348 Sri Caitanya-caritamrta [Madhya-lila, Ch. 9

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu told the brahmana, “Indeed, you are an authority
in the reading of Bhagavad-gité. Whatever you know constitutes the real pur-
port of Bhagavad-gita.”

PURPORT

According to the sastras: bhaktya bhagavatarh grahyarh na buddhyd na ca
tikaya. One should understand Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam by hearing
them from a real devotee. One cannot understand them simply by erudite schol-
arship or sharp intelligence. It is also said:

gitadhita ca yenapi
bhakti-bhavena cetasa

veda-sastra-puranani
tenaddhitani sarvasah

To one who reads Bhagavad-gita with faith and devotion, the essence of Vedic
knowledge is revealed. According to the Svetasvatara Upanisad (6.23):

yasya deve para bhaktir
yathd deve tatha gurau

tasyaite kathita hy arthah
prakasante mahatmanah

All Vedic literatures are to be understood with faith and devotion, not by mun-
dane scholarship. We therefore present Bhagavad-gita As It Is. There are many so-
called scholars and philosophers who read Bhagavad-gitd in a scholarly way. They
simply waste their time and mislead those who read their commentaries.

TEXT 103
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eta bali’ sei vipre kaila aliigana
prabhu-pada dhari’ vipra karena rodana

SYNONYMS

eta bali’—saying this; sei vipre—that brahmana; kaila alingana—He embraced;
prabhu-pada—the lotus feet of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; dhari’—catching;
vipra—the brahmana; karena—does; rodana—crying.
