Chanting the Lord's Confidential pastimes in public

[Guest guest]

13. Why don't you allow the singing of Lord's conjugal pastimes in the

Matha?

 

We do not object to hearing and chanting about Krsna's pastimes. In fact,

the Lord's pastimes must be heard and chanted. Only then will the

conditioned souls' natural taste or eagerness for hearing and chanting about

their own heroic activities and other forms of idle talk be destroyed. There

is no substitute for this. We should hear from devotees superior to

ourselves. If we hear from others, we will gain nothing. We should hear

glorification of the Lord only from a spiritual master or pure devotee. A

real devotee thinks, "I will hear hari-katha only from my spiritual master's

mouth and hear and discuss the Srimad-Bhagavatam Sri Sukadeva Gosvami spoke.

I will hear glorification of the Lord as it was inaugurated by Caitanya

Mahaprabhu, or discuss Lord Krsna's names, forms, and qualities. I will

discuss the Lord's pure devotees, who are fully dedicated to their spiritual

master."

However, there is no difference between chanting about the Lord's pastimes

and chanting about the mellows of the Lord's conjugal pastimes and we should

therefore not think that one is higher and the other lower. Hearing about

the conjugal pastimes requires qualification. Living entities with anarthas

can hear and chant about the pastimes of Lord Gauranga and the childhood

pastimes of Lord Krsna. If people try to hear and chant about the

confidential pastimes between Sri Radha and Krsna they will find misfortune

rather than auspiciousness. Hearing and chanting about Sri Sri Radha-Krsna's

confidential pastimes is certainly the best way to worship the Lord. It is,

however, improper and even offensive to sing about such pastimes in public.

A person wishing to attain auspiciousness must obey these words from the

mahajanas, apana bhajana katha na kahibe yatha tatha: "Do not disclose your

confidential mode of worship to anyone and everyone." We should sing the

holy name's glories, offer prayers to the Lord, and chant the glories of the

Lord's service where people of different natures and statuses are assembled.

If we are qualified, we can hear about the Lord's confidential pastimes only

in the association of like-minded devotees, feeling our own mood according

to our constitutional position. Otherwise we will receive an opposite

result. If in order to maintain this standard, singing the Lord's glories

must be stopped altogether, let it be so. We are interested in benefiting

the people. It is Kali who keeps alive the public singing of the Lord's

confidential pastimes simply to accumulate money and enjoy sense

gratification.

 

Why do we not appear to be making advancement despite our repeatedly hearing

krsna-katha?

 

How can we hear if we keep our ear holes blocked? Inattentive hearing yields

no result. What to speak of inattention, we must not hear only with the

mind, because the mind is restless. Hearing means following. What is the use

of hearing if we do not follow what we have heard? That is why we must hear

hari-katha with our life. Then we will attain auspiciousness.

 

 

(From Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Amrta Vani)