Kirtan Karo Na - Please perform Kirtan
Karo Na in the regional Bengali language means ‘don’t do’, but in the national Hindi language it means ‘please do’. I thought we should present a positive outlook during this global Corona doom and gloom situation. Kirtan is a method of repeating in a call and response way, the names of the Lord. Specifically it comes from the old traditions of India and is a method of yoga practice called Kirtan yoga or sound yoga. Our scriptures tell us the significance is that all the power and mercy of God are invested in the names of God, doesn’t matter which religion. All religions do have some sort of chanting or glorifying such as in a choir at church, Sufi songs of Islam, or poetry recitations of the Sikhs in Shabad kirtan and many more.
The Lord has many names, some names being primary names and others being secondary names. God, Lord, Bhagavan etc. are general names but the Lord likes it when we call Him with specific names. In this time period of Kaliyuga Lord Krishna, appeared as Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu 534 years ago and told us about this chanting, even though it’s a very old tradition. This method of chanting had been forgotten and it was a reminder given by Him. The chanting of the holy names is done in a particular sequence called a mantra. The mantra for this age of Kali given by Mahaprabhu is as follows
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare , Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare
Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu also gave us the Sri Shikshastakam prayers and in these prayers He states that the holy names cleanse the heart of all misgivings so we can taste transcendental bliss which we are always anxious for. They have all the power invested in them and there are no hard and fast rules to chant these names.
namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-shaktis
tatrarpita niyamitah smarane na kalah
etadrishi tava kripa bhagavan mamapi
durdaivam idrisham ihajani nanuragaha
O my Lord, Your holy name alone can render all benediction to living beings, and thus You have hundreds and millions of names, like Krsna and Govinda. In these transcendental names You have invested all Your transcendental energies. There are not even hard and fast rules for chanting these names. O my Lord, out of kindness You enable us to easily approach You by Your holy names, but I am so unfortunate that I have no attraction for them. Source
We can sing, recite, chant on beads, or write these names in a repetitive manner. We need not have a super voice or need to have any knowledge of music. This vibration is transcendental and comes from the soul. We just have to put all of our love and attention into it. Our Gurudev says, just like a little child sings a poem in broken word without a proper tune and adults still love it, similarly the Lord loves our singing of Kirtan in any which way we can. In times when we are full of fear and uncertainty these holy names are ever present. As soon as we chant them Krishna is with us. We may not be able to see Him but as our heart cleanses we will feel Him by our side. The need of the hour is that we all chant. This vibration of the Lord’s holy names will fill the sky. It will give us peace and happiness. Rupa Goswami wrote a beautiful prayer called Sri Namashtakam. These prayers glorify the holy names. He mentions
(2) O Hari-nama, O name sung by the sages, O transcendental syllables that bring bliss to the people, even if You are spoken only once, and even if You are spoken disrespectfully, You at once remove the many harsh sufferings of everyone. (4) O Holy Name, the Vedas declare that although meditation on impersonal Brahman cannot bring freedom from past karma, Your appearance [on the tongue of your chanter] at once makes all karma disappear.(7) O perfect and complete Holy Name of Lord Krishna, You are the embodiment of delightful and intense spiritual bliss, You destroy the many sufferings of those who take shelter of You, and You are a festival of happiness for Gokula. I bow before You again and again. Source
In different ways Rupa Goswami is telling us that these holy names remove suffering and can make our karma disappear at once. That is an amazing benediction if that gets you motivated to sing these holy names. But we like to chant for the pleasure of the Lord. The Lord is pleased when He hears us calling Him lovingly. Karma and suffering are automatically gone when the Lord is pleased with our service.
Our Gurudev is the most munificent, magnificent example of this Kirtan practice. He has come to distribute this message of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu to all of us. His entire life has been an example of spreading the holy names in the form of Kirtan. His faith is in Mahaprabhu’s words that this is the only medicine for the disease of material existence including this temporary corona virus pandemic. A few things I would like to quote directly from my Gurudev.
Sri Sri Pran Krsna Das Babaji: The Name is like a mango. Inside the mango there is a seed, and inside the seed there is a tree. You can’t see the tree. Only when you sow the seed and it will transform into a tree you can see. In the same way you can’t see Hari , when you do Harinaam.
Devotee: Then, when can we see?
Babaji : When you do constant japa, means when you constantly take HIS Name, that Name will sprout as Love. Only then you can see Him. Doing Japa constantly, all sins will disappear. The sins accumulated of many, many lives will be burnt away, when the fire of the Name will touch them….As the mountain of cotton caught by fire, gets burnt and disappears into ashes , in the same way one who sings only once the Name of Krishna all sins are turned into ashes at once. And Krishna ascends in her/him very easily making her/him sinless. With Harinaam one becomes sinless. Then Krishna showers His Kripa (Grace) on him / her. And after the Kripa , Ananda (bliss) comes.
Sat- Chit- Ananda: In this mundane world there is no Ananda. Only when one gets Krishna, there is Ananda.
Why after so long still we have not attained any Prem, we chanted so much japa, we did so much sacrifice but still we have got nothing. From this we can understand that “ei jani aparadh acheh prochur, ei karone krsna naam na kore angkur”. Listen, if we are causing offences, the seed of Krsna Naam will not sprout, we will never get Krsna Prem, and we can only get the mercy of Krsna Naam if we are free from offences.
If one tries to chant the Name and is still not able to chant and if he tries to listen to the Naam and still is not able to listen to the Naam then one should write on his body the alphabets of the Naam. By this method the Naam can deliver you. If there is no expert to write the Naam on your body then what should be done? Go to any person who is chanting the Naam purely and that person by his pure chanting can make the Naam enter our ear holes and make the Naam enter our heart and bring auspiciousness to us.
Anyone who chants the Name, gives the Name to others, or chants the name to others or listens to the chanting of this name will all be benefited. This Harinaam Maha Mantra is the topmost; there is no other mantra higher then this mantra. (various Lectures by Babaji)
Right now our lips may not move up and down to chant these holy names, it’s okay we can hear them. Right now we may have our doubts about the efficacy of this mantra, it’s okay, we can trust the words of a saint. Right now we may not have a steady mind to sit in one place to chant or sing, it’s okay we can walk, lay down, be a bathroom singer or be upside down. Right now we may not have the inclination or desire to do so, it’s okay, we do it for humanity. Our collective efforts will bring peace to humanity.
Our only request is, this is the need of the hour, so KIRTAN KARO NA….Please do KIRTAN
Some links where you can find some tunes to follow along: