Sankirtan: The Primary Recommendation By Lord Chaitanya

(written on November 22, 2019)

(Reference: SP Lecture on SB 2.1.1)

In Sri Siksastakam verse 8 it is stated, “Glory to the sri-Krsna-sankirtana, which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of conditional life, of repeated birth and death. This sankirtana movement is the prime benediction for humanity at large because it spreads the rays of the benediction moon. It is the life of all transcendental knowledge. It increases the ocean of transcendental bliss, and it enables us to fully taste the nectar for which we are always anxious.”

Sankirtan comes from the words sanga and kirtan. Sanga means association and kirtan means singing the glories of the Lord. All together, the word means singing the glories of the Lord with the Lord’s devotees. In practicing Krishna consciousness it is very important for hearing and chanting, but to intensify the process of spiritual progress it is especially important to be in the association of the correct people, specifically those who are pure devotees of the Lord. This is explained in NOI verse 2, “One’s devotional service is spoiled when he becomes too entangled in the following six activities: (1) eating more than necessary or collecting more funds than required; (2) over-endeavoring for mundane things that are very difficult to obtain; (3) talking unnecessarily about mundane subject matters; (4) practicing the scriptural rules and regulations only for the sake of following them and not for the sake of spiritual advancement, or rejecting the rules and regulations of the scriptures and working independently or whimsically; (5) associating with worldly-minded persons who are not interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness; and (6) being greedy for mundane achievements.” Associating with worldly-minded people (jana-sangah) is extremely dangerous and deadly to one’s spiritual progress. Hence by doing sankirtan with pure devotees, one can transcend in spiritual progress and “taste the nectar for which we are always anxious” (SS 8).

Sankirtan is so important that Chaitanya mahaprabhu says that this is the main recommendation for Kali Yuga. That is why it is called the yuga dharma harinam sankirtan. Additionally, in the purport of SB 5.7.5, Srila Prabhupada wrote, “In this age of Kali, the Supreme Lord in his incarnation of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu should be worshipped with his associates by performance of sankirtana-yajna, the congregational chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra. This process is accepted by intelligent men.”