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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

1Say the verse. Read the transliteration aloud, slowly.
2Read the word meanings. Go through each word and its meaning.
3Read the translation. Ask: what is happening here, and who is it about?
4Read the purport slowly. Read it twice. Don't rush.
5See Lord Caitanya as Kṛṣṇa. Remember who is acting in the pastime.
6Take one thing into your day. Note one point and one practice.

Read the full guide: how to read Caitanya Caritamrta ›

Madhya-līlā · Chapter 8: Talks Between Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Rāmānanda Rāya

Madhya 8.123 Madhya 8.125

Śrī Caitanya Caritamrta · Text Madhya 8.124

প্রভু কহে, — মায়াবাদী আমি ত’ সন্ন্যাসী ।

ভক্তিতত্ত্ব নাহি জানি, মায়াবাদে ভাসি ॥ ১২৪ ॥

prabhu kahe, — māyāvādī āmi ta’ sannyāsī

bhakti-tattva nāhi jāni, māyāvāde bhāsi

Translation

Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “I am a Māyāvādī in the renounced order of life, and I do not even know what transcendental loving service to the Lord is. I simply float in the ocean of Māyāvāda philosophy.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Acknowledging a Need to Learn Loving Service

1
Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu describes Himself here as a Māyāvādī in the renounced order of life.
2
He says that He does not even know what transcendental loving service to the Lord is.
3
He describes His condition as floating in the ocean of Māyāvāda philosophy.

How it feels

Deepening intimacy and revelation. Their exchange ascends from duty to pure love and the confidential moods of Vraja.

The mood of Madhya 8 as a whole, an editorial reading, not the text itself. See the emotional atlas

Madhya 8: Talks Between Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Rāmānanda Rāya

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

He then spoke of detached action, knowledge mixed with devotional service, and finally the spontaneous loving service of the Lord. After hearing Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya recite some verses, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted the principle of pure devotional service devoid of all kinds of speculation.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in Madhya 8

Word for word

Learn the words of the verse.

prabhu kahethe Lord said
māyāvādīa follower of the Māyāvāda philosophy
āmiI
ta’certainly
sannyāsīone in the renounced order of life
bhakti-tattvathe truths of transcendental loving service
nāhinot
jāniI know
māyāvādein the philosophy of impersonalism
bhāsiI float

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.

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Am I willing to acknowledge what I do not understand about loving service to the Lord?

Practice

Write down one question you have about transcendental loving service to the Lord.

Live this todayAcknowledging a Need to Learn Loving ServiceThis 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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