Verse 2.3.163

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.3.163:

मुख्यो वाग्-इन्द्रिये तस्योदयः स्व-पर-हर्षदः ।
तत् प्रभोर् ध्यानतोऽपि स्यान् नाम-सङ्कीर्तनं वरम् ॥ १६३ ॥

mukhyo vāg-indriye tasyodayaḥ sva-para-harṣadaḥ |
tat prabhor dhyānato'pi syān nāma-saṅkīrtanaṃ varam || 163 ||

mukhyaḥ–the primary; vāk–of the tongue; indriye–upon the sense; tasya–of it; udayaḥ–place of arising; sva–to oneself; para–and others; harṣa-daḥ–gives happiness; tat–that (name); prabhoḥ–of the Lord; dhyānataḥ–than contemplation; api–even; syāt–may be; nāma-saṅkīrtanam–congregational chanting of the holy names of the Lord; varam–best.

The name primarily appears in the sense of speech (the tongue). When it is glorified aloud, both the chanter and others experience happiness. However, in dhyāna, only the meditator benefits and receives pleasure. Therefore, nāma-saṅkīrtana is certainly superior to meditation.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

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

It is essential that glorification of the name of the Lord, or nāma-saṅkīrtana, be performed with faith (śraddhā). To explain this, the Vaikuṇṭha associates speak this verse beginning with mukhyo. They say, “The sense of speech (the tongue) is the place from which śrī-nāma-saṅkīrtana arises, because the holy name, śrīnāma, consists of syllables. When this name is sung in a loud voice, it delights both the singer and others, benefiting and giving happiness to all. But in dhyāna, only the meditator benefits and receives happiness. Therefore, by this reasoning, loud glorification (kīrtana) is superior to meditation on the Lord.”