In Kali-yuga no other devotional activity supersedes the currentlyprescribed yuga-dharma, hari-nama-sankirtana. Indeed, all other dharmasand all the various adjunct angas of bhakti must subordinate themselvesto the service of the yuga-dharma to be deemed at all conducive, so faras the proper progress of the Krishna consciousness movement isconcerned. All doings connected with Lord Caitanya’s sankirtana movementmay be accepted as sankirtana, or facets of the sankirtana principle,to the extent that they factually inspire, promote, and facilitate or atleast positively compliment direct performances of yuga-dharmahari-nama-sankirtana.
Kali-yuga-dharma hari-nama-sankirtana is the yuga-dharma for this entireyuga, please. Kali-yuga lasts a total of 432,000 years, of which only amere 5,000 years have passed. The understanding should be that theprocess of nama-sankirtana is applicable to all souls appearing onEarth, particularly in the human form of life, during this entire432,000-year period. The yuga cycles functioning on this planet are noteffective on other higher or lower planetary systems. Hence, it is wewho have presently appeared on Earth who are expected to take fulladvantage of the golden nama-sankirtana opportunity for easily goingback home, back to Godhead. It is not that hardly any more than 500years after the Lord and His associates descended to inaugurate thesystem of sacrifice for this entire age some other scheme should takeprecedence. If we don’t have complete faith in the congregationalchanting of the Holy Name, if we have very little taste and attractionfor chanting and dancing and are thereby relatively disinterested ordiverted to other engagements, leaving ourselves little if any time toseriously take up the religion of the age, if we don’t recognize thebeauty and value of hari-nama-sankirtana, and if we are not intent uponpractically helping to push forward that most sublime dharmaemphatically prescribed by Lord Caitanya, then we should simplyunderstand that we are cursed by Yamaraja, that we have not realized thepurpose of the Krishna consciousness movement, and that we have nottruly comprehended the highest mercy aspect of the Lord’s ongoingaudarya-lila of preaching the sankirtana movement all over the world.The highest mercy aspect of the Lord’s ongoing audarya-lila is toelevate fallen conditioned souls to the topmost perfection of relishingeternal spontaneous loving madhurya service to Radha and Krishna on theplatform of vraja-prema. There is no doubt about this. Golokeraprema-dhana, hari-nama-sankirtana. Any goloka-rasa may be awakened bythe performance of vipralambha-rasa-maya hare-krishna-maha-mantra-s
ankirtana. However, as rasaraja-mahabhava Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu mainly descended to this world to freely distribute the supremely nectarean mellow of radha-dasya, it should not astonish anyone that sankirtana of the ultimate, matchless maha-mantra – HareKrishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama,Rama Rama, Hare Hare – would primarily appear to distinguishedlystimulate and nourish that unnatojjvala-vraja-rasa
Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante . . . But who are the mudhas? Theterm mudha does not exclusively portray the other guy. As much as weourselves, like beasts of burden, continue to blunderingly bear theencumbering heaps and piles of corporeal egoism, material attachments,and misconceived notions about the recommended processes by which theultimate philosophical conclusions of the Gaudiya sampradaya’s teachingsmay be practically implemented and realized, that much we ourselves canbe considered mudhas.
naham prakasah sarvasya
yoga-maya-samavrtah
mudho ‘yam nabhijanati
loko mam ajam avyayam
“I am not manifest to everyone. Because I am concealed and guarded by Myinternal deluding potency (yoga-maya), dull-headed ass-like individualscannot recognize Me as the unborn and inexhaustible Supreme Personalityof Godhead.” (Bg. 7.25)
Kaviraja Gosvami has stated in his Caitanya-caritamrita (Adi 17.22),kali-kale nama-rupe krishna avatara: in this Age of Kali, Krishnadescends from His eternal abode in the form of the Hare Krishnamaha-mantra. Paritranaya sadhunam – it is Sri Hari-nama Prabhu whodescends to deliver the sadhus by augmenting their faith in the processof sankirtana-yajna while granting a profound taste for its performance,thus mitigating their pangs of separation. Vinasaya ca duskrtam – it isSri Hari-nama who anihilates the demonic anartha-congested mentalitythat generates the unfortunate reluctance, disregard, and sheerdisinterest concerning the performance of sankirtana. In Kali-yuga, notto engage one’s energies in the performance ofyuga-dharma-nama-sankirtana can be considered the primary form of irreligion. Whenever and whereverthere is a decline in its performance – yada yada hi dharmasya glanirbhavati – and a predominant rise in the negligence of such –abhyutthanam adharmasya – then, tada, at that time –dharma-samsthapanartaya – it is only Sri Hari-nama, appearing throughthe lips of the Lord’s pure devotee, who can forcefully reestablish thejivas’ eternal occupational duty, nama-sankirtana. So also, it is SriHari-nama who descends to graciously bestow unalloyed love for Himselfthrough the culture of nama-sankirtana-yajna. Even so, Krishna-namareserves the right to either expose or conceal Himself in response to anindividual’s quality of faith. Regrettably, disoriented neophytespossessed of persistent mudha-like tendencies do not recognize the truenature of the Holy Name, who, though unborn, inconceivably takes birthfrom His mother, who takes the form of a pure devotee’s tongue. Thebeginning, middle, and culmination of saranagati (surrender to theLord’s shelter) as a practical expression of one’s level of sraddha areactualized in this age by surrendering to the service of the Holy Name.And the prime methodology for such surrender is the propagation of thecurrent yuga-dharma, the congregational chanting of the Holy Name. Thistruth was profusely demonstrated by Sri Gauranga throughout His manifestearthly pastimes.
