DON'T STOP THE KIRTAN

Dear devotees and dear friends!

The Mayapur Kirtan Mela 2013 was a memorable spiritual event in the lives of many. This year’s attendance at the kirtans was much better than the year before, and more chanters than expected took part in the worldwide "internet kirtan" - in front of their computers at home. Several devotees remarked that when they were having that beautiful kirtan in the Adbhuta Mandir (newly constructed temple) they felt like they were walking into a prophecy which foretold that from Mayapur, being the capital of kirtan, Krishna consciousness would spread all over the globe by the power of the Holy Name.

In the scriptures we find some instructions for constant chanting. For example, Shukadeva Goswami encouraged Maharaja Pariksit to continuously chant:

Constant chanting of the holy name of the Lord after the ways of the great authorities
is the doubtless and fearless way of success for all...
(Shrimad Bhagavatam 2.1.11)

In this important verse, Shukadeva Goswami emphasizes anukirtana, constant chanting - that means – do not stop chanting!

When Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu moved to Puri, his parting words to the devotees in Navadvipa where similar:

Whether you are sleeping, eating or walking,
day and night think of Krishna and chant His names 

(Chaitanya-Bhagavata Madhya 28.28).

And Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur Prabhupada clarifies:

"For one who has heard the kirtan inaugurated by Gaura,
there is no instruction to give up chanting the names of Krishna 24 hours every day
- even while eating, sleeping or walking."

How can we apply this instruction?

While it may not be possible for everyone to chant non-stop, it is certainly possible to follow another instruction of Mahaprabhu which was to engage in frequent kirtans at home. The Lord instructed:

Five to ten people can sit together in a house and
perform kirtan while clapping their hands.

(Chaitanya Bhagavata Madhya 23.79).

The devotees who received this sacred order from the Lord became very happy. They gathered in the evenings at their homes and performed kirtan together by taking up mridunga drums, karatalas and conchshells. Thus they engaged their bodies and minds daily in chanting the Names of Krishna and meditating upon the Lord. Ecstasy soon spread everywhere.

One does not need to be an accomplished singer or instrumentalist to perform kirtan. Just one’s voice and one's two hands for rhythm are sufficient. Our humble suggestion is that until the next Kirtan Mela or a bigger kirtan event takes place, you can be connected with the Yuga Dharma by inviting friends and have your own Kirtan Mela in your own home.

Now, here is an e-mail which melted our hearts when we received it:

Our little son Rasanath’s (8 yars old) life changed when he got the chance 
to sing the maha mantra at the insistence of HH Indradyumna Swami.
He was overjoyed when he could see how he could help himself and others
connect with the Lord through the Holy Name.

He was even more thrilled when the Kirtan Mela at Mayapur followed in the next few days. He was ready to miss school and would just sit before the internet broadcast and
listen to the kirtans which you so kindly organized.
He has not stopped singing kirtan since then. 

I wish that all of us could discover the blissful life which the Holy Name has in store for us by
keeping its chanting with us - always.

The Next Kirtan Mela in Mayapur

The dates for the next kirtan Mela in Mayapur have already been fixed. Adhivas on February 27th 2014, Kirtan Mela, February 28th -4th 2014. Kindly take note of them in your calender and make sure that you can participate directly - either live or on-line through Mayapur TV.

In addition, it is now possible to obtain the recordings of all the kirtans which were compiled and brought to a high audio standard by our sound-wizard Ekendra Prabhu. You can order them on our DOWNLOAD page.

Let us end by thanking you all profusely for giving us the undeserved opportunity to serve you all.

Wishing you all the best and asking you all to please keep on chanting!

Sacinandana Swami and the Kirtan Mela Team Mayapur

Message from HH Sacinandana Swami

Only a Little Time is Left

Dear devotees and Friends,

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Only a little time is left till the Mayapur Kirtan Mela 2013, and therefore, we wish to make a few important last minute announcements to the world wide community of devotees about this event which could become a historic event.

