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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 24: The Sixty-One Explanations of the Ātmārāma Verse
Madhya 24.215Madhya 24.217

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 24.216

‘তপস্বী’ প্রভৃতি যত দেহারামী হয় ।

সাধুসঙ্গে তপ ছাড়ি’ শ্রীকৃষ্ণ ভজয় ॥ ২১৬ ॥

‘tapasvī’ prabhṛti yata dehārāmī haya

sādhu-saṅge tapa chāḍi’ śrī-kṛṣṇa bhajaya

Translation

“The tapasvīs, those who undergo severe austerities and penances to elevate themselves to the higher planetary systems, are also in the same category. When such persons come in contact with a devotee, they give up all those practices and engage in Lord Kṛṣṇa’s service.

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.

From Austerity for Elevation to Kṛṣṇa’s Service

  1. 1

    Tapasvīs undergo severe austerities and penances to elevate themselves to higher planetary systems.

  2. 2

    Those pursuing such elevation are also included in the bodily conception described in this passage.

  3. 3

    When they contact a devotee, they give up those practices and engage in Lord Kṛṣṇa’s service.

How it feels

Intellectual wonder humbled. Many explanations converge on the attractiveness of devotion; a hunter’s heart is transformed.

The mood of Madhya 24 as a whole, an editorial reading, not the text itself. See the emotional atlas

Further reading

Madhya 24: The Sixty-One Explanations of the Ātmārāma Verse

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

He then concluded that different classes of transcendentalists ( jñānīs, karmīs, yogīs ) utilize this verse according to their own interpretation, but if they would give up this process and surrender to Kṛṣṇa, as indicated by the verse itself, they would be able to comprehend the real meaning of the verse.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 24
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. tapasvīpersons who undergo severe penances
  2. prabhṛtiand so on
  3. yataall
  4. dehārāmī hayaare within the category of the bodily concept of life
  5. sādhu-saṅgein the association of devotees
  6. tapa chāḍi’giving up all such processes of penance and austerity
  7. śrī-kṛṣṇa bhajayaengage themselves in the service of Lord Kṛṣṇa
3

Key ideas in this verse

The themes of love and mercy this verse speaks of.

  • 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”

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

Are my spiritual efforts aimed at my own elevation or at serving Lord Kṛṣṇa?

Practice

Set aside a few minutes today for a simple act of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s service, rather than seeking personal elevation.

Live this todayFrom Austerity for Elevation to Kṛṣṇa’s 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.

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