Only prema-ruruksu devotees, who are considerably advanced on the pathof pure devotion, can truly understand the power of the Holy Name andthe need to wholeheartedly take shelter of the process ofnama-sankirtana.
bhaktya tv ananyaya sakya
aham evam-vidho ‘rjuna
jnatum drastum ca tattvena
pravestum ca parantapa
“My dear Arjuna, only by undivided devotional service can I [asnama-rupa avatara] be understood as I am, standing [dancing] before you[on your tongue], and can thus be seen directly [in the proper light].Only in this way can you enter into the mysteries of My understanding.”(Bg. 11.54)
atah sri-krishna-namadi
na bhaved grahyam indriyaih
sevonmukhe hi jihvadau
svayam eva sphuraty adah
No one can understand the transcendental nature of the name, form,quality, and pastimes of Sri Krishna through his materially contaminatedsenses. Only when one becomes spiritually saturated by transcendentalservice to the Lord are the transcendental names, forms, qualities, andpastimes of the Lord revealed to him.” (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.234)Here again, in Kali-yuga, “transcendental service to the Lord” connotesprimarily the congregational chanting of His Holy Name.
Unfortunately, ass-like (bhara-vahi) externally absorbedkanistha-bhaktas of meager spiritual standing, though sociallyestablished through Gaudiya-religio-institutional affiliation, have very little if any true cognition of the eternality, infallibility, and omnipotence of Krisha’sself-same names, forms, qualities, and pastimes. Owing to residualsinful reactions, insufficient accumulation of piety in this andprevious lifetimes, and a tendency to commit nama-aparadha, they areunable to worship the Holy Name with the determination required to gainmuch tangible experience of the efficacy of nama-sankirtana. On thataccount, their faith in and concomitant surrender to the directprosecution of the yuga-dharma largely lacks firmness. For want ofspiritual insight, they do not clearly ascertain what is and what is notto be done. Their pursuit of Krishna consciousness lacks properprioritization. They disregard scriptural injunctions even while givinglip-service to the importance of following scriptural injunctions. Theythus fail to submit to the prescribed process recommended in thescriptures for this age and so give little importance to the practice ofcongregational chanting and dancing. Hence, their degrees offaithlessness in the matter of congregationally chanting the Holy Namerelegate their way of thinking to the domain of assorted mudha-isms.Srimad Bhagavad-gita has it that four kinds of faithful neophytedevotees begin the process of devotional surrender with the hope ofgaining the Lord’s favor – the distressed (artah), who are to someextent mukti-kami, hoping to get peace of mind by chanting the semblanceof nama; the inquisitive (jijnasuh), who are curious about the effectsof chanting the Holy Name; the fortune seekers (artha-arthi), who are tosome extent bhukti-kami, hoping to fulfill desires for material gain byperforming sankirtana; and the wise (jnani), who actually know thingsas they are and dutifully perform sankirtana of the Holy Name with anaspiration to pure devotional progress. All these people are consideredto be more or less pious (sukrtinah), eligible for elevation to themadhyama-adhikara through the association of pure devotees. Conversely,there are those of us who, even though posing as devotees, relentlesslydecline to acknowledge the need to intently adhere to the process ofnama-sankirtana. On the pretext of various other devotional engagementsand institutional “responsibilities,” they platitudinously declarethemselves to be exempt from the need to seriously prosecute theyuga-dharma. Due to miserly weakness under the influence of the Lord’sdeluding potency, they are hard put to see the connection between thesankirtana performances and the fulfillment of all material andspiritual exigencies. To the extent that we fail to appreciate andearnestly actualize the propagation of nama-sankirtana, residues of thedemonic tendencies persist in our hearts. Correspondingly, the termsduskrtinah, mudhah, naradhamah, and mayayapahrta-jnanah found in theGita also indicate our own individual and collective devotionalshortcomings. So, who are the mudhas? We are the mudhas! Why? Becauseeven though the truth of the importance of prosecuting the yuga-dharmaas the only viable method by which the goal of life can be practicallyachieved is staring us in the face, we continue to ignore the obviousand attach ourselves to so many superfluous strategies. On the plea ofvarious Krishna conscious pursuits, we are primed to die losers, withoutever having truly understood or appropriately applied the science ofself realization. Yo va etad aksaram gargy aviditvasmal lokat praiti sakrpanah. “He is a miserly man who does not solve the problems of life asa human and who thus quits this world like the cats and dogs, withoutunderstanding the science of self-realization.” (Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad3.8.10) This very brief human form of life is a most valuable asset forallaying the tribulations of conditional existence, which revolvearound the quest for ultimate happiness. Therefore, one who does notutilize this golden opportunity properly for the achievement ofvraja-prema via the process of nama-sankirtana is a miser.
