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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 22: The Process of Devotional Service
Madhya 22.7Madhya 22.9

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 22.8

স্বাংশ-বিভিন্নাংশ-রূপে হঞা বিস্তার ।

অনন্ত বৈকুণ্ঠ-ব্রহ্মাণ্ডে করেন বিহার ॥ ৮ ॥

svāṁśa-vibhinnāṁśa-rūpe hañā vistāra

ananta vaikuṇṭha-brahmāṇḍe karena vihāra

Translation

“Kṛṣṇa expands Himself in many forms. Some of them are personal expansions, and some are separate expansions. Thus He performs pastimes in both the spiritual and the material worlds. The spiritual worlds are the Vaikuṇṭha planets, and the material universes are the brahmāṇḍas, gigantic globes governed by Lord Brahmā.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Kṛṣṇa Expands for His Pastimes

  1. 1

    Kṛṣṇa expands Himself in many forms. Some are personal expansions, and others are separate expansions.

  2. 2

    Through His expansions, He performs pastimes in both the spiritual and the material worlds.

  3. 3

    The spiritual worlds are the Vaikuṇṭha planets. The material universes are the brahmāṇḍas, gigantic globes governed by Lord Brahmā.

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
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. sva-aṁśaof personal expansions
  2. vibhinna-aṁśaof separated expansions
  3. rūpein the forms
  4. hañābecoming
  5. vistāraexpanded
  6. anantaunlimited
  7. vaikuṇṭhain the spiritual planets known as Vaikuṇṭhas
  8. brahmāṇḍein the material universes
  9. karena vihāraperforms His pastimes
3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How does Kṛṣṇa’s presence through His expansions broaden your understanding of His pastimes?

Practice

Write the terms Vaikuṇṭha planets and brahmāṇḍas, noting which refers to spiritual worlds and which to material universes.

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 todayKṛṣṇa Expands for His PastimesThis 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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