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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 24.78Madhya 24.80

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 24.79

সেই কৃষ্ণপ্রাপ্তি-হেতু ত্রিবিধ ‘সাধন’ ।

জ্ঞান, যোগ, ভক্তি, — তিনের পৃথক্‌ লক্ষণ ॥ ৭৯ ॥

sei kṛṣṇa-prāpti-hetu trividha ‘sādhana’

jñāna, yoga, bhakti, — tinera pṛthak lakṣaṇa

Translation

“There are three ways to attain the lotus feet of the Absolute Truth, Kṛṣṇa. There is the process of philosophical speculation, the practice of mystic yoga and the execution of devotional service. Each of these has its different characteristics.

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.

Three Ways to Approach the Absolute Truth

  1. 1

    The verse describes three ways to attain the lotus feet of the Absolute Truth, Kṛṣṇa.

  2. 2

    These are philosophical speculation, mystic yoga and devotional service.

  3. 3

    Each process has its own characteristics. The following verse explains that understanding of the Absolute Truth differs according to the process.

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:

He explained this verse in sixty-one different ways. He analyzed all the words and described each word with its different connotations.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 24
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. seithose
  2. kṛṣṇa-prāptiof achieving the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa
  3. hetucauses
  4. tri-vidha sādhanathe three kinds of execution
  5. jñānaknowledge
  6. yogamystic yoga practice
  7. bhaktiand devotional service
  8. tineraof these three
  9. pṛthak lakṣaṇathe symptoms are different
3

Key ideas in this verse

The themes of love and mercy this verse speaks of.

  • Śaraṇāgati · Taking shelter

    Turning toward Kṛṣṇa through shelter, surrender, dependence on guru, and unconditional devotional fidelity. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “lotus feet”

  • 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

Which of these three processes do you most need to understand more clearly?

Practice

Write down the three processes, then reread the next verse to see how the process affects understanding.

Live this todayThree Ways to Approach the Absolute TruthThis 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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