Namasankirtan and Sri Gaursundar

<sup>Dear readers,

By the mercy of Śrī Guru and Śrī Gaurāṅga we are remembering the teachings of our paramparā-ācāryas. Today we are focussing on the most magnanimous incarnation, Gaurasundara and His incomparable mercy towards us. Śrīmān Mahāprabhu is not an incarnation of the Lord, but is actually the source of all incarnations like Kṛṣṇa [avatārī]. Although He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, He is assuming the mood of a devotee. Bhakta-bhāva is predominant in His incarnation. In Śrīmad Bhāgavatam [11.5.32] kṛṣṇa-varṇaḿ tviṣākṛṣṇaḿ sāńgopāńgāstra-pārṣadam, yajñaiḥ sańkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ, it is mentioned that the most intelligent, pious and fortunate persons are performing the bhajana of Śrīmān Mahāprabhu. The glorious characteristic aspect of Śrīmān Mahāprabhu is that the name of Kṛṣṇa always appears on His tongue. Not only are all His transcendental senses immersed in Kṛṣṇa’s sweet mellow at every moment, He is always mad how to relish Kṛṣṇa’s name, Kṛṣṇa’s form, Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes at every moment.

In Śrī-Sacī-Tanayāshtakam it is written, jalpita-nija-guṇa-nāma-vinodaṁ, tam pranamami cha sri-sachi-tanayam. He takes delight in uttering the glories of His own transcendental qualities and Holy Name. He is Kṛṣṇa, but His colour is not blackish, it is like molten gold. By seeing the form of Śrī Gaurāṅga, in everyone’s heart naturally Kṛṣṇa’s form appears. Śrī Gaurāṅga is not alone. He appears with His aṅga, Nityānanda Prabhu and Advaita Ācārya and upāṅga, the devotees headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. Unlike other incarnations, He is not carrying a disc or an arrow and bow. His weapon is harināma-saṅkīrtana. He came here to give us prema through saṅkīrtana.

How can we perform saṅkīrtana, which is the real worship of Śrī Gaurasundara? We will have to consider the following steps:

1. We have to establish a relationship with a gaurā-priya-jana, a dear devotee of Śrī Gaurāṅga. When that relationship becomes strong and we understand that this relationship is an essential principle in our spiritual life, it is possible to progress to the next step.

2. We have to perform saṅkīrtana with unflinching faith and attention under the guidance of a dear devotee of Lord Gaurāṅga.

3. We have to perform saṅkīrtana for the pleasure of Śrī Guru and Śrī Gaurāṅga without any motive, which is considered as real saṅkīrtana or real worship of Śrī Gaurasundara.

4. Only one who has established his loving and perfect relationship with Śrī Guru and Śrī Gaurāṅga is qualified or eligible to perform saṅkīrtana. Just by playing different tunes on different instruments it is not possible to perform saṅkīrtana without that relationship.

5. It is not possible to perform real saṅkīrtana if we have other desires. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura also mentioned this in Gītāvalī, bhoga-mokṣa-vāñchā chāḍi’ harinām gāi re (śuddha-sattva ho’ye re) [Hari Bolo Hari Bolo Hari Bolo Bhai Re]. It is only possible when we surrender through our body, mind and speech and when we chant Kṛṣṇa’s name, fame, līlās and pastimes with love and unflinching faith, which gives real pleasure to Śrī Gaurasundara.

6. The loving relationship or loving mood towards Śrī Gaurasundara and His dear devotee is the key point for real saṅkīrtana. If we follow all the steps above, gradually lust, anger, greed and other anarthas will diminish and humility, giving respect to others, dependency, faith and taste will increase.

