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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 24.312Madhya 24.314

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 24.313

অহং বেদ্মি শুকো বেত্তি ব্যাসো বেত্তি ন বেত্তি বা ।

ভক্ত্যা ভাগবতং গ্রাহ্যং ন বুদ্ধ্যা ন চ টিকয়া ॥ ৩১৩ ॥

ahaṁ vedmi śuko vetti

vyāso vetti na vetti vā

bhaktyā bhāgavataṁ grāhyaṁ

na buddhyā na ca ṭīkayā

Translation

“[Lord Śiva said:] ‘I may know; Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the son of Vyāsadeva, may know; and Vyāsadeva may know or may not know Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. On the whole, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the spotless Purāṇa, can be learned only through devotional service, not by material intelligence, speculative methods or imaginary commentaries.’”

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Through Devotional Service

  1. 1

    Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the spotless Purāṇa, can be understood only through devotional service, not through material intelligence, speculation or imaginary commentaries.

  2. 2

    Devotional service includes nine processes, beginning with hearing, chanting and remembering the activities of Lord Viṣṇu.

  3. 3

    One must learn Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the person bhāgavata. Pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness and service to the pure devotee, the spiritual master, make understanding possible.

Key points from the purport
  • Devotional service includes nine processes, beginning with hearing, chanting and remembering the activities of Lord Viṣṇu.
  • Only one who has taken to devotional service can understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is the spotless Purāṇa for a transcendentalist (paramahaṁsa).
  • All Vedic literatures maintain that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam has to be learned from the person bhāgavata, and to understand it one has to engage in pure devotional service.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

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:

Sanātana Gosvāmī then offered a prayer to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu explained the glory of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. After this, the Lord gave Sanātana Gosvāmī a synopsis of Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, which Sanātana Gosvāmī later developed into the guiding principle of all Vaiṣṇavas.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 24
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. ahamI (Lord Śiva)
  2. vedmiknow
  3. śukaḥŚukadeva Gosvāmī
  4. vettiknows
  5. vyāsaḥVyāsadeva
  6. vettiknows
  7. na vetti vāor may not know
  8. bhaktyāby devotional service (executed in nine different processes)
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”

  • 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: “pure devotee”

  • Nāma-saṅkīrtana · The holy name shared together

    Chanting the holy names as the yuga-dharma, the Lord’s public movement, and the opening prayer of Śikṣāṣṭaka. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “chanting”

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

Am I approaching Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with a desire to serve, rather than relying only on my intelligence?

Practice

Spend a few minutes hearing about Lord Viṣṇu’s activities, then recall one thing you heard.

Live this todayUnderstand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Through 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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