All other spiritual practices may be considered legitimate to the extentthat they actually enhance the performance of hari-nama-sankirtana. Asmuch as we engage our time in activities other than hari-nama-sankirtanaor activities other than those that support, inspire, or facilitate thedirect performance of hari-nama-sankirtana, that much our human form oflife may be considered a devotional wasteland. The Krishnaconsciousness movement is not Lord Caitanya’s arcana movement. It is notLord Caitanya’s “kitchen-religion” prasada-distribution movement.Neither is it Lord Caitanya’s management-meetings movement, nor is itLord Caitanya’s varnasrama movement, nor is it a cow-protectionmovement. It is not Lord Caitanya’s money-scamming movement; nor LordCaitanya’s computer-junkie; social-development; community-service;international-matchmaking; child-protection; or eating, sleeping, baby-buggying, and mutualback-scratching or backbiting movement. We would do very well to clearlymark that the Krishna consciousness movement happens to be LordCaitanya’s sankirtana movement, please. A movement that does notprimarily inspire, promote, and facilitate its members’ concertedabsorption in kali-yuga-dharma hari-nama-sankirtana is hardly asankirtana movement. Moreover, a sankirtana movement that neglects topurposely encourage the pursuit of raga-bhajana for the attainment ofvraja-prema is not the sankirtana movement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.In this Kali-yuga, there’s no question of pleasing Lord Krishna withoutpleasing Lord Caitanya. Human beings with good brain substance(su-medhasah) intelligently recognize that Lord Caitanya is immenselypleased by the lobha-maya performance of sneha-samyukta-nama-sankirtana (complete engagement in congregational chanting with deep affection). There is no universally viable dharma inthis age save the congregational chanting of the Holy Name.
In this Age of Kali the success of any other limb of devotional service –not excluding the execution of bhagavata-sravana-kirtana, of which transcendental book distribution (brhat-kirtana) is an extension – largely depends upon one’s isochronousabsorption in the direct practice of nama-sankirtana. It is seen, withreference to acarya-vani, that the most highly elevated,self-surrendering devotees doubtlessly prefer to exclusively embrace thecongregational singing of the Holy Name rather than rely on otherdevotional processes for the evolvement of prema. In the bhakti-sastrasthe efficacy of nama-sankirtana is well established above all otherangas of bhakti. In fact, nama-sankirtana stands alone as the greatestdevotional practice (maha-sadhana) and therefore reigns supreme as theonly infallible means of attaining love of Godhead (vraja-prema). It isnot that other forms of devotional service are as good asnama-sankirtana, but somehow or other nama-sankirtana is not really goodenough (financially viable or whatever), obliging us not to highlightits performance in any way. If we are to propose that nama-sankirtana isnot good enough to merit our concern, then any engagement allegedly “asgood as” nama-sankirtana should also be equally ignored. Beyond that,the proposition that any devotional activity is in any way better thanprosecuting the yuga-dharma should be deemed sheer madness. Any otheranga of sadhana-bhakti deserves to be lauded as sadhana only if it insome way facilitates one’s active absorption in nama-sankirtana-rasa.Further, any sadhana that fails to promote but rather tends to detractfrom one’s progressive attachment to the process of nama-sankirtana issimply an anartha, an impediment on the path of ultimate perfection –even if in the broader sense it is computed to be some sort ofsankirtana.
It is not that just because we have joined Lord Caitanya’shari-nama-sankirtana movement we therefore don’t need to botherourselves to go out on hari-nama-sankirtana. How can we expect to getruci for something we scarcely do? Suddha-nama-kirtana-ruci is not socheap that merely by official, institutionally regimented token gestureor lame lip-service we should expect to achieve the thing. We have to godeeper, beyond the call of duty, beyond the ceremonious filing in andfiling out of the stipulated “temple programs.” When Mother Yasoda wastrying to bind Bala Krishna to the grinding mortar, she was mystified tofind that she was again and again two fingers short of success. Onefinger represents a devotee’s steadfast extra endeavor, the otherKrishna’s divine dispensation, His special mercy. Alongside whateverother services we may be doing on any level, all of us, irrespective oforganizational echelon, would do well to assiduously find or make thetime to both privately and publicly do more hari-nama-sankirtana and seethe long-lasting internal (personal/communal) and external(outreaching/para-upakara) results. If our authorities disallow, discourage, disparage, or in anyway hamper our focus on the performance of yuga-dharma-hari-nama-sankirtana, then they are not our authorities. If our gurus instruct us not to concentrate our energiesand resources on the performance of yuga-dharma-hari-nama-sankirtana, then, with all due respect, they are not our gurus. As Bali Maharaja rejected the order of his guru,Sukracarya, we should be prepared to similarly disobey the instructionsof millions of “gurus” who in any way dissuade us from surrendering tothe yuga-dharma. Trnad api su-nicena . . . kirtaniyah sada harih. Whatdoes it mean to have the genuine humility required to constantly anduncompromisingly adhere to the practice of nama-sankirtana? Tounwittingly allow ourselves to be regressed to a state of infancy by theinstitutional manipulators of men and money, that they mightconveniently maneuver us to advance their managerial agenda according totheir whims via their artful appliance of the principles of childpsychology, is not what is truly meant by “trnad api su-nicena.” Thecorrect understanding is very simple; simple for the simple.Contextually implied by the proposed adoption of an attitude ofhumbleness is simply the seemliness in honestly admitting oneself to be afallen Kali-yuga creature, having no qualification to achieve the goalof life by any means other than the process foreordained by the sastrasand propagated by Lord Gaura as the only viable dharma for thedeliverance of the fallen souls of this age, namelyhari-nama-sankirtana. Equally connoted is the spiritual integrityrequired to boldly stand up against all odds (taror iva sahisnuna) andsimply do what is right according to time (Kali-yuga) and circumstance(our fallen condition). In doing so, one should not unrealisticallyexpect to be regarded as being fit for any other practice (amanina), andone should respect (mana-dena) the true self-interest of othersimilarly fallen Kali-yuga creatures, in the matter of their attainingthe fruit of krsna-prema, by encouraging them to also take up the dharmaof the age. Kirtaniyah sada harih is not achieved by not doingnama-sankirtana. Hari-nama-sankirtana is the best and most powerfulprocess for awakening one’s taste and attachment for the Holy Name. Onewho fortunately gains authentic suddha-nama-ruci and intelligentlyamasses stockpiles of solid background experience in the matter ofrelishing the nectar of nama-sankirtana-rasa will most likely neverdepart from the path of unalloyed devotional bhajana.