Śrī Gaurāṅga is the Creator, Protector and Mentioner of the Vedas. Out of His causeless mercy He distributed the essence of all the Vedas. It is very difficult to find out the essence of the Vedas which resides in the deepest most region but, Śrī Gaurasundara gives that essence as gifts to all of us. Therefore, Śrīla Kavirāja Gosvāmī mentioned in Caitanya caritāmṛta [Ādi-līlā 1-4] that the essence of all Vedic knowledge, namely kṛṣṇa-prema, was not distributed before. A bumblebee doesn’t have attraction towards the beauty of flowers, his attention is towards the honey. He is not at all bewildered by the beauty of the flowers. A bumblebee knows where there is honey and how to taste it. Śrī Gaurasundara and His followers know the essence of all Vedic knowledge, they are like bumblebees. Those who are not the followers of Śrīmān Mahāprabhu or not accepting the Gauḍīya paramparā, are only relishing the beauty of the Vedas but are unable to taste the honey.

Śrī Gaurasundara collects the essence of the karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa, the essence of yogaand rejects the process of meditation, austerity and dry renunciation. He also collects the essence of all mellows of conjugal love which is rare, even for Brahmā and Śiva, and distributes it freely and without consideration of who is qualified or not. But we are so ill fated and materially attached that we are not developing taste towards it.  After churning the śāstra, which is like an ocean, Śrī Gaurasundara first distributed prema to His dear followers just like Mohinī had done for the demigods.

Another important point is that to perform saṅkīrtana we should understand the proper mood. The life of saṅkīrtana is hari-toṣaṇa. Hari-toṣaṇa, guru-toṣaṇa and vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇa. In all conditions we have to focus on developing a mood where we pray, ‘‘In whichever way they will guide me I will go, whichever sevā they want me to do I will do, every moment I want their guidance. I am always ready to act according to their direction. With every step of my spiritual life, I want to depend on them, because I am weak in every aspect. With every step of my life, I want help, guidance, strength and vision. I don’t have the power to understand your mood. Whether you are satisfied with my service or not, I don’t know. I am not qualified either in performing arcanā, or kīrtana or any type of devotional service. After all, you are the Supreme and the Controller, so kindly interfere in my independence. Whenever I want to serve you, I want to please you with my little independence, but this always creates problems. I want to surrender at your Lotus Feet, but duplicitousness is not allowing me to do so. I am helpless when I see my own condition, but considering your position makes me hopeful. I am drinking poison and nectar at the same time. Please consider my situation and arrange what is good for me accordingly.’’ Only when we develop this mood it is possible to perform saṅkīrtana for the pleasure of Guru and Kṛṣṇa.

There is no need to understand the mood of Śrī Guru and Śrī Gaurāṅga through karma-kāṇḍaor jñāna-kāṇḍa. Only through saṅkīrtana the mood manifests, not by logic, arguments or scholarship. Yoga, fire sacrifice and pious activities are impediments for pure bhakti. Only by associating with dear devotees of Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu it is possible to perform nāma-saṅkīrtana. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura mentioned in his song, mṛdańga-bādya, śunite mana, abasara sadā jāce gaura-bihita, kīrtana śuni', ānande hṛdoya nāce. When I hear the sound of the mrdanga in my heart I always desire to join in kirtana; and when I hear the bona fide songs describing Lord Caitanya's pastimes, my heart dances in ecstasy [śuddha-bhakata-caraṇa-reṇu].

In the kīrtana process recommended by Gaurāṅga and gaura-priya-jana, there is no need to add your own ideas. If we focus with every step of our hari-kīrtana on the pleasure of Śrī Guru and Śrī Gaurāṅga, that is direct bhakti. Many persons are qualified to chant the Holy Name and perform kīrtana, but to introduce real saṅkīrtana, a mahānta-guru is required. If someone is performing saṅkīrtana under the guidance of such a mahānta-guru, Mahāprabhu becomes more pleased with them, than with those who are performing bhajana in a solitary place.

