mercy this verse speaks of.

  • 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: “deliver”, “delivers”

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

What gratitude do I feel for the Lord’s guidance through the ācārya and the Supersoul?

Practice

Offer a brief prayer today thanking the Lord for directing you toward Him.

Live this todayGratitude for the Lord’s Guiding MercyThis 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 22.48? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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