The Nectar of Congregational Chanting and Glorifying Kṛṣṇa
Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that the highest occupation for all humanity is the constant glorification of the Supreme Lord. By studying his instructions, we can understand how the process of kīrtana purifies the heart, fulfills the ultimate purpose of all Vedic literatures, and perfectly connects us to Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His devotees.
The Purifying Power of Kīrtana
The transcendental vibration of the Lord's name and pastimes acts as a supreme purifying agent. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that whether one sings, speaks, or writes about the Supreme Lord, this act of glorification immediately cleanses the heart of all material contamination and vanquishes the miseries of conditional life.
- It is the special mercy of the Supreme Lord that as soon as He knows that one is glorifying His name, fame and attributes, He personally helps cleanse the dirt from one's heart.
- By hearing about and glorifying the Lord, all a person's activities become molded into spiritual activities, and thus all conceptions of material miseries become completely vanquished.
- A person who desires unalloyed devotional service to Lord Krsna, who is praised by transcendental sound vibrations, should always hear about His glorification & transcendental qualities. This will surely kill all kinds of inauspiciousness in the heart.
- Anyone in the entire world, even down to the candala, who lives by cooking and eating the flesh of the dog, is immediately purified if he takes bath in hearing through the ear the glorification of My name, fame, etc.
The Essence of Vedic Literatures
The vast and complex body of Vedic knowledge is not meant for mundane philosophical speculation. Śrīla Prabhupāda asserts that the sole objective of the Vedas, Upaniṣads, and Vedānta is to establish and broadcast the supreme glories of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
- In all Vedic literature, beginning from the four Vedas, Vedanta-sutra and the Upanisads and Puranas, the glories of the Supreme Lord are celebrated.
- As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, all the Vedic literatures are glorifying the greatness of Lord Sri Krsna. Here it is confirmed in the Bhagavatam also.
- All the Vedas, Upanisads, Vedanta, etc., are seeking Him only, and all hymns are for glorifying Him only. The sages, therefore, performed the exact acts suitable for the purpose, and they happily departed for their respective hermitages.
Glorifying the Lord's Devotees
Because the Supreme Lord is non-different from His pure associates, praising a devotee is a deeply potent spiritual act. Śrīla Prabhupāda reveals that Kṛṣṇa is actually more pleased when we glorify His unalloyed servants than when we attempt to glorify Him directly.
- If we glorify the devotees, the character of the devotees, before the Lord, He's more pleased than to glorify Himself, directly.
- Krsna and His unalloyed devotees cannot be separated, and therefore glorifying the devotee means glorifying the Lord and vice versa.
- A devotee neither claims; neither it is possible. Even he may be very, very big devotee, he will never claim any credit for his glorious activities. His glorious activities means to make Krsna glorious.
The Ultimate Mission of Human Life
The perfection of our existence is to utilize whatever talents or resources we have to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Śrīla Prabhupāda encourages everyone—whether scientists, writers, or simple workers—to dovetail their specific capacities into the grand mission of glorifying the Supreme Lord.
- By your knowledge. If you are scientist, you are chemist, through chemical challenge you try to glorify the Supreme Lord. If you are physicist, from physical point of view, try to explain.
- A literature presented to the people, to the public for reading, which are even grammatically incorrect, but because there is glorification of the Lord, it can produce revolution. It can purify the whole human society.
- Following in the footsteps of Srila Vyasadeva, Sukadeva Gosvami and all the acaryas in disciplic succession, the whole population of the world should glorify Lord Krsna, and for their best interest they should take to this Krsna consciousness movement.
- In our society everything is open. There is no secrecy. We worship Krsna, we think of Krsna, we work for Krsna, we glorify Krsna, we chant for Krsna, we dedicate our life for Krsna. That's all.
Conclusion
Śrīla Prabhupāda definitively establishes that the supreme occupation for all humanity is the constant, unalloyed glorification of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Through the processes of hearing, chanting, and describing the Lord's names and pastimes—collectively known as kīrtana—the conditioned soul is immediately cleansed of all material inauspiciousness. This glorious activity is not a sectarian invention, but the singular, ultimate conclusion of all Vedic literatures, from the Upaniṣads to the Vedānta-sūtra. Furthermore, this glorification is not limited to the Lord alone; because Kṛṣṇa is intimately bound by love to His pure servants, glorifying a pure devotee deeply satisfies the Lord and attracts His immediate mercy. Whether one is a highly educated scientist or an ordinary worker, the true perfection of one's energy, intellect, and resources is to dovetail them in broadcasting the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, thereby bringing about a spiritual revolution for the peace and salvation of the entire world.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Glorifying Krsna. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.