Without having the impulse to enthusiastically practice the religion ofthis age, hari-nama-sankirtana, what Vaisnava or Vaisnavi can claim tobe having suddha-nama-ruci?
Without having extensively engaged in vigorous, daily protractedperformances of the yuga-dharma, hari-nama-sankirtana, what Vaisnava orVaisnavi can honestly claim to have ascended to the terrace of prema?
Without purposely promoting the daily promulgation of the yuga-dharma,hari-nama-sankirtana, what devotional community can viably proclaim itsintent to elevate its members to life’s ultimate perfection?
Without deliberately stimulating and fostering the worldwide dailypromulgation of the yuga-dharma, hari-nama-sankirtana, what institutioncan claim to be truly representing the sankirtana movement of SriCaitanya Mahaprabhu?
Without having sensibly dedicated a substantial portion of life’s timeand energy to the direct performance of yuga-dharmahari-nama-sankirtana, which individual or group of individuals can claimto have rightly understood and applied the essential message of thescriptures proliferated by the Gaudiya Vaisnava acaryas throughdisciplic succession?
If we sincerely desire to deepen and redouble our taste for chanting theHoly Name, then we would do very well to take shelter of Gaura-Nitaiand do more hari-nama-sankirtana! If we recognize the enormous need topractically expand the ocean of transcendental fortune and bliss totouch the lives of other pious souls, in the matter of increasing andmaintaining Krishna’s family of devotees, then we would surely do wellto take shelter of Gaura-Nitai and do more hari-nama-sankirtana! If weat all acknowledge the intermutual need to expedite the purification ofour Vaisnava relationships then we would all do very well to concertedlytake shelter of Gaura-Nitai and do more hari-nama-sankirtana! If weseriously want to go well beyond the bodily concept of life, to realizethe highest constitutional spiritual identity of the self(vraja-svarupa), then we would do very well to set all worldlyconsiderations aside, take shelter of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and domore hari-nama-sankirtana! If we truly desire the perfection of thevraja-bhavas, by which we could ever hope to attain the pleasurepastimes of the Lord in the topmost realm of Vraja, then we would dovery well to do more hari-nama-sankirtana! If we at all see the need toexpedite our progress to the terrace of vipralambha-bhava-maya-vraja-prema for the pleasure of guru and Gauranga, in consonance with the very purpose of Their mission, then wewould do very well to do more hari-nama-sankirtana! If we, honestlyconfessing any delinquency in the matter of its performance, sense adeficiency in the evolvement of our individual and collective puredevotional experience as per insight, revelation, and realization, thenwe would, by all means, do very well to abandon all apprehensions aboutthe thing and simply do more hari-nama-sankirtana! If we want thelife-long inspiration to carry on with our transcendental bookdistribution in a most viable way, then we would certainly do very, verywell to do more hari-nama-sankirtana in order to deeply appreciate andenthusiastically share the very essence of what the books are, in somany words, purposely promoting! Given that we might, with a view toaccomplish the as-yet-to-be-realized final half of Srila Prabhupada’smission, deem the reestablishment of varnasrama-dharma in present-dayhuman society to be of paramount importance, even still, we would dovery, very well to intelligently put the horse before the cart andconcertedly, all the world over, do more mass hari-nama-sankirtana – topractically increase the piety and spiritual consciousness of the massesin order to even hope to make possible that which is virtuallyimpossible under the present so-called “for the people, by the people”heinously roguish, demonic, world-domineering corporatist governmentalmisleadership. Godless religio-racist multi-national corporate elitistsand other hard-core, ruthless, raksasa-like terror-breathing globaltyrants are not going to politely wait for us, the members of theKrishna consciousness movement, to finally, all over the world, wake upto our inalienable right and responsibility to do more and more masshari-nama-sankirtana! Institutional management has neither the authorityto sanction nor the right to interdict or in any way inhibit theperformance of the yuga-dharma. The will of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhuultimately pulls rank on institutional authority. Please remember thatin Kali-yuga the Supreme Personality of Godhead descends fromGoloka-dhama to protect the sadhus and annihilate the demons byresoundingly manifesting as His Holy Name on the tongues of His puredevotees. The divine descent of kali-yuga-krishna-avatarasri-hari-nama-rupa alone can effect the downfall of such insidiouslyscheming, media-manipulating latter-day murderous war-money-mongeringdemons and carcass-devouring pseudo religionists of Kamsa’s and Putana’sclass! Even if we prefer to pursue variant paths of spiritualperfection, or even if our all-devouring exigencies cannot go beyond thetransitory urgency to “put food on the table” and “give peace achance,” all the same, we would definitely do very, very well to havefaith in the yajna for this age and simply do more and morehari-nama-sankirtana! Let us not wait until the fag end of life, whenvarieties of physical and mental decrepitude will render our bodiesinoperative, to wisely recognize this principle. The urgency isenormous. Jiva jago! Jiva jago! The time is now. Now is the time forrevolution – a revolution of consciousness, a revolution of priorities.It’s time for a reality check. All individual, communal, institutional,and inter-institutional devotional inadequacies, anomalies, andinequities – as well as all domestic, public, socio-political,governmental, and inter-governmental irregularities of this age – can bepositively surmounted simply by intelligently administering “heavier,”more frequent medicinal doses of life-giving yuga-dharmasri-hari-nama-sankirtana. Once again, if we’re not part of the solution,we’re part of the problem. We have busied ourselves over the years,trying so many other ideas. Why not sincerely concede to this one and bepleasantly surprised?
