Sravan-kirtan is Our Life

This harikatha was spoken by Srila Gurudev during Vraja-mandal Parikrama in the month of Kartik. One day, the devotees returned very late from Parikrama and there were only four persons in the sankirtan-hall to listen to the harikatha. Srila Gurudev that time strongly advised on the importance of sravan-kirtan in the life of a devotee. He narrated Sri Vyasdev Muni’s pastime of getting peace only after writing Srimad Bhagavatam. In this regard, he also narrated the instance of Tansen and Akabar witnessing the transcendental feeling of Sri Haridas Gosvami while performing kirtan at Vrindavan, at the appearance place of Sri Bankebihari.

Imbibing Higher Thoughts

Transcendental thoughts of Krishna heard from a śuddha-bhakta will enter into the heart and will remove all the rubbish ideas. If you speak about worldly things, worldly things will enter into your heart. You have to make short, you should not speak unnecessarily, worldly things, 'grāmya-kathā nā śunibe, grāmya-vārtā nā kahibe.' All these rustic words you should avoid.

Glories of Supreme Lord to be Heard Regularly with Firm Faith

Without serving Sri Krishna I cannot serve anybody. I cannot do benefit to anybody. I cannot pay my debts to anybody. To any living being or any demigod. As you pour water to the root of the tree, the whole tree is nourished. You give food in the stomach the whole body is nourished. Like that, if you serve Achyuta, Sri Hari who is all unifying principle, you serve all.

You Must Repeat the Same Thing Again and Again

We are uttering the sixty-four qualities, and we are still experiencing these miseries. This means that these transcendental qualities are not descending into us. We have not touched them, even though we may think that we have.

The Words of the Scriptures are the Final Proof

The Vedic statements are perfect and self-evident. There is no need for interpreting an indirect meaning. The meaning is understood by hearing the words with their direct meaning.

How is Hearing or Speaking about Mundane Topics Harmful to one’s Bhakti?

Hearing worldly mundane talk causes oneself more harm than eating delicious food, and by speaking about mundane topics, one causes more harm to others than by wearing stylish clothes. Ordinary, or mundane, talks are just like a prostitute in that they cause immense obstacles to one’s hari-bhajana by polluting and distracting one’s mind.