Kṛṣṇa is also the supreme living entity, and we are small living entities. So every one of us are seeking after ānanda, transcendental bliss. So when we join together, the living entities and the Supreme Lord, that becomes ānanda, rāsa-līlā. That is wanted. That we are seeking.
But we are seeking in a different way in the material world. That is not possible. Kṛṣṇa therefore says, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī also, in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, he says, ādau gurvāśrayam: "If one is interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness, he must approach a spiritual master." Kṛṣṇa also says, mad-āśrayaḥ. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). These are all Vedic injunctions. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12).
So if we take this process . . . and the beginning of the process is hearing, śravaṇaṁ. Kīrtanam. When there is kīrtana there is śravaṇa. Unless there is kīrtana, where is the opportunity of hearing? So śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Or one who has heard very nicely, perfectly, he can chant also nicely, perfectly, or describe the glories of the Lord. Kīrtana does not mean that with musical sound we chant and dance.
Kīrtana means describing about the glories of the Lord, kīrtanam. Just like Parīkṣit Mahārāja and Śukadeva Goswāmī. Śukadeva Goswāmī was chanting. He was describing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And Parīkṣit Mahārāja was hearing. This is śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. And śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam about whom? Viṣṇu, not others. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ. Harer nāma. The śāstra says, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21).
Of course, Hari, or Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu, has got many thousands of names. Any name will be profitable. That doesn't matter. But because we have to follow the footsteps of great personalities, great devotees, therefore, as we are following the footsteps of Lord Caitanya, He chanted the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
So by this chanting, immediately, as soon as the chanting is offenseless, immediately we shall remember Kṛṣṇa. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ. It is so easy. You chant. There is no expenditure; there is no loss. But the gain is very great. You can gradually become attached to Kṛṣṇa.
So if we chant and hear, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, this is the first stage of sādhu-saṅgaḥ. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (CC Madhya 23.14-15). Or this can be taken as bhajana-kriyā. And as soon as it is perfectly done, this chanting process, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, bhajana-kriyā, then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt, all unwanted things are rejected. Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt.