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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

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 6.263

ভট্টাচার্য কহে — ‘ভক্তি’-সম নহে মুক্তি-ফল ।

ভগবদ্ভক্তিবিমুখের হয় দণ্ড কেবল ॥ ২৬৩ ॥

bhaṭṭācārya kahe, — ‘bhakti’-sama nahe mukti-phala

bhagavad-bhakti-vimukhera haya daṇḍa kevala

Translation

Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya replied, “The awakening of pure love of Godhead, which is the result of devotional service, far surpasses liberation from material bondage. For those averse to devotional service, merging into the Brahman effulgence is a kind of punishment.”

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Pure Love Surpasses Liberation

  1. 1

    Pure love of Godhead awakens as the result of devotional service.

  2. 2

    This pure love far surpasses liberation from material bondage.

  3. 3

    For those averse to devotional service, merging into the Brahman effulgence is described as a kind of punishment.

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:

Having become a pure devotee, the Bhaṭṭācārya said, “Because the meaning is hazy, I still prefer bhakti-pada. ” At this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and the other inhabitants of Jagannātha Purī became very pleased. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya thus became a pure Vaiṣṇava, and the other learned scholars there followed him.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in Madhya 6
2

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

  1. bhaṭṭācāryaSārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya
  2. kahesaid
  3. bhaktidevotional service
  4. samaequal to
  5. nahenot
  6. muktiof liberation
  7. phalathe result
  8. bhagavat-bhaktito the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
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Key ideas in this verse

The themes of love and mercy this verse speaks of.

  • Prema · Love of Godhead

    The culminating devotional purpose that unites the narration: bestowed, cultivated, taught, celebrated, and tasted. · In the Prema Atlas

    In this verse: “love of godhead”, “pure love”

  • 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 it mean for you to value pure love of Godhead above freedom from bondage?

Practice

Offer a brief prayer today asking for pure love of Godhead through devotional service.

Live this todayPure Love Surpasses LiberationThis 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 6.263? Get an answer from the verses themselves.