Saṅkīrtana doesn’t mean being a musical artist, an expert in Vedic literature or knowing different commentaries and preaching accordingly. When we follow the footsteps of the paramparā-ācāryas by performing saṅkīrtana, we are able to attract thousands of people. Without having the proper mood it is impossible to attract Kṛṣṇa. Before Gaurasundara came, the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam was there, many āśramas and preachers were there and also kīrtana was there, but the prema-nāma saṅkīrtana introduced by Gaurasundara had not manifested yet. The ṣaḍ-gosvāmīs came and by their spotless and pure love they manifested Kṛṣṇa’s name, pastimes and form [deity]. By their writing and by their kīrtana, they manifested Kṛṣṇa. Before Gaurasundara came, all these paraphernalia of bhakti yoga were there, but after Gaurasundara introduced the saṅkīrtana, the mood of Goloka started to manifest amongst the real followers. Vrajabhūmi was there, the līlā-sthalī was there, the residents were there, but the mood of Vrajabhūmi was unmanifested. Only Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and Her girl companions know the mood of Goloka or Vraja, and they have power to manifest the mood of Vraja. Gaurasundara was in rādhā-bhāva and His followers, the ṣaḍ-gosvāmīs, are mañjarīs. They perfectly know the mood of Goloka. Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura mentioned, ei chay gosāi yabe braje kailā vāsa rādhā-kṛṣṇa nitya-līlā karilā prakāśa [Hari Haraye Namah Krsna Yadavaya Namah]. Unless someone becomes a true follower of the ṣaḍ-gosvāmīs it is not possible to enter the spiritual sphere. When saṅkīrtana manifests by the followers of Mahāprabhu, one extraordinary attitude or nature arises in the heart, which is the mood of how to please Śrī Guru and Śrī Gaurāṅga more and more. That mood is a hidden treasure of the gauḍīya sampradāya. In that stage it is only possible to realize that the Holy Name is non-different from Kṛṣṇa Himself. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura mentioned, nārada muni, bājāy vīṇā, 'rādhikā-ramaṇa'-nāme, nāma amani, udita haya, bhakata-gītā-sāme. Which means, when the great soul Narada Muni plays his vinā, the Holy Name, Radhika-ramana, descends and immediately appears amidst the kirtan of the Lord’s devotees [Narada Muni Bajay Vina].

A true follower of Mahāprabhu is only able to perform prema-nāma saṅkīrtana. Those who are non-devotees, faithless and bhogīs, they don’t have the adhikāra or right to perform saṅkīrtana. Those who are rasikās are free from duplicitousness and have attachment towards Śrī Guru and Śrī Gaurāṅga and those who are simple, they have adhikāra. At least we should begin our saṅkīrtana by the association of devotees and those who have faith towards bhakti, bhakta and bhagavān. Saṅkīrtana becomes more powerful with the devotees who have unflinching faith towards Śrī Guru and Śrī Gaurāṅga, who are strong and are determined towards their devotional service and have no other desires. When a pure devotee performs saṅkīrtana, he distributes Kṛṣṇa’s potency or mercy. When we hear saṅkīrtana from a gaura-priya-jana, purification comes in our heart. In this process not only will our attachment towards Kṛṣṇa increase day by day, but we will also give up sinful activities as well as other desires.

Someone is hearing kīrtana, someone is hearing saṅkīrtana and someone is hearing mahā-saṅkīrtana. But above this, when we hear a pure devotee perform kīrtana, we say that it is mahā-mahā-saṅkīrtana.  When pure devotees are present in this world, their presence creates an environment of mahā-mahā-uchāva. The presence of Śrīla Prabhupāda also created such feelings in the heart of the devotees. His dear disciples from whom we hear memories have witnessed this environment.

In conclusion we may say that, when we perform saṅkīrtana for the pleasure of Śrī Guru and Śrī Gaurāṅga, when we are always aspiring for their association and engage ourselves in the loving service of Gaurasundara, Gaurasundara will become pleased.

Dāsānudāsa,
Haladhara Swami</sup>