Second, kīrtana means to speak about the name, qualities, pastimes and so on of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Specifically, kīrtana of Śrī Bhagavān’s names is the dharma for kali-yuga. Among all sādhanas, there is none better than chanting Śrī Bhagavān’s names for obtaining prema. It is devoid of any consideration of place, time or recipient; the idea of qualification or lack thereof has been rejected; it is supremely beneficial for all living beings; it is warmly received by all virtuous people and practiced by innumerable siddhas (perfected beings) as well as sādhakas. In all śāstras, this nāma-saṅkīrtana (chanting of the Holy Names) has been determined to be the best means for obtaining prema. etan nirvidyamānānām icchatām akutobhayam, yogināṁ nṛpa nirṇītaṁ harer nāmānukīrtanam (Bhāg. 2.1.11). sādhakānāṁ siddhānāṁ ca nātaḥ param anyat śreyo’stīty āha etad iti. icchatāṁ kāmināṁ tat-tat-phala-sādhanam etad eva. yogināṁ jñānināṁ phalaṁ caitad eva nirṇītam. nātra-pramāṇaṁ vyaktavyam ity arthaḥ (Śrīdhara Ṭīkā). The meaning is that for both the sādhakas and the siddha-mahāpuruṣas there is no better sādhana than nāma-kīrtana. With this in mind, he says, “O King! For those who have desires, nāma-saṅkīrtana is the unfailing sādhana for obtaining their goals. And for those who are indifferent to worldly life and desire liberation, this nāma-saṅkīrtana is the foremost sādhana. The primary result of the sādhanas performed by the yogīs and jñānīs is also nāma-saṅkīrtana.”
The way by which prema is realized as a result of carefully serving nāma-saṅkīrtana has been revealed from the mouth of Śrīman Mahāprabhu himself in his Śikṣāṣṭaka: yerūpe laile nāma prema upajāya, tāhāra lakṣaṇa śuna svarūpa rāmarāya. tṛṇād api sunīcena taror iva sahiṣṇuṇā, amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ. “Hear from me, Svarūpa and Rāmarāya, the characteristic of how prema is born of chanting the Holy Names. Feeling oneself to be lower than even the grass, one should always chant Hari’s names with forbearance like a tree, with humility and with respect.” Mahāprabhu has personally explained the meaning of this verse in Caitanya-Caritāmṛta (Antya 20.22-26):
উত্তম হঞা আপনাকে মানে তৃণাধম | দুইপ্রকারে সহিষ্ণুতা করে বৃক্ষসম ||
বৃক্ষ যেন কাটিলেহ কিছু না বোলয় | শুখাইয়া মৈলে কারে পানি না মাগয় ||
যেই যে মাগয়ে তারে দেয় আপন ধন | ঘর্ম-বৃষ্টি সহে, আনের করয়ে রক্ষণ ||
উত্তম হঞা বৈষ্ণব হবে নিরভিমান | জীবে সম্মান দিবে জানি কৃষ্ণ-অধিষ্ঠান ||
এইমত হঞা যেই কৃষ্ণনাম লয় | কৃষ্ণের চরণে তার প্রেম উপজয় ||
“Even though being the highest, he regards himself as lower than grass. He is tolerant like a tree in two ways: if cut, he says nothing, and if weak from thirst, he does not ask for water. If someone begs from him, he gives his own wealth. He endures heat and rain, yet gives shelter to others. Although the highest, a Vaiṣṇava must be without pride, always giving respect to everyone, knowing them to be the dwelling place of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Love for Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet will awaken for whomever chants the Lord’s name in this way.”
Regarding the tṛṇād api verse, Śrīla Kavirāja Gosvāmipāda has written,
ঊর্ধ্ববাহু করি কহি শুন সর্বলোক | নামসূত্রে গাঁথি পর কণ্ঠে এই শ্লোক ||
প্রভুর আজ্ঞায় কর এই শ্লোক আচরণ | অবশ্য পাইবে তবে শ্রীকৃষ্ণচরণ ||
“With arms raised high, I say, listen everyone! String this verse upon the thread of the holy name and wear it around your necks. Whoever follows this verse by Mahāprabhu’s order shall certainly attain Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet.” (CC. Ādi 17.32-33)
The meaning of this statement is that to chant nāma continuously, this verse must be remembered, and in order to attain this state, the sādhaka must pray forlornly to Śrī Nāma and express the extreme anxiety in his heart. Because until such a condition is attained, one does not acquire prema, the primary result of chanting nāma. The genuine honoring of this verse is the unfailing method of offenseless nāma-kīrtana because nāmāparādha is the most serious obstacle to obtaining prema through the very powerful process of nāma-sādhanā. Śrī Nāma is not pleased by an offensive person, and even though that person may perform kīrtana for a long time, Śrī Nāma has no desire to give him prema. Since careful service of this harināma-saṅkīrtana is the kali-yuga-dharma, those who desire to obtain prema without delay must perform nāma-kīrtana free from the ten kinds of offenses against the Name. The verbal root rādh connotes satisfaction. If one commits an aparādha, or offense, the satisfaction of chanting nāma goes away because Śrī Nāma thoroughly conceals his own power. As a result, the nāmāparādhī (offender) becomes incapable of performing proper service to nāma. Never mind proper sevā, lack of faith, hypocrisy, absorption in things other than Kṛṣṇa, hoping for profit, adoration and fame, negligence in nāma-bhajana and so on are the poisonous fruits of this aparādha. Moreover, another meaning of rādh is siddhi (accomplishment, realization). Whenever there is an aparādha, the desired result is not attained. The reason is that the aparādha makes all of the sādhaka’s sādhana and bhajana fruitless, causing all spiritual matters to appear as material. A desire for enjoyment then awakens in the sādhaka’s heart and mind and prevents him from taking full shelter of nāma. Here we shall mention the various nāma-aparādhas in brief: (1) defaming a saintly person, (2) thinking the name, form and so on of Śrī Śiva are independent of Śrī Viṣṇu, (3) disrespecting Śrī Guru or regarding him as an ordinary person, (4) blaspheming the Vedas or scriptures following them, (5) considering the glories of Śrī Harināma as empty praise, (6) imagining other interpretations of Śrī Harināma, (7) engaging in sinful behavior on the strength of the Holy Name, (8) thinking that other auspicious activities are equal to Śrī Harināma, (9) instructing faithless persons about the Holy Name, (10) having a lack of affection for the Holy Name even after hearing of its glories. Nāma-kīrtana devoid of these ten kinds of offenses is susevana, or careful service, of the kīrtana limb of bhakti.
To be continued...
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