Text 13

Sometimes the prideless pure devotee preaches nāma-prema throughout the world by means of kīrtana. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.6.26):

नामान्य् अनन्तस्य हत-त्रपः पठन् गुह्यानि भद्राणि कृतानि च स्मरन्
गां पर्यटंस् तुष्ट-मना गत-स्पृहः कालं प्रतीक्षन् विमदो विमत्सरः

nāmāny anantasya hata-trapaḥ paṭhan guhyāni bhadrāṇi kṛtāni ca smaran
gāṃ paryaṭaṃs tuṣṭa-manā gata-spṛhaḥ kālaṃ pratīkṣan vimado vimatsaraḥ

[While telling his life story, Śrī Nārada said:] Not feeling shy or embarrassed, I began to chant and remember the mysterious and auspicious sweet names and pastimes of Śrī Bhagavān. My heart was already free from longing, pride and envy. Now I roamed the Earth joyfully, waiting for the right time.

लज्जा छाडि’ कृष्ण-नाम सदा पाठ करे
कृष्णेर मधुर-लीला सदा चित्ते स्मरे

lajjā chāḍi’ kṛṣṇa-nāma sadā pāṭha kare
kṛṣṇera madhura-līlā sadā citte smare

तुष्टमन, स्पृहा-मद-शून्य-विमत्सर
जीवन यापन करे कृष्णेच्छा तत्पर

tuṣṭamana, spṛhā-mada-śūnya-vimatsara
jīvana yāpana kare kṛṣṇecchā tatpara

Commentary: Bhajana-rahasya-vṛtti:

Śrī Nārada engaged himself in the activities of chanting the holy names and remembering Śrī Bhagavān’s confidential pastimes while he waited for his vastu-siddhi. Pure devotees wholly absorb themselves in chanting the holy name without a trace of hypocrisy, and they never allow criticism to enter their ears. They reveal confidential pastimes of Śrī Rādhā-Govinda, which are filled with extremely deep loving, playful pastimes (prema-vilāsa), to affectionate devotees who are of a similar disposition (svajātīyasnigdha bhaktas).

In his poem Vaiṣṇava ke?, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda states:

kīrtana prabhāve, smaraṇa haibe,
se-kāle nirjana bhajana sambhava

Smaraṇa, remembrance, will come as a result of performing kīrtana, and only at that time will solitary bhajana be possible.

Nāma and nāmī are non-different. Upon attaining the stage of bhāva, a devotee’s material sentiments are destroyed and he becomes humble, respecting everyone. He does not expect honour for himself, and giving up any sense of shyness and inhibition, he performs harināma-saṅkīrtana. Śrī Nārada is describing this condition in this Text. Giving up all pride and shyness, he propagated the chanting of the holy name everywhere. The topmost devotees preach everywhere for the welfare of human society. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda says: “prāṇa āche yāra se hetu pracāra–he who has life can preach.”

Smaraṇa is a limb of bhakti that is subservient to śravaṇa and kīrtana. According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, narrations of the deep and confidential activities of the Supreme Lord–that is, His pastimes of vilāsa with His beloveds–should not be revealed in the presence of ordinary persons. One should perform smaraṇa and kīrtana according to one’s qualification.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya-līlā 22.157, 159) states:

‘मने’ निज-सिद्ध-देह करिया भावन
रात्रि-दिने करे व्रजे कृष्णेर सेवन

‘mane’ nija-siddha-deha kariyā bhāvana
rātri-dine kare vraje kṛṣṇera sevana

The perfected devotee serves Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana day and night within his mind, in his original, pure, self-realised position (nija-siddha-deha ).

निजाभीष्ट कृष्ण-प्रेष्ठ पाछे त’ लागिया
निरन्तर सेवा करे अन्तर्मना हञा

nijābhīṣṭa kṛṣṇa-preṣṭha pāche ta’ lāgiyā
nirantara sevā kare antarmanā hañā

Actually, the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana are very dear to Kṛṣṇa. If a person wants to engage in spontaneous loving service, he must follow the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana and constantly engage in devotional service within his mind. *