So there was a talk between Lord Caitanya and the Muhammadan magistrate. So just like... You will also learn that we are performing this kīrtana. Some tenant in this house, he has taken objection. And just to avoid misunderstanding, so I am closing this door. But it is becoming very too much discomfiture. That I can feel. People are not feeling comfortable. Anyway, apart from that, this misunderstanding of kīrtana, five hundred years before also, there was. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu was performing kīrtana, the, not the Muhammadans, but the Hindus, they took objection that "This is not according to our scripture. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has introduced something new." So he complained to the magistrate although the magistrate was Muhammadan, he was government representative. So he took action.
Performing kirtana (Lectures and Conversations)
Expressions researched:
"kirtan"
|"kirtana"
|"kirtanam"
|"kirtaniyah"
|"perform"
|"performance"
|"performances"
|"performed"
|"performing"
|"performs"
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
You establish Kṛṣṇa at home. This center, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness center, what is the purpose? You can also establish at home Deity. You can also perform the Deity worship. You can also perform kīrtana at home. You can also read Bhagavad-gītā at home. It is not that we are, we have made this business that you come here and pay something and we profit by your payment. No. It is education, how one should be satisfied by accepting kṛṣṇa-prasādam, for working Kṛṣṇa. Then you will be feeling satisfaction. You do business for Kṛṣṇa, you do your occupational duty for Kṛṣṇa, you cook for Kṛṣṇa, you offer to Kṛṣṇa, take prasādam of Kṛṣṇa. You will feel very happy. That is the description. Yadṛcchā-lābha-santuṣṭo dvandvātīto vimatsaraḥ.
In India there are some selected places, very sacred place, and the yogis, generally, they go there and sit there alone in a sacred place and as prescribed in the Bhagavad-gītā and perform there. Yoga-āsana cannot be executed in a public place, so that, in assembly. Now, so far this kīrtana is concerned... Just like we have performed just now kīrtana, this is called saṅkīrtana. Saṅkīrtana means: bahubhir militvā kīrtayati iti saṅkīrtanam. When we sit down, many people together... When Lord Caitanya was performing this kīrtana ceremony five hundred years before, He had in each group sixteen persons taking part in kīrtana, and thousands and thousands of people were singing with them. Now, this participation in the kīrtana is very easily possible. But so far the yoga system is concerned, that is required any very secluded and sacred place, silent. That is required.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be very vigorously propagated all over the world. Simply by seeing the Deity, simply by joining Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra chanting, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam... Here it is said, yat-kīrtanam. The kīrtana word is first used. Simply by kīrtanam. Yat-kīrtanaṁ yat-smaraṇam. If you perform kīrtana, then you'll be able to think of Kṛṣṇa, that "I have danced two hours, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. What is the meaning?" That is smaraṇa, again smaraṇa, "Kṛṣṇa." He may think that "Foolishly, I have chanted for two hours, 'Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa.' " That means again smaraṇam, Kṛṣṇa caught up. Then yad-īkṣaṇam. So just like people are purchasing our Kṛṣṇa book. Because Kṛṣṇa movement is going on, so they are purchasing out of curiosity: "What is this Kṛṣṇa? Let us see." Yad-īkṣaṇam. "Let us see the book." And immediately he will see the picture, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Yad-īkṣaṇam. And if they open the book, they'll see more. Yad-īkṣaṇam. Then there is vandanam. There are so many prayers, glorifying Kṛṣṇa. Then śravaṇam. Others will hear. Somebody will read. Then if he's fortunate enough, he'll become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Yad-arhaṇam: he'll be engaged in the worshiping of Deity.
These processes, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ van... (SB 7.5.23), so perfect that as soon as you take them..., not all of them, either all of them or some of them or at least one of them, then what happens? Lokasya sadyo vidhunoti kalmaṣaṁ tasmai subhadra-śravase namo namaḥ: "I am offering worship to that Supreme Personality of Godhead. Simply by remembering Him, simply by glorifying Him, simply by seeing You, so many things happen." So Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the authority... He is one of the authorities, Vaiyāsaki. Balir vaiyāsakiḥ. Out of twelve authorities, Śukadeva Gosvāmī is authority. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). We have to follow the authority. So he says by..., simply by performing these processes, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ, then what you are? Lokasya sadyo vidhunoti kalmaṣam: "This material contamination will be washed off." Lokasya sadyaḥ. When washed off? Immediately, sir, immediately, no waiting, sadya. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
Just like Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, we accept, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There are many instances, He is playing like ordinary man, but at times showing, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just like in Jagannātha Purī, Ratha-yātrā festival, sometimes the ratha, chariot, will be stuck up, will not move. People draw it, but does not move. Even King Pratāparudra engaged some elephants, and the ratha is not moving. And Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would say, "All right, let Me try." So He would go back side of the car and with His head push it, and very easily it will go. This is extraordinary. Even the elephants, big, big elephants, could not draw. But by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's pushing by head, even there was no need of drawing it or catching the rope... Similarly, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was performing kīrtana, He used to form four parties. And each party will see that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is present there.
Prahlāda Mahārāja said, "My Lord, I have no problem, so why shall I ask You for anything? I have no problem." Naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyāḥ: "Everyone has got problem in this material world. They're trying to overcome the problem. But I have no problem." Naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyās tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ (SB 7.9.43). "I have no problem because my mind is always absorbed in glorifying Your Lordship. Therefore, I have no problem." Kīrtana. You'll feel immediately refreshed. However burden you may feel, as soon as you perform kṛṣṇa-kīrtana, you'll find immediately refreshed. So one who has got taste for this kīrtana, he has no problem.
Because this place was excavated by the gosvāmīs, ṣaḍ-gosvāmī. Sanātana Gosvāmī came here, Rūpa Gosvāmī came here. And then other Gosvāmīs, Jīva Gosvāmī, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, all joined together for executing the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu—to write books about Kṛṣṇa, His pastimes, His līlā; very, I mean to say, highly spiritual understanding books they wrote. Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau. This is the business of the Gosvāmīs, the symptoms. The first symptom is, kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. They were always busy-Kṛṣṇa-kīrtana. Kṛṣṇa-kīrtana means... Just like we perform kīrtana with khol, karatāla, this is also kṛṣṇa-kīrtana. And to write books, that is also kṛṣṇa-kīrtana. And to read books, that is also kṛṣṇa-kīrtana. Not that simply this kīrtana is kīrtana. If you write books about Kṛṣṇa, if you read books about Kṛṣṇa, if you talk about Kṛṣṇa, you think of Kṛṣṇa, you worship Kṛṣṇa, you cook for Kṛṣṇa, you eat for Kṛṣṇa—so that is kṛṣṇa-kīrtana.
| Page Title: | Performing kirtana (Lectures and Conversations) |
| Compiler: | Labangalatika, Krishnadas, Serene |
| Created: | 25 of Jul, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=14, Con=12, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 26 |