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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 25: How All the Residents of Vārāṇasī Became Vaiṣṇavas
Madhya 25.118Madhya 25.120

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 25.119

ঋতেঽর্থং যৎ প্রতীয়েত ন প্রতীয়েত চাত্মনি ।

তদ্বিদ্যাদাত্মনো মায়াং যথাভাসো যথা তমঃ ॥ ১১৯ ॥

ṛte ’rthaṁ yat pratīyeta

na pratīyeta cātmani

tad vidyād ātmano māyāṁ

yathābhāso yathā tamaḥ

Translation

“ ‘What appears to be truth without Me is certainly My illusory energy, for nothing can exist without Me. It is like a reflection of a real light in the shadows, for in the light there are neither shadows nor reflections.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Nothing Exists Independently of the Lord

  1. 1

    What appears to be truth without the Lord is His illusory energy. Nothing can exist without Him.

  2. 2

    The verse compares this appearance to a reflection of real light in the shadows. In the light itself there are neither shadows nor reflections.

  3. 3

    The purport identifies this as the second verse of the catuḥ-ślokī, quoted from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Key points from the purport
  • It is the second verse of the catuḥ-ślokī.
  • For an explanation of this verse, see Ādi-līlā, chapter one, text 54.

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

Connected verses· 1

The purport of CC Madhya 25.119 quotesSB 2.9.34

This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.9.34).

Each link is a verse the purport itself quotes, or a purport elsewhere that quotes this verse, shown with the purport's own words.

How it feels

Reconciliation and broad mercy. Opponents turn toward bhakti; the Lord returns to Purī and embraces devotees.

The mood of Madhya 25 as a whole, an editorial reading, not the text itself. See the emotional atlas

Further reading

Madhya 25: How All the Residents of Vārāṇasī Became Vaiṣṇavas

From Śrīla Prabhupāda's chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

At this time Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī and all his devotees approached the Lord. Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī immediately fell down at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and very much regretted his past behavior toward the Lord.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 25
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. ṛtewithout
  2. arthamvalue
  3. yatthat which
  4. pratīyetaappears to be
  5. nanot
  6. pratīyetaappears to be
  7. cacertainly
  8. ātmaniin relation to Me
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Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What do I tend to think of as existing independently of the Lord?

Practice

Choose one thing you encounter today and pause to remember the verse’s teaching that nothing can exist without the Lord.

Live this todayNothing Exists Independently of the LordThis 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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