1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

Read one verse of Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta with its Bengali, transliteration, word meanings, translation and study points.

Or browse by līlā and chapter

Madhya-līlā · 25 chapters

12345678910111213141516171819202122232425
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 6: The Liberation of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya
Madhya 6.141Madhya 6.143

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 6.142

যা যা শ্রুতির্জল্পতি নির্বিশেষং সা সাভিধত্তে সবিশেষমেব ।

বিচারযোগে সতি হন্ত তাসাং প্রায়ো বলীয়ঃ সবিশেষমেব ॥ ১৪২ ॥

yā yā śrutir jalpati nirviśeṣaṁ

sā sābhidhatte sa-viśeṣam eva

vicāra-yoge sati hanta tāsāṁ

prāyo balīyaḥ sa-viśeṣam eva

Translation

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, “ ‘Whatever Vedic mantras describe the Absolute Truth impersonally only prove in the end that the Absolute Truth is a person. The Supreme Lord is understood in two features — impersonal and personal. If one considers the Supreme Personality of Godhead in both features, he can actually understand the Absolute Truth. He knows that the personal understanding is stronger because we see that everything is full of variety. No one can see anything that is not full of variety.’

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Variety Supports the Personal Understanding

  1. 1

    Vedic mantras that describe the Absolute Truth impersonally ultimately establish that the Absolute Truth is a person.

  2. 2

    The Supreme Lord is understood in impersonal and personal features. Considering both features helps one actually understand the Absolute Truth.

  3. 3

    The personal understanding is stronger because everything we see is full of variety. This teaching is quoted from Śrī Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka by Kavi-karṇapūra.

Key points from the purport
  • This is a quotation from Śrī Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka (6.67), by Kavi-karṇapūra.

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

Doubt transformed to devotion. Intellectual resistance gives way to a profound change of heart.

The mood of Madhya 6 as a whole, an editorial reading, not the text itself. See the emotional atlas

Further reading

Madhya 6: The Liberation of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya

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

Because of His silence, the Bhaṭṭācārya asked Him whether He was understanding the Vedānta philosophy, and the Lord replied, “Sir, I can understand Vedānta philosophy very clearly, but I cannot understand your explanations.” There was then a discussion between the Bhaṭṭācārya and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu concerning the authority of the Vedic scriptures, specifically the Upaniṣads and Vedānta-sūtra.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 6
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. yā yāwhatever
  2. śrutiḥthe Vedic hymns
  3. jalpatidescribe
  4. nirviśeṣamimpersonal truth
  5. sāthat
  6. sāthat
  7. abhidhattedirectly describes (like a dictionary meaning)
  8. sa-viśeṣampersonality
3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How does the variety I see help me reflect on the personal understanding of the Absolute Truth?

Practice

Notice three examples of variety around you today, then reread the verse’s explanation of why the personal understanding is stronger.

Live this todayVariety Supports the Personal UnderstandingThis 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.

Ask Caitanya CaritamrtaHave a question about CC Madhya 6.142? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
  1. Learn
  2. Live
  3. Lead
Next in Learn · 5 of 9 · 2 minAsk Caitanya CaritamrtaBring your own question. Get an answer drawn only from the book's translations, with every verse shown.Back · LearnLīlās & chapters