(from: http://www.24hourkirtan.com/philosophy/)(Sanskrit diacritics omitted for broader internet accessibility. Inconvenience deeplyregretted.)
Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante . . . But who are the mudhas? Theterm mudha does not exclusively portray the other guy. As much as weourselves, like beasts of burden, continue to blunderingly bear theencumbering heaps and piles of corporeal egoism, material attachments,and misconceived notions about the recommended processes by which theultimate philosophical conclusions of the Gaudiya sampradaya’s teachingsmay be practically implemented and realized, that much we ourselves canbe considered mudhas.
naham prakasah sarvasya
yoga-maya-samavrtah
mudho ‘yam nabhijanati
loko mam ajam avyayam
“I am not manifest to everyone. Because I am concealed and guarded by Myinternal deluding potency (yoga-maya), dull-headed ass-like individualscannot recognize Me as the unborn and inexhaustible Supreme Personalityof Godhead.” (Bg. 7.25)
Kaviraja Gosvami has stated in his Caitanya-caritamrita (Adi 17.22),kali-kale nama-rupe krishna avatara: in this Age of Kali, Krishnadescends from His eternal abode in the form of the Hare Krishnamaha-mantra. Paritranaya sadhunam – it is Sri Hari-nama Prabhu whodescends to deliver the sadhus by augmenting their faith in the processof sankirtana-yajna while granting a profound taste for its performance,thus mitigating their pangs of separation. Vinasaya ca duskrtam – it isSri Hari-nama who anihilates the demonic anartha-congested mentalitythat generates the unfortunate reluctance, disregard, and sheerdisinterest concerning the performance of sankirtana. In Kali-yuga, notto engage one’s energies in the performance ofyuga-dharma-nama-sankirtana can be considered the primary form of irreligion. Whenever and whereverthere is a decline in its performance – yada yada hi dharmasya glanirbhavati – and a predominant rise in the negligence of such –abhyutthanam adharmasya – then, tada, at that time –dharma-samsthapanartaya – it is only Sri Hari-nama, appearing throughthe lips of the Lord’s pure devotee, who can forcefully reestablish thejivas’ eternal occupational duty, nama-sankirtana. So also, it is SriHari-nama who descends to graciously bestow unalloyed love for Himselfthrough the culture of nama-sankirtana-yajna. Even so, Krishna-namareserves the right to either expose or conceal Himself in response to anindividual’s quality of faith. Regrettably, disoriented neophytespossessed of persistent mudha-like tendencies do not recognize the truenature of the Holy Name, who, though unborn, inconceivably takes birthfrom His mother, who takes the form of a pure devotee’s tongue. Thebeginning, middle, and culmination of saranagati (surrender to theLord’s shelter) as a practical expression of one’s level of sraddha areactualized in this age by surrendering to the service of the Holy Name.And the prime methodology for such surrender is the propagation of thecurrent yuga-dharma, the congregational chanting of the Holy Name. Thistruth was profusely demonstrated by Sri Gauranga throughout His manifestearthly pastimes.
Only prema-ruruksu devotees, who are considerably advanced on the pathof pure devotion, can truly understand the power of the Holy Name andthe need to wholeheartedly take shelter of the process ofnama-sankirtana.
bhaktya tv ananyaya sakya
aham evam-vidho ‘rjuna
jnatum drastum ca tattvena
pravestum ca parantapa
“My dear Arjuna, only by undivided devotional service can I [asnama-rupa avatara] be understood as I am, standing [dancing] before you[on your tongue], and can thus be seen directly [in the proper light].Only in this way can you enter into the mysteries of My understanding.”(Bg. 11.54)
atah sri-krishna-namadi
na bhaved grahyam indriyaih
sevonmukhe hi jihvadau
svayam eva sphuraty adah
No one can understand the transcendental nature of the name, form,quality, and pastimes of Sri Krishna through his materially contaminatedsenses. Only when one becomes spiritually saturated by transcendentalservice to the Lord are the transcendental names, forms, qualities, andpastimes of the Lord revealed to him.” (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.234)Here again, in Kali-yuga, “transcendental service to the Lord” connotesprimarily the congregational chanting of His Holy Name.
