Verse 2.23.402-404

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 2.23.402-404:

সঙ্কীর্তন-আরম্ভে মোহার অবতার কীর্তন-বিরোধী পাপী করিমু সংহার সর্ব পাতকী ও যদি করযে কীর্তন অবশ্য তাহারে মুঞি করিমু স্মরণ তপস্বী, সন্ন্যাসী, জ্ঞানী, যোগী যে-যে-জন সংহারিমু যদি সব না করে কীর্তন ॥ ৪০২-৪০৪ ॥

सङ्कीर्तन-आरम्भे मोहार अवतार कीर्तन-विरोधी पापी करिमु संहार सर्व पातकी ओ यदि करये कीर्तन अवश्य ताहारे मुञि करिमु स्मरण तपस्वी, सन्न्यासी, ज्ञानी, योगी ये-ये-जन संहारिमु यदि सब ना करे कीर्तन ॥ ४०२-४०४ ॥

saṅkīrtana-ārambhe mohāra avatāra kīrtana-virodhī pāpī karimu saṃhāra sarva pātakī o yadi karaye kīrtana avaśya tāhāre muñi karimu smaraṇa tapasvī, sannyāsī, jñānī, yogī ye-ye-jana saṃhārimu yadi saba nā kare kīrtana || 402-404 ||

sankirtana-arambhe mohara avatara kirtana-virodhi papi karimu samhara sarva pataki o yadi karaye kirtana avasya tahare muni karimu smarana tapasvi, sannyasi, jnani, yogi ye-ye-jana samharimu yadi saba na kare kirtana (402-404)

English translation:

(402-404) “I have incarnated to inaugurate the saṅkīrtana movement. I will destroy those sinners who are inimical to kīrtana. If even the most sinful person chants the holy names, I will certainly remember him. But if even ascetics, sannyāsīs, jñānīs, and yogis do not engage in

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

kīrtana, I will destroy them.

Mahāprabhu, the inaugurator of the saṅkīrtana movement, said He would annihilate meditators attached to solitary places and averse to kīrtana. If any sinful living entity engages in kīrtana, then the Supreme Lord will certainly remember him. Although sannyāsīs detached from material enjoyment, engaged in austerities, and opposed to kīrtana; jñānīs desirous of liberation; and yogis desirous of attaining the association of the Lord are accepted by ordinary people as pious saintly persons, if they do not engage in loudly chanting the holy names of the Lord, Mahāprabhu is prepared to destroy even them. In his commentary on the Seventh Canto of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī Prabhu has written: yadyapy anyā bhaktiḥ kalau kartavyā, tadā kīrtanākhya-bhakti- saṃyogenaiva kartavyā—“Although other processes of devotional service should be performed in Kali-yuga, they must all be accompanied by the chanting of the holy names.” By neglecting kīrtana, there cannot be any devotional service.

In the world in which we presently live there is no glorification of topics related to Hari, that is why Viśvambhara, the benefactor of all living entities, has instructed us to engage in all types of service to the Supreme Lord accompanied by hari-kīrtana. While chanting the holy names, any activity other than the service of the transcendental names is simply the result of aversion to the Supreme Lord. There is no possibility of attaining devotional service by such activities. All processes for attaining the goal of life that are aimed at extraneous desires, karma, or jñāna can never be called “unalloyed devotional service.” Any topics of spiritual cultivation that do not oppose the devotional service known as kīrtana should be regarded as accessories to kīrtana.