A World-wide Event

The Kirtan Mela's prime purpose is to give devotees an opportunity to absorb their minds and hearts in the continuous chanting of the Holy Names in a momentous vaishnava assembly. Before the beautiful altar of Pancha-tattva we will chant for the pleasure of Sri Chaitanya and His associates and experience a stream of blessings empowering our spiritual life with fresh energy.

But there is also another wonderful dimension: When so many devotees chant then their sankirtana spreads a "tsunami" wave of blessings all around this planet. By the help of the Mayapur TV this event will be streamed all around the world thus enabling devotees from everywhere and anywhere to join us before their screens.

The Chaitanya Bhagavata describes such a historic maha kirtan in Navadvipa when Mahaprabhu visited from Puri. There were thousands of kirtan groups and millions of people chanted the names of Hari and floated in an ocean of happiness! The sound vibration was so strong that it reached the inhabitants of this planet and extended to planets like Brahma and Shivaloka as well, freed them from all distress and intoxicated even the best of yogis and sages!

Vrindava das Thakura relates: "When the Lord and His devotees thus saw everyone engaged in congregational chanting, they floated in an ocean of ecstasy and the tears of ecstatic love from the eyes of Sri Gauranga resembled the Ganges flowing in the four direction." (CB Antya 3.424-425).

For this year, Mayapur TV has totally upgraded their equipment and increased the numbers in their film-team. In this way, the quality of the transmission will be so good that all viewers will have the feeling that they are "there." So if internet still exists at that time - please inform your friends and even different contacts to join us in big numbers. Last year there was a good size group of people chanting everywhere, even in a tent in the desert of Arabia!

Kirtan Mela and the Temple of Understanding

In 2016, let's have 10,000 devotee kirtan in the temple hall

Those who have followed the ISKCON News have marvelled at the super fast growth of the Temple of Understanding. Mainly by the power of the respected Ambarish Prabhu's donation, the prayers of the devotees and the blessings of Lord Nityananda, work on the temple goes on day and night. The goal is to have the inauguration ceremony at the 50th anniversary of our movement in 2016. But now the laxmi supply has come to a halt! Ambarish Prabhu finances are completely exhausted. Fortunately there is another important program in place, called the "square foot program". Radha-jivan prabhu who is heading up this program told me: "The Temple will be finished not by a few rich men but by the poor. Every devotee, friend and sympathizer can build with a donation of 150 dollars a square foot in the Adbhuta mandir (wonderful temple)."

This means that we will have to inspire many many devotees and people all over the world to enthusiastically take up this opportunity.

The Kirtan Mela is dedicated to help in this important project by helping to reach out to many people on this planet with the yuga dharma of chanting the Holy Name. There will be announcements of the program for building the temple of Understanding during this kirtan mela and information booths, so that the devotees can inform themselves.

This temple is so grand that it has to be built by the power of the Holy name which can inspire enough persons to engage in empowered devotional service. By building, as Bhaktivinoda Thakur prophesized "the Universal Church of the Holy Name" (sajjana toshani), this temple will be certainly erected through the enthusiasm of the devotees. Would it not be nice by the time of the inauguration ceremony there will be 10.000 devotees and kirtan lovers (that's how many fit in the darshan hall) chanting the Holy Name?

What Kind of Kirtan?

In the Bhagavatam, Sri Shukadeva Goswami instructs Maharaja Parikshit right at the beginning about the main subject of the Bhagavatam:

"Oh king, constant chanting of the Holy Name of the Lord after the ways of the great authorities (harer nämänukértanam) is the doubtless and fearless way of success for all..." (SB 2.1.11)

Srila Vishvanatha Cakravarti Thakur clarifies in his purport: In chanting, however, there is chanting of the Lord's name (nama kirtan), his qualities (guna kirtan) and his pastimes (lila kirtan). Amongst these, anukirtan, that means chanting the name according to (anu) one's bhakti is best."

Later towards the end of the Bhagavatam, Shukadeva specifies which Holy Name should be sung in order to avert the evils of Kali and bestow love of God:

kértanäd eva kåñëasya

mukta-saìgaù paraà vrajet

Simply by chanting the Holy Name of Krishna one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom. (SB 12.3.51)

Thus, like in the past years, we will again focus on chanting the Hare Krishna Maha mantra.

However, there will be something new.

Several senior devotees have requested that we sometimes relish the songs and prayers of the previous acharyas before some of the kirtans start, so that it will be easier to chant with devotional feelings of connectedness. These songs also count as kirtan and in this way the nama yajna is not interrupted but enhanced.

Please Participate

In conclusion we cordially invite all of you to participate in whatever way is possible in this wonderful Kirtan Mela which promises to become a historic event and a very important station on our way to complete the Temple of Understanding.

Wishing you all the best and lots of spiritual strength and keep on chanting

You servant from the Mayapur Kirtan Mela Team

Kirtan Mela Logo

Thanks to Rasikananda prabhu who tolerated working with us 

in creating what we feel is the perfect logo for Kirtan Mela Mayapur.

GRATITUDE

Kirtan Mela Team would like to express their sincere gratitude to all kirtaniyas, leading and participants , for making Kirtan Mela Mayapur 2012 a most successful event.
Devotees are referring to it as historical and life altering. All of you who participated both online and in person made this mela.
Thank you.
Please see FEED-BACKS page for some of the comments we received through internet.

ABOUT CHANTING

Definition of Sri Krishna Sankirtan 

 The three words sri-krishna-sankirtanam should be understood as follows. Shri refers to Lakshmi, the Goddess of Fortune. In this context, however, it indicates the supreme Goddess of Fortune, the one who is the source of all other such goddesses, namely Srimati Radharani, or Gandharvika. As such, when we say sri-krishna, we are talking about the Divine Couple, Gandharvika united with Her beloved Giridhari, the son of King Nanda. The word sankirtana is defined by Jiva Goswami as bahubhir militva kirtanam tad eva sankirtanam – “Sankirtan means the glorification of the Lord by many people together” (Bhakti-sandarbha 269). Another definition understands sam to mean samyak or “complete.” Thus sankirtan would mean the complete glorification of Shri Krishna, His name, form, attributes, associates, and pastimes. - Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur Prabhupada

 Is chanting Krishna’s Names the Only Spiritual Practice?

 Most certainly. The living entity has no other duty than worshiping the Lord. No one seems able to understand this. It does not matter whether you are young or old, illiterate or scholarly, man or woman, rich or poor, foolish or brilliant, saint or sinner; there is no other means for attaining perfection, no spiritual practice other than chanting Krishna’s holy name. - Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur Prabhupada

______________________________

We are certainly in difficult position, but the only remedy is that we must chant the holy name of the Lord repeatedly. And that will solve all the problems. SB 1.8.18 (lecture by HDG ACBSP)

Anyone who is engaged in chanting My transcendental name must be considered to be always associating with Me. And I may tell you frankly that for such a devotee, I become easily purchased. (NOD)

Simply by chanting the holy name of Lord Krsna, one can be freed from all undesirable habits. This is the means of awakening all good fortune and initiating the flow of waves of love for Krsna. (CC Antya-lila 20.11)


If the surface of the globe is over-flooded with the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra, the people of the world will be very, very happy.(SB 4.24.11)

How to prepare for Akhanda Kirtan

Prepare your heart... Prepare your soul

On the night before Kirtan Mela we will have an adivas. Adivas is a traditional ceremony that precedes any auspicious event. It is a Gaudhiya tradition to perform an adivas before an akhanda kirtan. At that time the instruments that will be used for the glorification of the Lord and His names are honored and worshiped with flowers and chandan, chanting pranam mantras appealing to the sampradaya for their blessings, etc.

While this Adivas ceremony will be performed on our behalf by HG Naru Gopal prabhu – a celebrated kirtaniya and gurukula graduate –  preparing our heart is up to us.

The following is based on notes from a lecture given by HH Sacinandana swami., at the onset of a 12 hour akhanda kirtan in Varshana, shortly after kartika. He is inducing the devotees to reach into their heart to fully become committed to a higher level of chanting.  I believe it fully applies to the preparation we should undergo to receive full benefit from the Kirtan mela.

Akhanda kirtan is a wonderful practice wherein one can really experience the holy name. You have to perform the kirtan in such a way that Krishna will appear.

According to Jiva Goswami, kirtan amongst all other processes of sadhana reigns supreme because it attracts the attention of the Lord in a special way. In hearing our sincere chanting, Krishna thinks: "This devotee belongs to me, he is calling for me, I should protect those who belong to me." The effectiveness of the spiritual process becomes Krishna's concern. Our spiritual life becomes His concern.

Another reason why he says that it is a super most practice is because it conquers the mind like no other.

He quotes a verse spoken by a brahmana who had advised his disciple in spiritual discipline: rise early, read... a 12 hour program. The disciple said that he could not concentrate doing this process, that his mind was too restless. So then the brahmana advised: “if you cannot concentrate, then chant shamelessly day and night, without reservation. In this way you will get loving attraction for Krishna.” It is the most effective way, according to Jiva Goswami’s Bhakti Sandarbha. Sitting together with many, sam-kirtan, is even more beneficial because extra ordinary devotional feelings are thus created.

How long can we go on in our spiritual life out of duty without feeling, out of institutional companionship? How long can we go on without feelings for Krishna This is a feeling religion, Krishna Bhavananmrta, you feel the bhava, the nectarean Krishna Concious feelings. It manifests when you perform samkirtan as long as onr can follow the method prescribed by Caitanya mahaprabhu.

trinad api sunicena

taror api sahishnuna

amanina manadena

kirtaniyah sada harihi

One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and should be ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.

We require a deep sense of humility.

The following are four humility triggers.

1.     Feeling misery, such as disease is good to crack the ego. When one feels miserable and needs help, he realizes he cannot do it on his own. One can more easily realize the greatness of his insignificance as he is being trashed around in the material world.

2.     The awareness of having committed an offense: “I blew it.”

3.     A shock, sudden change such as fame becoming infamy.

4.     Shame in  regards to wrong doings

Humility brings about responses such as wanting to appeal to Krishna: “Krishna, save me”.

Sanatan goswami gives two examples.

One is the Cataki bird who doesn't drink from ponds or lakes but waits for the moonsoon cloud, imagine his eagerness when the cloud finally arrives. He is truly wretched, he screams at the cloud:  “jal de, give me water”, this is how we should do kirtan, calling out: “Please Krishna, I am tired of this Krishna-less life, please, I want to give you love but I cannot give you love because I am so diverted. Please invest in my small capital of bhakti, increase my capital of bhakti so that I can purchase you with the coins of eagerness.”

The second example is the cakravarti bird couple who somehow cannot find each other. They feel like they cannot go on without it.  

In this mood of good kirtan one feels like he yet has to meet his beloved. Love is all consuming, causing the heart to burn, lovers must meet.

These 2 moods give me the medicine of love and the eagerness of the parched Cataki bird.

In such a way, we must prepare our heart to resonate the holy name in association, samkirtan.

Param Vijayate Sri Krishna Samkirtanam

....

Exiting news for kirtan enthusiasts

Since this years Mayapur Kirtan Mela is part of the Mayapur festival, Mayapur festival sponsors will assume the cost of prasadam, so free prasadam, all you have to do is register once you get to Mayapur.

Would you like to also stay for free? Bring your tent, we have set aside an area for campers with access to safety lockers for essentials, bathing facilities  and 24 hour security. Three minutes walk from the temple.

If you fell you need a little more structure in your accommodation there are dormitory facilities available also with access to lockers for safe keeping of passport etc. at a nominal cost. See reservation page for details.

We also have secured the use of Gaudhiya Math Guest houses for the mela itself but they will not be available after February 26th. All are encouraged to stay for parikrama and keep their luggage in a safe storage facility provided on site.

See reservation page for details.

If you would like to donate to help cover unavoidable costs, please visit our DONATE page.
We need to raise $4000. before the event, any help is highly appreciated.