Question: I feel that I don’t get the same interest in hearing Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta as I have for Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, I found it difficult to understand anything even after reading it many times, I feel it is beyond my understanding.

Jayapataka Swami: The Caitanya-caritāmṛta is more esoteric. Because if one understands the pastimes in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, then Lord Caitanya, He relives all those pastimes. But He is sometimes doing the pastime of Narasiṁha-līlā, sometimes Varāhadeva, sometimes Balarāma. So, He would do various pastimes, unless one understands that pastime from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, they may not be able to relate with the pastimes of Śrī Caitanya. Therefore, we see that Śrīla Prabhupāda said that Bhakti-śāstri is for the Bhagavad-gītā and other preliminary books. Bhakti-vaibhava is for the first six chapters of the Bhāgavatam, Bhaktivedānta you read the last six Canto of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, But the Vaiṣṇava- Sarvabhauma degree is Caitanya-caritāmṛta and other works, and Caitanya-caritāmṛta is pure nectar, but to appreciate it may be one must have read and studied the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the Bhagavad-gītā first.
08-June-2020 SRI DHAM MAYAPUR, INDIA