True kirtana glorifies Krishna alone; hearing from realized souls swiftly liberates the maddened soul from karma.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Lecture on Saṅkīrtana — November 30, 1969, London 691130LE-LONDON [84:01 Minutes] Lecture_691130LE-LONDON Prabhupāda: oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayācakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ [I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.] śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam [When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?] [microphone is moving around] [aside: you can bind it, some, something] he kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate gopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te [O my dear Kṛṣṇa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherd men and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.] tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgī rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari vṛṣabhānu-sute devi praṇamāmi hari-priye [I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.] vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ [I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They can fulfill the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and they are full of compassion for the fallen souls.] śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda [I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion.] hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare [My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.] Ladies and gentlemen I thank you very much for your participating in this... [aside: finish it; that’s all right] ...the saṅkīrtana movement. Today’s subject matter is kīrtana? Devotee: Yes, saṅkīrtana process. Prabhupāda: Saṅkīrtana.
This word saṅkīrtana is a Sanskrit word. Sam means samyak, “complete,” and kīrtana means “glorifying” or “describing.” Kīrtaye. So this complete description means complete glorification of the Supreme, of the Supreme complete whole. Kīrtana does not mean that you can describe anything or glorify anything, that will become kīrtana. From grammatical point of view, that may be kīrtana, but according to Vedic scriptures, when you speak of kīrtana, that kīrtana means describing the supreme authority, the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
That is called kīrtana. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam [SB 7.5.23]. This devotional service begins from the method of śravaṇaṁ. Śravaṇaṁ means “hearing,” and kīrtana, and “describe.” One should describe and one should hear, or the same man himself can describe and hear himself. He doesn’t require any other’s help. Just like if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, you chant and you hear.
This is complete. This is complete method. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. But what is that chanting and hearing? Viṣṇu.
Not of anything else. śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥsmaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁsakhyam ātma-nivedanam [SB 7.5.23] [Prahlāda Mahārāja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Viṣṇu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one's best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words)—these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kṛṣṇa through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge.] You can understand about Viṣṇu, or the all-pervading Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by these methods. What are these? Śravaṇaṁ, hearing. You have to hear.
If you hear simply, that is the beginning. You don’t require any education; don’t require any development of knowledge. In any position. Just like this child, you have seen many times.
As soon as she hears, immediately she response and dances. So by nature God has given us this nice instrument, ear. You can simply hear, that’s all. But you must hear from the right source. That is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-samvido bhavanty hṛtkārṇa-rasāyana-kathāḥ [SB 3.25.25] [In the association of pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very pleasing and satisfying to the ear and the heart. By cultivating such knowledge one gradually becomes advanced on the path of liberation, and thereafter he is freed, and his attraction becomes fixed. Then real devotion and devotional service begin.] Satāṁ prasaṅgāt. Satāṁ means “devotees,” those who are devoted to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are called satāṁ. satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-samvido bhavanty hṛtkārṇa-rasāyana-kathāḥ [SB 3.25.25] [In the association of pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very pleasing and satisfying to the ear and the heart. By cultivating such knowledge one gradually becomes advanced on the path of liberation, and thereafter he is freed, and his attraction becomes fixed. Then real devotion and devotional service begin.] Tat-joṣaṇāt. If you hear from the right sources… Right source means one must be realized soul; then it will act. Bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ.