Is Sankirtana (Congregational Chanting of the Holy Names) the most potent form of worship?

[krsna]

 

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[gHari]

Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.5.32 [this important verse also appears in CC Adi 3.52 and Madhya 6.103 and Madhya 20.342 and Antya 11.100 and Antya 20.10!!]:<BLOCKQUOTE><CENTER><font color="RED">kRSNa-varNaM tviSAkRSNaM

sAGgopAGgAstra-pArSadam

yajJaiH saGkIrtana-prAyair

yajanti hi su-medhasaH

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kRSNa-varNam--repeating the syllables kRS-Na; tviSA--with a luster; akRSNam--not black (golden); sa-aGga--along with associates; upa-aGga--servitors; astra--weapons; pArSadam--confidential companions; yajJaiH--by sacrifice; saGkIrtana-prAyaiH--consisting chiefly of congregational chanting; yajanti--they worship; hi--certainly; su-medhasaH--intelligent persons.

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In the age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of KRSNa. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is KRSNa Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential companions.

 

PURPORT

This same verse is quoted by KRSNadAsa KavirAja in the Caitanya-caritAmRta, Adi-lIlA, Chapter Three, verse 52. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami PrabhupAda has given the following commentary on this verse. "This text is from SrImad-BhAgavatam (11.5.32). SrIla JIva GosvAmI has explained this verse in his commentary on the BhAgavatam known as the Krama-sandarbha, wherein he says that Lord KRSNa also appears with a golden complexion. That golden Lord KRSNa is Lord Caitanya, who is worshiped by intelligent men in this age. That is confirmed in SrImad-BhAgavatam by Garga Muni, who said that although the child KRSNa was blackish, He also appears in three other colors--red, white and yellow. He exhibited His white and red complexions in the Satya and TretA ages respectively. He did not exhibit the remaining color, yellow-gold, until He appeared as Lord Caitanya, who is known as Gaurahari.

 

"SrIla JIva GosvAmI explains that kRSNa-varNam means SrI KRSNa Caitanya. KRSNa-varNam and KRSNa Caitanya are equivalent. The name KRSNa appears with both Lord KRSNa and Lord Caitanya KRSNa. Lord SrI Caitanya MahAprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but He always engages in describing KRSNa and thus enjoying transcendental bliss by chanting and remembering His name and form. Lord KRSNa Himself appears as Lord Caitanya to preach the highest gospel. VarNayati means ‘utters' or ‘describes.' Lord Caitanya always chants the holy name of KRSNa and describes it also, and because He is KRSNa Himself, whoever meets Him will automatically chant the holy name of KRSNa and later describe it to others. He injects one with transcendental KRSNa consciousness, which merges the chanter in transcendental bliss. In all respects, therefore, He appears before everyone as KRSNa, either by personality or by sound. Simply by seeing Lord Caitanya one at once remembers Lord KRSNa. One may therefore accept Him as viSNu-tattva. In other words, Lord Caitanya is Lord KRSNa Himself.

 

"SAGgopAGgAstra-pArSadam further indicates that Lord Caitanya is Lord KRSNa. His body is always decorated with ornaments of sandalwood and with sandalwood paste. By His superexcellent beauty He subdues all the people of the age. In other descents the Lord sometimes used weapons to defeat the demoniac, but in this age the Lord subdues them with His all-attractive figure as Caitanya MahAprabhu. SrIla JIva GosvAmI explains that His beauty is His astra, or weapon, to subdue the demons. Because He is all-attractive, it is to be understood that all the demigods lived with Him as His companions. His acts were uncommon and His associates wonderful. When He propagated the saGkIrtana movement, He attracted many great scholars and AcAryas, especially in Bengal and Orissa. Lord Caitanya is always accompanied by His best associates like Lord NityAnanda, Advaita, GadAdhara and SrIvAsa.

 

"SrIla JIva GosvAmI cites a verse from the Vedic literature that says that there is no necessity of performing sacrificial demonstrations or ceremonial functions. He comments that instead of engaging in such external, pompous exhibitions, all people, regardless of caste, color or creed, can assemble together and chant Hare KRSNa to worship Lord Caitanya. KRSNa-varNaM tviSAkRSNam [sB 11.5.32] indicates that prominence should be given to the name KRSNa. Lord Caitanya taught KRSNa consciousness and chanted the name of KRSNa. Therefore, to worship Lord Caitanya, everyone should together chant the mahA-mantra--Hare KRSNa, Hare KRSNa, KRSNa KRSNa, Hare Hare/ Hare RAma, Hare RAma, RAma RAma, Hare Hare. To propagate worship in churches, temples or mosques is not possible because people have lost interest in that. But anywhere and everywhere, people can chant Hare KRSNa. Thus worshiping Lord Caitanya, they can perform the highest activity and fulfill the highest religious purpose of satisfying the Supreme Lord.

 

"SrIla SArvabhauma BhaTTAcArya, a famous disciple of Lord Caitanya, said: ‘The principle of transcendental devotional service having been lost, SrI KRSNa Caitanya has appeared to deliver again the process of devotion. He is so kind that He is distributing love of KRSNa. Everyone should be attracted more and more to His lotus feet, as humming bees are attracted to a lotus flower.' "

 

The incarnation of Caitanya MahAprabhu is also described in the SrI ViSNu-sahasra-nAma, which appears in Chapter 189 of the DAna-dharma-parva of MahAbhArata. SrIla JIva GosvAmI has quoted this reference as follows: suvarNa-varNo hemAGgo varAGgaz candanAGgadI. "In His early pastimes He appears as a householder with a golden complexion. His limbs are beautiful, and His body, smeared with the pulp of sandalwood, seems like molten gold." He has also quoted, sannyAsa-kRc chamaH zAnto niSThA-zAnti-parAyaNaH: "In His later pastimes He accepts the sannyAsa order, and He is equipoised and peaceful. He is the highest abode of peace and devotion, for He silences the impersonalist nondevotees."</blockquote>

[krsna]

 

<font color="blue"> "SrIla JIva GosvAmI cites a verse from the Vedic literature that says that there is no necessity of performing sacrificial demonstrations or ceremonial functions. He comments that instead of engaging in such external, pompous exhibitions, all people, regardless of caste, color or creed, can assemble together and chant Hare KRSNa to worship Lord Caitanya. KRSNa-varNaM tviSAkRSNam [sB 11.5.32] indicates that prominence should be given to the name KRSNa. Lord Caitanya taught KRSNa consciousness and chanted the name of KRSNa. Therefore, to worship Lord Caitanya, everyone should together chant the mahA-mantra--Hare KRSNa, Hare KRSNa, KRSNa KRSNa, Hare Hare/ Hare RAma, Hare RAma, RAma RAma, Hare Hare. To propagate worship in churches, temples or mosques is not possible because people have lost interest in that. But anywhere and everywhere, people can chant Hare KRSNa. Thus worshiping Lord Caitanya, they can perform the highest activity and fulfill the highest religious purpose of satisfying the Supreme Lord. </font color>

 

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