180 Sri Caitanya-caritamrta {Adi-lila, Ch. 14
PURPORT
The twelve pha/a, or combinations of letters, are called repho, mirdhanya
(cerebral) ”a,dantavya (dental) na, ma, ya, ra, fa, va, r,f, / and Hate khagi is the
primary educational beginning. At the age of four or five years, on an auspicious
day catled vidyarambha marking the beginning of primary education, there is a
ceremony worshiping Lord Visnu, and after that the teacher gives the child a long
chalk pencil. Then, guiding the hand of the student, he instructs him how to write
the letters of the alphabet (a, @, /, etc.) by writing big letters on the floor. When the
child is a little advanced in writing, he is given a slate for his primary education,
which ends when he learns the two-letter combinations, which are called pha/a, as
mentioned above.
TEXT 95
ATT a SS CH ALA |
Ze{ frutfratcea qua | ae |
bGlyalila-sotra ei Raila anukrama
iha@ vistariyachena dasa-vrndaévana
SYNONYMS
balyalila-satra—synopsis of the pastimes of childhood; e/—this,; kaifa—did;
anukrama—in chronological order; fha—this; vist@riy@chena—has elaborately ex-
plained; daésa-vrndévana—Vrndavana dasa Thakura.
TRANSLATION
Thisis a synopsis of the childhood pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, placed
herewith in chronological order. Vyndavana dasa Thakura has already elaborately
explained these pastimes in his book Caitanya-bhagavata.
TEXT 96
FSSA VAM ACK SH CFA |
janieeeca fratfia ai afer syn
ataeva ei-lild sanksepe siitra Raila
punarukti-bhaye vistariré na kahila
SYNONYMS
otaeva—therefore; e/-/7fa—these pastimes; safksepe—in brief; sdétra—synopsis;
kaila--made; punar-ukti—repetition; bhaye—being afraid of; vistariré—etaborate ex-
planation; na—did not; Rahifa—say.
