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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 24.234Madhya 24.236

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 24.235

শ্যামবর্ণ রক্তনেত্র মহাভয়ঙ্কর ।

ধনুর্বাণ হস্তে, — যেন যম দণ্ডধর ॥ ২৩৫ ॥

śyāma-varṇa rakta-netra mahā-bhayaṅkara

dhanur-bāṇa haste, — yena yama daṇḍa-dhara

Translation

“The hunter’s body was blackish. He had reddish eyes, and he appeared fierce. It was as if the superintendent of death, Yamarāja, were standing there with a bow and arrows in his hands.

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.

The Hunter’s Fierce Appearance

  1. 1

    The hunter’s body was blackish, and his eyes were reddish.

  2. 2

    He appeared fierce as he stood with his bow and arrows.

  3. 3

    His appearance is compared to Yamarāja, the superintendent of death; the verse does not identify him as Yamarāja.

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. śyāma-varṇablackish color
  2. rakta-netrareddish eyes
  3. mahābhayaṅkaravery fearful bodily features
  4. dhanur-bāṇa hastewith arrows and bow in hand
  5. yena yama daṇḍa-dharaexactly like the superintendent of death, Yamarāja
3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does this description help me understand about the danger facing the animals?

Practice

Reread the description slowly, keeping in mind the vulnerable animals nearby.

Live this todayThe Hunter’s Fierce AppearanceThis 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 24.235? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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