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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 24.286Madhya 24.288

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 24.287

দুইবিধ ভক্ত হয় চারি চারি প্রকার ।

পারিষদ, সাধনসিদ্ধ, সাধকগণ আর ॥ ২৮৭ ॥

dui-vidha bhakta haya cāri cāri prakāra

pāriṣada, sādhana-siddha, sādhaka-gaṇa āra

Translation

“Both the ātmārāmas engaged in regulative devotional service and those engaged in spontaneous devotional service are further categorized into four groups. There are the eternal associates, the associates who have become perfect by devotional service, and those who are practicing devotional service and are called sādhakas, of whom there are two varieties.

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.

Associates and Practitioners in Devotional Service

  1. 1

    Both regulative and spontaneous ātmārāmas are further divided into four groups.

  2. 2

    These groups include eternal associates and associates who have become perfect by devotional service.

  3. 3

    Those still practicing devotional service are called sādhakas. They have two varieties, completing the four groups.

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. dui-vidha bhaktathese two varieties of ātmārāma devotees
  2. hayaare
  3. cāri cāri prakāraeach of four different categories
  4. pāriṣadapersonal associate
  5. sādhana-siddhaliberated to the position of associates by perfection in devotional service
  6. sādhaka-gaṇa āraand devotees already engaged in the devotional service of the Lord
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”

  • 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

What encouragement do you find in the mention of associates who became perfect by devotional service?

Practice

Write a short definition of sādhaka: “One who is practicing devotional service.”

Live this todayAssociates and Practitioners in Devotional 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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