Unfortunately, ass-like (bhara-vahi) externally absorbedkanistha-bhaktas of meager spiritual standing, though sociallyestablished through Gaudiya-religio-institutional affiliation, have very little if any true cognition of the eternality, infallibility, and omnipotence of Krisha’sself-same names, forms, qualities, and pastimes. Owing to residualsinful reactions, insufficient accumulation of piety in this andprevious lifetimes, and a tendency to commit nama-aparadha, they areunable to worship the Holy Name with the determination required to gainmuch tangible experience of the efficacy of nama-sankirtana. On thataccount, their faith in and concomitant surrender to the directprosecution of the yuga-dharma largely lacks firmness. For want ofspiritual insight, they do not clearly ascertain what is and what is notto be done. Their pursuit of Krishna consciousness lacks properprioritization. They disregard scriptural injunctions even while givinglip-service to the importance of following scriptural injunctions. Theythus fail to submit to the prescribed process recommended in thescriptures for this age and so give little importance to the practice ofcongregational chanting and dancing. Hence, their degrees offaithlessness in the matter of congregationally chanting the Holy Namerelegate their way of thinking to the domain of assorted mudha-isms.Srimad Bhagavad-gita has it that four kinds of faithful neophytedevotees begin the process of devotional surrender with the hope ofgaining the Lord’s favor – the distressed (artah), who are to someextent mukti-kami, hoping to get peace of mind by chanting the semblanceof nama; the inquisitive (jijnasuh), who are curious about the effectsof chanting the Holy Name; the fortune seekers (artha-arthi), who are tosome extent bhukti-kami, hoping to fulfill desires for material gain byperforming sankirtana; and the wise (jnani), who actually know thingsas they are and dutifully perform sankirtana of the Holy Name with anaspiration to pure devotional progress. All these people are consideredto be more or less pious (sukrtinah), eligible for elevation to themadhyama-adhikara through the association of pure devotees. Conversely,there are those of us who, even though posing as devotees, relentlesslydecline to acknowledge the need to intently adhere to the process ofnama-sankirtana. On the pretext of various other devotional engagementsand institutional “responsibilities,” they platitudinously declarethemselves to be exempt from the need to seriously prosecute theyuga-dharma. Due to miserly weakness under the influence of the Lord’sdeluding potency, they are hard put to see the connection between thesankirtana performances and the fulfillment of all material andspiritual exigencies. To the extent that we fail to appreciate andearnestly actualize the propagation of nama-sankirtana, residues of thedemonic tendencies persist in our hearts. Correspondingly, the termsduskrtinah, mudhah, naradhamah, and mayayapahrta-jnanah found in theGita also indicate our own individual and collective devotionalshortcomings. So, who are the mudhas? We are the mudhas! Why? Becauseeven though the truth of the importance of prosecuting the yuga-dharmaas the only viable method by which the goal of life can be practicallyachieved is staring us in the face, we continue to ignore the obviousand attach ourselves to so many superfluous strategies. On the plea ofvarious Krishna conscious pursuits, we are primed to die losers, withoutever having truly understood or appropriately applied the science ofself realization. Yo va etad aksaram gargy aviditvasmal lokat praiti sakrpanah. “He is a miserly man who does not solve the problems of life asa human and who thus quits this world like the cats and dogs, withoutunderstanding the science of self-realization.” (Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad3.8.10) This very brief human form of life is a most valuable asset forallaying the tribulations of conditional existence, which revolvearound the quest for ultimate happiness. Therefore, one who does notutilize this golden opportunity properly for the achievement ofvraja-prema via the process of nama-sankirtana is a miser.
All other spiritual practices may be considered legitimate to the extentthat they actually enhance the performance of hari-nama-sankirtana. Asmuch as we engage our time in activities other than hari-nama-sankirtanaor activities other than those that support, inspire, or facilitate thedirect performance of hari-nama-sankirtana, that much our human form oflife may be considered a devotional wasteland. The Krishnaconsciousness movement is not Lord Caitanya’s arcana movement. It is notLord Caitanya’s “kitchen-religion” prasada-distribution movement.Neither is it Lord Caitanya’s management-meetings movement, nor is itLord Caitanya’s varnasrama movement, nor is it a cow-protectionmovement. It is not Lord Caitanya’s money-scamming movement; nor LordCaitanya’s computer-junkie; social-development; community-service;international-matchmaking; child-protection; or eating, sleeping, baby-buggying, and mutualback-scratching or backbiting movement. We would do very well to clearlymark that the Krishna consciousness movement happens to be LordCaitanya’s sankirtana movement, please. A movement that does notprimarily inspire, promote, and facilitate its members’ concertedabsorption in kali-yuga-dharma hari-nama-sankirtana is hardly asankirtana movement. Moreover, a sankirtana movement that neglects topurposely encourage the pursuit of raga-bhajana for the attainment ofvraja-prema is not the sankirtana movement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.In this Kali-yuga, there’s no question of pleasing Lord Krishna withoutpleasing Lord Caitanya. Human beings with good brain substance(su-medhasah) intelligently recognize that Lord Caitanya is immenselypleased by the lobha-maya performance of sneha-samyukta-nama-sankirtana (complete engagement in congregational chanting with deep affection). There is no universally viable dharma inthis age save the congregational chanting of the Holy Name.
