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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 24: The Sixty-One Explanations of the Ātmārāma Verse
Madhya 24.226Madhya 24.228

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 24.227

নির্গ্রন্থ-শব্দে কহে তবে ‘ব্যাধ’, ‘নির্ধন’ ।

সাধুসঙ্গে সেহ করে শ্রীকৃষ্ণ-ভজন ॥ ২২৭ ॥

nirgrantha-śabde kahe tabe ‘vyādha’, ‘nirdhana’

sādhu-saṅge seha kare śrī-kṛṣṇa-bhajana

Translation

“The word ‘nirgrantha,’ when combined with ‘api’ used in the sense of certainty, indicates a person who is a hunter by profession or who is very poor. Nonetheless, when such a person associates with a great saint like Nārada, he engages in Lord Kṛṣṇa’s devotional 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.

Saintly Association Can Transform Anyone

  1. 1

    Here ‘nirgrantha,’ combined with ‘api’ in the sense of certainty, indicates a professional hunter or a very poor person.

  2. 2

    Even such a person can associate with a great saint like Nārada.

  3. 3

    Through that association, the person engages in Lord Kṛṣṇa’s devotional 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:

In this regard, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu narrated a story about how the great sage Nārada converted a hunter into a great Vaiṣṇava, and how this was appreciated by Nārada’s friend Parvata Muni. Sanātana Gosvāmī then offered a prayer to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu explained the glory of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 24
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. nirgrantha-śabdeby the word nirgrantha
  2. kaheis said
  3. tabetherefore
  4. vyādhaa hunter
  5. nirdhanawithout any riches
  6. sādhu-saṅgeby the association of a saintly person
  7. sehahe also
  8. kareengages himself
  9. śrī-kṛṣṇa-bhajanain the devotional service of Lord Kṛṣṇa
3

Key ideas in this verse

The themes of love and mercy this verse speaks of.

  • Sādhu-saṅga · Love grows through association

    Spiritual association shapes the movement, empowers disciples, and reveals truths through loving conversations. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “associates”, “association”, “associate”

  • 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

Do I let someone's occupation or poverty shape my view of their capacity for devotion?

Practice

Reflect on one judgment you have made based on occupation or wealth, and recall that saintly association can lead a person to Kṛṣṇa’s service.

Live this todaySaintly Association Can Transform AnyoneThis 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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