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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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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 6.179Madhya 6.181

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 6.180

আচার্যের দোষ নাহি, ঈশ্বর-আজ্ঞা হৈল ।

অতএব কল্পনা করি’ নাস্তিক-শাস্ত্র কৈল ॥ ১৮০ ॥

ācāryera doṣa nāhi, īśvara-ājñā haila

ataeva kalpanā kari’ nāstika-śāstra kaila

Translation

“Actually there is no fault on the part of Śaṅkarācārya. He simply carried out the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He had to imagine some kind of interpretation, and therefore he presented a kind of Vedic literature that is full of atheism.

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.

Śaṅkarācārya Carried Out the Lord’s Order

  1. 1

    The translation states that there is no fault on Śaṅkarācārya’s part.

  2. 2

    He carried out the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

  3. 3

    He had to imagine an interpretation and therefore presented a kind of Vedic literature described here as full of atheism.

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:

The conclusion is that the Māyāvādī philosophers are actually atheists. There was much discussion on this issue between Sārvabhauma and Caitanya Mahāprabhu, but despite all his endeavors, the Bhaṭṭācārya was defeated in the end.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 6
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. ācāryeraof Śaṅkarācārya
  2. doṣafault
  3. nāhithere is not
  4. īśvara-ājñāthe order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
  5. hailathere was
  6. ataevatherefore
  7. kalpanāimagination
  8. kari’making
3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How does knowing that Śaṅkarācārya acted under the Lord’s order affect my understanding of this statement?

Practice

Write one sentence distinguishing Śaṅkarācārya’s obedience from the interpretation he presented.

Live this todayŚaṅkarācārya Carried Out the Lord’s OrderThis 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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