In this Age of Kali the success of any other limb of devotional service –not excluding the execution of bhagavata-sravana-kirtana, of which transcendental book distribution (brhat-kirtana) is an extension – largely depends upon one’s isochronousabsorption in the direct practice of nama-sankirtana. It is seen, withreference to acarya-vani, that the most highly elevated,self-surrendering devotees doubtlessly prefer to exclusively embrace thecongregational singing of the Holy Name rather than rely on otherdevotional processes for the evolvement of prema. In the bhakti-sastrasthe efficacy of nama-sankirtana is well established above all otherangas of bhakti. In fact, nama-sankirtana stands alone as the greatestdevotional practice (maha-sadhana) and therefore reigns supreme as theonly infallible means of attaining love of Godhead (vraja-prema). It isnot that other forms of devotional service are as good asnama-sankirtana, but somehow or other nama-sankirtana is not really goodenough (financially viable or whatever), obliging us not to highlightits performance in any way. If we are to propose that nama-sankirtana isnot good enough to merit our concern, then any engagement allegedly “asgood as” nama-sankirtana should also be equally ignored. Beyond that,the proposition that any devotional activity is in any way better thanprosecuting the yuga-dharma should be deemed sheer madness. Any otheranga of sadhana-bhakti deserves to be lauded as sadhana only if it insome way facilitates one’s active absorption in nama-sankirtana-rasa.Further, any sadhana that fails to promote but rather tends to detractfrom one’s progressive attachment to the process of nama-sankirtana issimply an anartha, an impediment on the path of ultimate perfection –even if in the broader sense it is computed to be some sort ofsankirtana.
It is not that just because we have joined Lord Caitanya’shari-nama-sankirtana movement we therefore don’t need to botherourselves to go out on hari-nama-sankirtana. How can we expect to getruci for something we scarcely do? Suddha-nama-kirtana-ruci is not socheap that merely by official, institutionally regimented token gestureor lame lip-service we should expect to achieve the thing. We have to godeeper, beyond the call of duty, beyond the ceremonious filing in andfiling out of the stipulated “temple programs.” When Mother Yasoda wastrying to bind Bala Krishna to the grinding mortar, she was mystified tofind that she was again and again two fingers short of success. Onefinger represents a devotee’s steadfast extra endeavor, the otherKrishna’s divine dispensation, His special mercy. Alongside whateverother services we may be doing on any level, all of us, irrespective oforganizational echelon, would do well to assiduously find or make thetime to both privately and publicly do more hari-nama-sankirtana and seethe long-lasting internal (personal/communal) and external(outreaching/para-upakara) results. If our authorities disallow, discourage, disparage, or in anyway hamper our focus on the performance of yuga-dharma-hari-nama-sankirtana, then they are not our authorities. If our gurus instruct us not to concentrate our energiesand resources on the performance of yuga-dharma-hari-nama-sankirtana, then, with all due respect, they are not our gurus. As Bali Maharaja rejected the order of his guru,Sukracarya, we should be prepared to similarly disobey the instructionsof millions of “gurus” who in any way dissuade us from surrendering tothe yuga-dharma. Trnad api su-nicena . . . kirtaniyah sada harih. Whatdoes it mean to have the genuine humility required to constantly anduncompromisingly adhere to the practice of nama-sankirtana? Tounwittingly allow ourselves to be regressed to a state of infancy by theinstitutional manipulators of men and money, that they mightconveniently maneuver us to advance their managerial agenda according totheir whims via their artful appliance of the principles of childpsychology, is not what is truly meant by “trnad api su-nicena.” Thecorrect understanding is very simple; simple for the simple.Contextually implied by the proposed adoption of an attitude ofhumbleness is simply the seemliness in honestly admitting oneself to be afallen Kali-yuga creature, having no qualification to achieve the goalof life by any means other than the process foreordained by the sastrasand propagated by Lord Gaura as the only viable dharma for thedeliverance of the fallen souls of this age, namelyhari-nama-sankirtana. Equally connoted is the spiritual integrityrequired to boldly stand up against all odds (taror iva sahisnuna) andsimply do what is right according to time (Kali-yuga) and circumstance(our fallen condition). In doing so, one should not unrealisticallyexpect to be regarded as being fit for any other practice (amanina), andone should respect (mana-dena) the true self-interest of othersimilarly fallen Kali-yuga creatures, in the matter of their attainingthe fruit of krsna-prema, by encouraging them to also take up the dharmaof the age. Kirtaniyah sada harih is not achieved by not doingnama-sankirtana. Hari-nama-sankirtana is the best and most powerfulprocess for awakening one’s taste and attachment for the Holy Name. Onewho fortunately gains authentic suddha-nama-ruci and intelligentlyamasses stockpiles of solid background experience in the matter ofrelishing the nectar of nama-sankirtana-rasa will most likely neverdepart from the path of unalloyed devotional bhajana.
Without having the impulse to enthusiastically practice the religion ofthis age, hari-nama-sankirtana, what Vaisnava or Vaisnavi can claim tobe having suddha-nama-ruci?
Without having extensively engaged in vigorous, daily protractedperformances of the yuga-dharma, hari-nama-sankirtana, what Vaisnava orVaisnavi can honestly claim to have ascended to the terrace of prema?
