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Hare Krishna, everyone! I’m BB Govinda Swami and I’m visiting Bhaktivedanta Manor and I was requested to give a brief interview for Kirtan Space. I was requested to speak on important points, points that I feel are important about kirtan.
Naturally I feel that since it’s the process of Mantra meditation, or meditation upon Krishna, we should really be focused when we are participating in kirtan. Whether one is leading the kirtan, whether one is playing the karatals, whether one is playing the mridanga, or whether it’s the audience – people should be very focused, because kirtan is a very sacred time when we are entering into our relationship with Krishna.
Lord Caitanya has repeatedly reminded us that Krishna and His name are absolutely the same. He has reminded us that all the different names of Krishna have the shakti and the potency of Sri Krishna Himself.
Therefore when kirtan is taking place we should understand that we are in the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We’re in the presence of the most wonderful person, we’re in the presence of the most compassionate person, we’re in the presence of the most loving person, we’re in the presence of the most forgiving person. And therefore we should be very attentive, we should be very-very focused.
For participants in the kirtan: they should naturally concentrate on the mood and the feeling that is being established by the leader of the kirtan. You know, when you lead a kirtan, I mean, we all love to sing, we love to sing in kirtan, but for the kirtan leader it is not a matter of him just sitting down and doing it because he likes it, but it’s a matter him sitting down and he is really sort of focusing his mind upon Krishna, focusing his mind on the Holy Names. And he is trying to create a mood by which all the other participants have that same mood.
The mridanga players, the karatal players, they should be playing for the pleasure of Krishna, they should be keeping an eye on the leader of the kirtan. That the leader is trying to establish one thing, but they are trying to establish something else – no, there has to be harmony, because it’s sankirtan, it’s congregational, it’s a group appeal to the Lord.
So focus is really important and, naturally, according to the teachings of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the methodology that we should practice and apply in all the activities of our life, especially in the chanting the Holy Names, is that we should follow the principles of humility, tolerance and respect for all living beings, without expecting respect for ourselves.
Then if we focus, if all of us focus our attention on Krishna, if all of us focus our attention on the Name, then there will be the reciprocation from Krishna. In the Bhagavad Gita He says: ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham. Bhajāmy aham means that I reward, so when all of us are really focused on the Name, we’re all focused that what we are doing is for the pleasure or Radhe Shyam, when we are focused on the mood of pure service to Srila Prabhupada and our spiritual masters, then Krishna reciprocates.
I don’t think that, you know, having a wonderful kirtan is necessarily a matter of technical expertise, but I really feel that having a wonderful kirtan is our group effort that we are trying to be so sincere to sing every Name and hear every Name. When the leader is singing he is trying to sing every Name and hear every Name, when the congregation is singing the leader is trying to hear every Name that the congregation is singing.
When we are all in that group mood and we all have that same feeling, group effort, group appeal, then Krishna bhajāmy aham, He reciprocates and He awards us with His mercy and grace and then ecstasy flows in the kirtan.
I’m not a musician, so I can’t tell you how to play instruments. I am not a musician, so I can’t tell you how to sing. I can’t play the karatals fancy, like some people play the karatals fancy. But I really feel that the main thing is that we remain focused, we try to do kirtan with full concentration, we try to do kirtan with our love.
Bhakti means love. Bhakti means devotion. We try to show our love and devotion by chanting, you know, so attentively, then the reciprocation will come.
I’ve seen it that way for a long time, I’ve seen in that way ever since the beginning days of Krishna consciousness and I see it now. We always weren’t the old folks in Krishna consciousness, once we were really youngsters in Krishna consciousness. In the sense, we’re still youngsters in Krishna consciousness, but by age we were very young, but I saw that when the devotees would chant sincerely that flow of mercy would come from Krishna.
This is explained in the Caitanya Caritamrita by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to Srila Raghunath Das Goswami that there is nothing as powerful as the mercy of Krishna. Nothing as powerful as the mercy of Krishna. You can be in the most wretched condition of life, but if we apply our minds and focus on Krishna, He will bestow His mercy and You will become lifted up.
So, Hare Krishna to everyone! Spread harinama-sankirtana throughout the world!
Our Srila Prabhupada, he spread harinama in every town and village, his sincere followers throughout the world, disciples, gran disciples, grand grand disciples, whatever the case may be, everybody is still endeavouring to spread harinama by Srila Prabhupada’s grace.
Make this an integral part of Your life. Do your sadhana really nicely, chant your rounds nicely, read Prabhupada’s books very nicely, follow all the principles very nicely, always serve vaisnavas with all your heart and all your love, and spread the Hare Krishna maha-mantra to each and every person that you meet.
Thank You all very much! Hope to see you in kirtan sometime!
Hare Krishna.
His Holiness Bhakti Bhringa Govinda Swami Maharaja 
15.04.2018 Bhaktivedanta Manor, UK