A Humble Submission
Shree Hari
(continued)
One must do "kirtan" (devotional chanting) wholeheartedly but only to please God and not for entertainment, as then it becomes an extroverted activity. The devotional singer should always have a strong feeling within that God is present right there and he is chanting God's name and glories before God and for His pleasure. He must become fully engrossed in reciting God's name while remembering Him and His virtues (glories) and meditating on Him. If such sentiments do not arise, then one should go on practicing to develop such feelings. Never think whether others have been pleased and whether they are attracted to your singing or not. Have reverence for God's name and chant His name with utmost love. In such situation God's single name uttered by you can create wonders, God's name uttered once by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used to have overwhelming effect on the listeners, because his singing overflowed with the intensity of his love for God.
Remember one more thing. Devotional singers and those who chant the Lord's Name, should follow righteous conduct and possess divine qualities. One who sings and dances in the name of God, but whose conduct is not pure, cannot leave a good impression on the people. People make such persons as their ideal without knowing the reality of their actual conduct and this gives an opportunity to others to make false allegations against devotional singing, its singers and even against their object of singing, God Himself. Therefore it is our responsibility that due to our conduct, the image of divine singing and our God (Ishta devata) is not tarnished. As a matter of fact, divine singing and God can never be tarnished, but why should any suspicion creep up in their mind on account of our conduct?
If conduct is not pure, one should practice devotional singing in solitude. One should beg and cry before God for purification of one's conduct. But be aware, never try to hide ill conduct, nor give any support to ill conduct under any circumstances.
Duties related to your social order and stage of life should never be ignored on the pretext of "sankirtan" devotional singing. Kirtan should be done while following one's own duties. Knowledge, dispassion, righteous conduct, Varnasrama (social order, stage of life), Samdhya-Prayer and Gayatri-mantra should never be criticized, while praising the loud chanting of the Lord's holy name, rather they should be followed properly according to the ordinance of the scriptures.
In the name of the "sankirtan" spiritual chanting, one should not indulge in partiality or develop feeling of a high and a low standard in different names of God and encourage groupism. Divine names of God should be chanted with simple, pure, genuine, selfless and exclusive feeling of love and others should also be inspired to do so. But as far as possible, refrain from becoming a preacher, a leader or a teacher. Protect yourself from being honored, admired or worshipped. On should always resist temptations for money and women.
At the time of "sankirtan" devotional singing, names of God should be chanted with full force of voice. One should not remain silent out of pride of knowledge, learning, status or riches. If it is a standing kirtana (loud chanting of the Lord's holy name), one should not hesitate to stand up. None of our conduct should result in disrespect for the devotional singing of God's names. However, dancing should come only when one is overwhelmed with love, fillrf with emotions and not just for show. Dancing as an art is altogether different from devotional dancing in God's name.
Always remember that devotional singing with chanting of God's name is a highly respectable and adored way of life. It should be done with deepest of feelings and highest of conduct. Wherever the sound of devotional chanting of God's names done by pure souls reaches, it is capable of leading all those beings to their salvation
Remember one more thing. Devotional singers and those who chant the Lord's Name, should follow righteous conduct and possess divine qualities. One who sings and dances in the name of God, but whose conduct is not pure, cannot leave a good impression on the people. People make such persons as their ideal without knowing the reality of their actual conduct and this gives an opportunity to others to make false allegations against devotional singing, its singers and even against their object of singing, God Himself. Therefore it is our responsibility that due to our conduct, the image of divine singing and our God (Ishta devata) is not tarnished. As a matter of fact, divine singing and God can never be tarnished, but why should any suspicion creep up in their mind on account of our conduct?
If conduct is not pure, one should practice devotional singing in solitude. One should beg and cry before God for purification of one's conduct. But be aware, never try to hide ill conduct, nor give any support to ill conduct under any circumstances.
Duties related to your social order and stage of life should never be ignored on the pretext of "sankirtan" devotional singing. Kirtan should be done while following one's own duties. Knowledge, dispassion, righteous conduct, Varnasrama (social order, stage of life), Samdhya-Prayer and Gayatri-mantra should never be criticized, while praising the loud chanting of the Lord's holy name, rather they should be followed properly according to the ordinance of the scriptures.
In the name of the "sankirtan" spiritual chanting, one should not indulge in partiality or develop feeling of a high and a low standard in different names of God and encourage groupism. Divine names of God should be chanted with simple, pure, genuine, selfless and exclusive feeling of love and others should also be inspired to do so. But as far as possible, refrain from becoming a preacher, a leader or a teacher. Protect yourself from being honored, admired or worshipped. On should always resist temptations for money and women.
At the time of "sankirtan" devotional singing, names of God should be chanted with full force of voice. One should not remain silent out of pride of knowledge, learning, status or riches. If it is a standing kirtana (loud chanting of the Lord's holy name), one should not hesitate to stand up. None of our conduct should result in disrespect for the devotional singing of God's names. However, dancing should come only when one is overwhelmed with love, fillrf with emotions and not just for show. Dancing as an art is altogether different from devotional dancing in God's name.
Always remember that devotional singing with chanting of God's name is a highly respectable and adored way of life. It should be done with deepest of feelings and highest of conduct. Wherever the sound of devotional chanting of God's names done by pure souls reaches, it is capable of leading all those beings to their salvation
Narayana ! Narayana !! Narayana !!!
From book "Is Salvation Not Possible without a Guru?" by Swami Ramsukhdasji
Ram Ram
*********************************************************
If in doubt regarding the translation, please read the original Hindi message by Swamiji.
FOR MESSAGE IN HINDI PLEASE VISIT Date : 5th September, 2012 ( Sannyasi Sadhak ko aur Kirtankaaronse Namra Nivedan ) http://www.satcharcha.blogspot.in
****************************************