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

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 ›

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 6.168

বেদ না মানিয়া বৌদ্ধ হয় ত’ নাস্তিক ।

বেদাশ্রয় নাস্তিক্য-বাদ বৌদ্ধকে অধিক ॥ ১৬৮ ॥

veda nā māniyā bauddha haya ta’ nāstika

vedāśraya nāstikya-vāda bauddhake adhika

Translation

“The Buddhists do not recognize the authority of the Vedas; therefore they are considered agnostics. However, those who have taken shelter of the Vedic scriptures yet preach agnosticism in accordance with the Māyāvāda philosophy are certainly more dangerous than the Buddhists.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Accepting Vedic Authority Requires Faithful Understanding

  1. 1

    The purport contrasts the Buddhists’ open rejection of Vedic authority with the Śaṅkarites’ acceptance of that authority while acting contrary to Vedic instruction. It considers the latter more dangerous.

  2. 2

    Vedāśraya nāstikya-vāda means agnosticism under the shelter of Vedic culture. The purport applies this expression to the monistic philosophy of the Māyāvādīs.

  3. 3

    The Māyāvādī philosophers accept spiritual existence but do not know about the spiritual world and spiritual beings. The purport therefore finds very little difference between their impersonalism and voidism.

Key points from the purport
  • Although the Buddhists are directly opposed to Vaiṣṇava philosophy, it can easily be understood that the Śaṅkarites are more dangerous because they accept the authority of the Vedas yet act contrary to Vedic instruction.
  • Lord Buddha abandoned the authority of the Vedic literature and therefore rejected the ritualistic ceremonies and sacrifices recommended in the Vedas.
  • The Māyāvādī philosophers offer lip service to Vedic authority but try to escape the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies.

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 6.168 quotesSB 10.2.32

According to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.2.32):

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

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:

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. The Bhaṭṭācārya was an impersonalist, but Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu proved that the Absolute Truth is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 6
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. vedathe Vedic literature
  2. nānot
  3. māniyāaccepting
  4. bauddhathe Buddhists
  5. hayaare
  6. ta’indeed
  7. nāstikaagnostics
  8. veda-āśrayataking shelter of Vedic civilization
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: “shelter”

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

What is the difference between merely claiming scriptural authority and faithfully following its teachings?

Practice

Write one sentence explaining why, in this purport, accepting Vedic authority in words alone is insufficient.

5

Śrīla Prabhupāda speaks

His recorded lectures on this verse, and the talks where he quotes it.

Quoted in 12 lectures. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.

Quoted in 12 lectures

In each of these he quotes this verse while speaking on another verse or subject. "Find the quote" opens the transcript at that spot.

Live this todayAccepting Vedic Authority Requires Faithful 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 6.168? Get an answer from the verses themselves.