Verse 2.3.158

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.3.158:

कृष्णस्य नाना-विध-कीर्तनेषु तन्-नाम-सङ्कीर्तनम् एव मुख्यम् ।
तत्-प्रेम-सम्पज्-जनने स्वयं द्राक् शक्तं ततः श्रेष्ठतमं मतं तत् ॥ १५८ ॥

kṛṣṇasya nānā-vidha-kīrtaneṣu tan-nāma-saṅkīrtanam eva mukhyam |
tat-prema-sampaj-janane svayaṃ drāk śaktaṃ tataḥ śreṣṭhatamaṃ mataṃ tat || 158 ||

kṛṣṇasya–of Śrī Kṛṣṇa; nānā–many; vidha–types; kīrtaneṣu–in glorification; tan-nāma–of His names; saṅkīrtanam–the joint loud chanting; eva–certainly; mukhyam–best; tat–for Him; prema-sampat–the treasure of love; janane–in producing; svayam–personally; drāk–speedily; śaktam–able; tataḥ–then; śreṣṭha-tamam–best; matam–considered; tat–that.

Among different types of chanting or glorification, the saṅkīrtana of the names of Śrī Kṛṣṇa is prominent because His nāma-saṅkīrtana is capable of generating the treasure of prema very quickly. Therefore, scholars have deemed nāma-saṅkīrtana the most excellent process of bhakti.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)

The Vaikuṇṭha associates speak this verse beginning with kṛṣṇasya to explain that saṅkīrtana of the names of Śrī Bhagavān is the foremost process. They say, “Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s nāmasaṅkīrtana alone is prominent among other types of kīrtanas, such as recitation of the Vedas and Purāṇas, pastimes, songs, and panegyrics. The reason for this is that through saṅkīrtana of the names of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the opulence of prema for Śrī Kṛṣṇa manifests very quickly in the heart, by itself. It does not depend on any other means or glorification. Therefore, śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāma-saṅkīrtana alone is the most excellent among all the limbs of bhakti. Saintly personalities have indeed ascertained this fact.”