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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 24.288Madhya 24.290

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 24.289

বিধিভক্ত্যে নিত্যসিদ্ধ পারিষদ — ‘দাস’ ।

‘সখা’ ‘গুরু’, ‘কান্তাগণ’, — চারিবিধ প্রকাশ ॥ ২৮৯ ॥

vidhi-bhaktye nitya-siddha pāriṣada — ‘dāsa’

‘sakhā’ ‘guru’, ‘kāntā-gaṇa’, — cāri-vidha prakāśa

Translation

“By executing regulative devotional service, one is elevated to the platform of an eternally perfect associate, such as a servant, friend, superior or beloved woman. Each of these is of four 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.

Regulative Devotion Leads to Perfect Association

  1. 1

    By executing regulative devotional service, one is elevated to the platform of an eternally perfect associate.

  2. 2

    The relationships described are those of a servant, friend, superior or beloved woman.

  3. 3

    Each of these relationships has four varieties, which the following verses help distinguish.

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. vidhi-bhaktyeby regulative devotional service
  2. nitya-siddha pāriṣadaeternally perfect associate
  3. dāsathe servant
  4. sakhā guru kāntā-gaṇafriends, superiors and beloved damsels
  5. cāri-vidha prakāśathey are manifested in four varieties
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”, “servant”

  • 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: “associate”

  • Bhāva & rasa · The language of sacred feeling

    Transcendental devotional moods and relationships, discussed explicitly in Rāmānanda’s dialogue and the teachings on prema. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “relationships”

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

How does the goal of perfect association help me value regular devotional service?

Practice

Set aside a few minutes today for devotional service, remembering the goal described here.

Live this todayRegulative Devotion Leads to Perfect AssociationThis 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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