252 Sri Caitanya-caritamrta [Madhya-lila, Ch. 8

4sdm aho carana-renu-jusam aham
syam vrndavane kim api gulma-latausadhinam
ya dustyajam svajanam arya-patham ca hitva
bhejur mukunda-padavim srutibhir vimrgyam

“Let me become one of the herbs and plants of Vrndavana that the gopis trample,
giving up all connections with family and friends and deciding to worship the
lotus feet of Mukunda. Those lotus feet are sought by all great saintly persons ex-
pert in the study of Vedic literature.”

TEXT 255

‘atalacKs GCA CHA CAS Stee] 9°
Aretpe-cocsta sef-aniga W 2ce ti

‘Sravana-madhye jivera kon srestha Sravana?’
‘radha-krsna-prema-keli karna-rasaéyana’

SYNONYMS

Sravana-madhye—out of all topics for hearing; jivera—of the living entity;
kon—what; srestha—most important; sravana—topic of hearing; radha-krsna-
prema-keli—the loving affairs between Radha and Krsna; karna-rasa-ayana—
most pleasing to the ear.

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked, ‘Out of all topics people listen to, which is
best for all living entities?” Ramananda Raya replied, ‘Hearing about the lov-
ing affairs between Radha and Krsna is most pleasing to the ear.”

PURPORT
According to Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.33.40):

vikriditam vraja-vadhabhir idam ca visnoh
sraddhdanvito ‘nusrnuyad atha varnayed yah

bhaktim param bhagavati pratilabhya kamam
hrd-rogam asv apahinoty acirena dhirah

“He who faithfully hears about the dealings between Lord Krsna and the gopis in
the rasa dance and he who describes these activities attain to the perfectional
stage of devotional service and simultaneously lose material, lusty desires.”
