156
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta
[Ādi-līlā, Ch. 14]
TEXT 48
কতু লিত-সঙ্গে স্নান করিল গঙ্গাতে । কত্মাগণ-মধ্যে প্রত্ন আসিয়া বসিলা ॥ ৪৮ ॥
kabhu śiśu-saṅge snāna karila gaṅgāte kanyāgaṇa āilā tāhāṅ devatā pūjite
SYNONYMS
kabhu —sometimes;  śiśu-saṅge —along with other children;  snāna —bathing;  karila —did;  gaṅgāte —in the Ganges;  kanyā-gaṇa —the girls;  āilā —came there;  tāhāṅ —on the bank of the Ganges;  devatā —demigods;  pūjite —to worship.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes the Lord, with other children, would go to take bath in the Ganges, and the neighboring girls would also come there to worship various demigods.
PURPORT
According to the Vedic system, small girls ten or twelve years old would go to the bank of the Ganges to take their bath and would especially worship Lord Śiva with prayers to get good husbands in the future. They especially wanted to get a husband like Lord Śiva because Lord Śiva is very peaceful and at the same time most powerful. Formerly, therefore, small girls in Hindu families would worship Lord Śiva, especially in the month of Vaiśākha (April-May). To take a bath in the Ganges is a great pleasure for everyone, not only for adults but for children also.
TEXT 49
গঙ্গাস্নান করি' পুঙ্গা করিতে লাগিলা । কত্মাগণ-মধ্যে প্রত্ন আসিয়া বসিলা ॥ ৪৯ ॥
gaṅgā-snāna kari' pūjā karite lāgilā kanyāgaṇa-madhye prabhu āsiyā basilā
SYNONYMS
gaṅgā-snāna —bath in the Ganges;  kari' —having taken;  pūjā —worship;  karite —to do;  lāgilā —began;  kanyā-gaṇa —the girls;  madhye —in the midst of;  prabhu —the Lord;  āsiyā —coming there;  basilā —sat down.
TRANSLATION
When the girls, after bathing in the Ganges, engaged in worshiping the different demigods, the young Lord would come there and sit down among them.