TEXT 32
vyakarana-madhye, jani, padaha kalapa
sunilun phankite tomara sisyera samlapa
SYNONYMS
vyakarana-madhyeamong grammars; janiI understand; padahaYou teach; kalapathe Kalapa-vyakarana; sunilunI have heard; phankitein deceitful word jugglery; tomaraYour; sisyeraof the disciples; samlapathe specific knowledge.
TRANSLATION
"I understand that You teach Kalapa-vyakarana. I have heard that Your students are very expert in the word jugglery of this grammar."
PURPORT
There are many schools of grammar in the Sanskrit language, the most famous of which are the systems of Panini and the Kalapa and Kaumudi grammars. There were different branches of grammatical knowledge, and a student of grammar was supposed to study them all in twelve years. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who was famous as Nimai Pandita, taught grammar to His students, who became expert in dealing with the word jugglery of complicated grammar. Almost anyone expert in studying grammar interprets the sastras in many ways by changing the root meanings of their words. A student of grammar can sometimes completely change the meaning of a sentence by juggling grammatical rules. Kesava Kasmiri indirectly taunted Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu by implying that although He was a great teacher of grammar, such grammatical jugglery of root meanings did not require great expertise. This was a challenge to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Because it was prearranged that Kesava Kasmiri would have to discuss the sastras with Nimai Pandita, from the very beginning he wanted to bluff the Lord. Thus the Lord replied as follows.

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