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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 6: The Liberation of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya
Madhya 6.183Madhya 6.185

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 6.184

প্রভু কহে, — “ভট্টাচার্য, না কর বিস্ময় ।

ভগবানে ভক্তি — পরম-পুরুষার্থ হয় ॥ ১৮৪ ॥

prabhu kahe, — bhaṭṭācārya, nā kara vismaya

bhagavāne bhakti — parama-puruṣārtha haya

Translation

Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then told him, “Do not be astonished. Actually, devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the highest perfection of human activity.

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.

Devotional Service Is Human Life’s Highest Perfection

  1. 1

    Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu tells him not to be astonished.

  2. 2

    He directs attention to devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

  3. 3

    He declares that devotional service is the highest perfection of human activity.

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. prabhu kahethe Lord said
  2. bhaṭṭācāryaMy dear Bhaṭṭācārya
  3. nānot
  4. karado
  5. vismayaastonishment
  6. bhagavāneunto the Supreme Personality of Godhead
  7. bhaktidevotional service
  8. paramathe supreme
  9. puruṣa-arthahuman interest
  10. hayais
3

Key ideas in this verse

The themes of love and mercy this verse speaks of.

  • 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

What would change if I treated devotional service as the highest purpose of my activities?

Practice

Set aside a few minutes today specifically for devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Live this todayDevotional Service Is Human Life’s Highest PerfectionThis 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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