Without purposely promoting the daily promulgation of the yuga-dharma,hari-nama-sankirtana, what devotional community can viably proclaim itsintent to elevate its members to life’s ultimate perfection?
Without deliberately stimulating and fostering the worldwide dailypromulgation of the yuga-dharma, hari-nama-sankirtana, what institutioncan claim to be truly representing the sankirtana movement of SriCaitanya Mahaprabhu?
Without having sensibly dedicated a substantial portion of life’s timeand energy to the direct performance of yuga-dharmahari-nama-sankirtana, which individual or group of individuals can claimto have rightly understood and applied the essential message of thescriptures proliferated by the Gaudiya Vaisnava acaryas throughdisciplic succession?
If we sincerely desire to deepen and redouble our taste for chanting theHoly Name, then we would do very well to take shelter of Gaura-Nitaiand do more hari-nama-sankirtana! If we recognize the enormous need topractically expand the ocean of transcendental fortune and bliss totouch the lives of other pious souls, in the matter of increasing andmaintaining Krishna’s family of devotees, then we would surely do wellto take shelter of Gaura-Nitai and do more hari-nama-sankirtana! If weat all acknowledge the intermutual need to expedite the purification ofour Vaisnava relationships then we would all do very well to concertedlytake shelter of Gaura-Nitai and do more hari-nama-sankirtana! If weseriously want to go well beyond the bodily concept of life, to realizethe highest constitutional spiritual identity of the self(vraja-svarupa), then we would do very well to set all worldlyconsiderations aside, take shelter of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and domore hari-nama-sankirtana! If we truly desire the perfection of thevraja-bhavas, by which we could ever hope to attain the pleasurepastimes of the Lord in the topmost realm of Vraja, then we would dovery well to do more hari-nama-sankirtana! If we at all see the need toexpedite our progress to the terrace of vipralambha-bhava-maya-vraja-prema for the pleasure of guru and Gauranga, in consonance with the very purpose of Their mission, then wewould do very well to do more hari-nama-sankirtana! If we, honestlyconfessing any delinquency in the matter of its performance, sense adeficiency in the evolvement of our individual and collective puredevotional experience as per insight, revelation, and realization, thenwe would, by all means, do very well to abandon all apprehensions aboutthe thing and simply do more hari-nama-sankirtana! If we want thelife-long inspiration to carry on with our transcendental bookdistribution in a most viable way, then we would certainly do very, verywell to do more hari-nama-sankirtana in order to deeply appreciate andenthusiastically share the very essence of what the books are, in somany words, purposely promoting! Given that we might, with a view toaccomplish the as-yet-to-be-realized final half of Srila Prabhupada’smission, deem the reestablishment of varnasrama-dharma in present-dayhuman society to be of paramount importance, even still, we would dovery, very well to intelligently put the horse before the cart andconcertedly, all the world over, do more mass hari-nama-sankirtana – topractically increase the piety and spiritual consciousness of the massesin order to even hope to make possible that which is virtuallyimpossible under the present so-called “for the people, by the people”heinously roguish, demonic, world-domineering corporatist governmentalmisleadership. Godless religio-racist multi-national corporate elitistsand other hard-core, ruthless, raksasa-like terror-breathing globaltyrants are not going to politely wait for us, the members of theKrishna consciousness movement, to finally, all over the world, wake upto our inalienable right and responsibility to do more and more masshari-nama-sankirtana! Institutional management has neither the authorityto sanction nor the right to interdict or in any way inhibit theperformance of the yuga-dharma. The will of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhuultimately pulls rank on institutional authority. Please remember thatin Kali-yuga the Supreme Personality of Godhead descends fromGoloka-dhama to protect the sadhus and annihilate the demons byresoundingly manifesting as His Holy Name on the tongues of His puredevotees. The divine descent of kali-yuga-krishna-avatarasri-hari-nama-rupa alone can effect the downfall of such insidiouslyscheming, media-manipulating latter-day murderous war-money-mongeringdemons and carcass-devouring pseudo religionists of Kamsa’s and Putana’sclass! Even if we prefer to pursue variant paths of spiritualperfection, or even if our all-devouring exigencies cannot go beyond thetransitory urgency to “put food on the table” and “give peace achance,” all the same, we would definitely do very, very well to havefaith in the yajna for this age and simply do more and morehari-nama-sankirtana! Let us not wait until the fag end of life, whenvarieties of physical and mental decrepitude will render our bodiesinoperative, to wisely recognize this principle. The urgency isenormous. Jiva jago! Jiva jago! The time is now. Now is the time forrevolution – a revolution of consciousness, a revolution of priorities.It’s time for a reality check. All individual, communal, institutional,and inter-institutional devotional inadequacies, anomalies, andinequities – as well as all domestic, public, socio-political,governmental, and inter-governmental irregularities of this age – can bepositively surmounted simply by intelligently administering “heavier,”more frequent medicinal doses of life-giving yuga-dharmasri-hari-nama-sankirtana. Once again, if we’re not part of the solution,we’re part of the problem. We have busied ourselves over the years,trying so many other ideas. Why not sincerely concede to this one and bepleasantly surprised?
(from: http://www.24hourkirtan.com/philosophy/)(Sanskrit diacritics omitted for broader internet accessibility. Inconvenience deeplyregretted.)
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