Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Ādi 9.5

esaba-prasāde likhi caitanya-līlā-guṇa

jāni vā nā jāni, kari āpana-śodhana

SYNONYMS

esaba — all these; prasāde — by the mercy of; likhi — I write; caitanya — of Lord Caitanya; līlā-guṇa — pastimes and qualities; jāni — know; vā — or; nā — not; jāni — know; kari — do; āpana — self; śodhana — purification.

TRANSLATION

It is by the mercy of all these Vaiṣṇavas and gurus that I attempt to write about the pastimes and qualities of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Whether I know it or know not, it is for self-purification that I write this book.

PURPORT

This is the sum and substance of transcendental writing. One must be an authorized Vaiṣṇava, humble and pure. One should write transcendental literature to purify oneself, not for credit. By writing about the pastimes of the Lord, one associates with the Lord directly. One should not ambitiously think, "I shall become a great author. I shall be celebrated as a writer." These are material desires. One should attempt to write for self-purification. It may be published or it may not be published, but that does not matter. If one is actually sincere in writing, all his ambitions will be fulfilled. Whether one is known as a great author is incidental. One should not attempt to write transcendental literature for material name and fame.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness