CC Madhya 19.74

Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, Chapter 19: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Instructs Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī

CC Madhya 19.73

CC Madhya 19.75

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

TEXT 74

śuciḥ sad-bhakti-dīptāgni-
dagdha-durjāti-kalmaṣaḥ
śva-pāko ‘pi budhaiḥ ślāghyo
na veda-jño ‘pi nāstikaḥ

SYNONYMS

śuciḥ—a brāhmaṇa purified internally and externally; sat-bhakti—of devotional service without motives; dīpta-agni—by the blazing fire; dagdha—burnt to ashes; durjāti—such as birth in a low family; kalmaṣaḥ—whose sinful reactions; śva-pākaḥ api—even though born in a family of dog-eaters; budhaiḥ—by learned scholars; ślāghyaḥ—recognized; na—not; veda-jñaḥ api—even though completely conversant in Vedic knowledge; nāstikaḥ—an atheist.

TRANSLATION

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “‘A person who has the pure characteristics of a brāhmaṇa due to devotional service, which is like a blazing fire burning to ashes all the sinful reactions of past lives, is certainly saved from the consequences of sinful acts, such as taking birth in a lower family. Even though he may be born in a family of dog-eaters, he is recognized by learned scholars. But although a person may be a learned scholar in Vedic knowledge, he is not recognized if he is an atheist.

PURPORT

This verse and the next are quoted from the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya (3.11, 12), a transcendental literature extracted from the Purāṇas.