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mahamantra Sankirtan , ...all over the world , ...

ratikala

Istha gosthi
Namaskaram Prabhu ji's

Just recently there has been a lot of questions (and maybe just a little too much missunderstanding) about the Gaudiya tradition , it occured to me whilst answering another post that prehaps it is a little difficult to realy understand Gaudiyas unless one understands the importance of Sankirtan ; congregational chanting of the Holy name in the mood of Glorification and celebration , .....Sri Krsna Chaitanya prophesised that the chanting of the Holy name would reach every town and village through out the world , ....

may I therefore invite all to join in the celebration , ....post your favorite Mahamantra chanting from where ever you are in the world , or one that is particularly dear to you , .....please also say a little about what Sankirtan means to you and the imortance it plays in spiritual life , ....

prehaps an interesting place to start is with 'one small Indian man' who helped so greatly with spreding the Sankirtan movement of Sri Chaitanya maha prabhu throughout the world , ....
 

Terese

Mangalam Pundarikakshah
Staff member
Premium Member
Doesn't Mahamantra refer to the Hare Krishna mantra? Or are you looking for a mantra we find great?
 

निताइ dasa

Nitai's servant's servant
I really like this Nagar Sankirtan (chanting in the town) by Srila Bhaktivaibhava Puri Maharaj (who was Srila Prabhupada's Godbrother). Lord Chaitanya and Lord Nityananda would do nagar sankirtan every day in Nadia, and everyone regardless of caste, religion, color or gender would join in and dance in the Lord's sankirtan.



Also this bhajan below is one of my favourites sung by Srila Bhakti Kumud Santa Maharaj (who is the sannayasa Gurudeva of my Gurudeva). He was the last living disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura. He left this world in 2012


The bhajan he is singing is very beautiful and I will post the lyrics below:

gopīnāth, mama nivedana śuno
viṣayī durjana, sadā kāma-rata,
kichu nāhi mora guṇa


O Gopinatha, Lord of the gopis, please hear my request. I am a wicked materialist, always addicted to worldly desires, and no good qualities do I possess.

gopīnāth, āmāra bharasā tumi
tomāra caraṇe, loinu śaraṇa,
tomāra kińkora āmi


O Gopinatha, You are my only hope, and therefore I have taken shelter at Your lotus feet. I am Your servant.

gopināth, kemone śodhibe more
nā jāni bhakati, karme jaḍa-mati,
porechi soḿsāra-ghore


O Gopinatha, how will You purify me? I do not know what devotion is, and my materialistic mind is absorbed in fruitive work. I have fallen into this dark and perilous worldly existence.

gopīnāth, sakali tomāra māyā
nāhi mama bala, jñāna sunirmala,
swādīna nahe e kāyā


O Gopinatha, everything here is Your illusory energy. I have no strength or knowledge, and this body of mine is not independent and free from the control of material nature.

gopīnāth, niyata caraṇe sthāna
māge e pāmara, kāndiyā kāndiyā,
korohe karuṇā dāna


O Gopinatha, this sinner, who is weeping and weeping, begs for an eternal place at Your divine feet. Please give him Your mercy.

gopīnāth, tumi to' sakali pāro
durjane tārite, tomāra śakati,
ke āche pāpīra āro


O Gopinatha, You are able to do anything, and therefore You have the power to deliver all sinners. Who is there that is more of a sinner than myself?

gopīnāth, tumi kṛpā-pārābāra
jīvera kāraṇe, āsiyā prapañce,
līlā koile subistāra


O Gopinatha, You are the ocean of mercy. Having come into this phenomenal world, You expand Your divine pastimes for the sake of the fallen souls.

gopīnāth, āmi ki doṣe doṣī
asura sakala, pāilo caraṇa,
vinodá thākilo bosi'


O Gopinatha, I am so sinful that although all the demons attained Your lotus feet, Bhaktivinoda has remained in worldly existence.
 

ratikala

Istha gosthi
Namaskaram Terese ji

Sankirtan or sankirtana has a twofold meaning , firstly means “to praise” or “to glorify”... and secondly “to call” or “to tell” .... the act of kirtana is to praise or glorify God whilest calling others to participate in glorification .
kirtana always takes place in a congregation of devotees , Sankirtan or Hari nam in the Gaudiya tradition is often taken out if the temples onto the streets as was done by Sri Chaitanya mahaprabhu in the wery begining of this sankirtan movement , ...thus by going out of the temples one is calling others to join in the Glorification of Sri Hari , therefore it is primarily Mahamantra , ....Hare Krsna Hare Krsna , Krsna Krsna Hari Hari , Hari Rama Hari Rama , Rama Rama Hari Hari , .....with dancing and cries of Bolo Bolo , ...Chant chant or sing sing , ....this is simply welcoming others to join , ...

Why ? ...because it is concidered benificial for the soul to hear the chanting of the Holy name as it awakens God consciousness in all who hear , ....if you live in any large city you will have heard them ??? ...where are you ? have you herd or joind in with a Sankirtan party ?

Sankirtan in the streets of Vrindarban , ....so nice to see people stop and join in , .....



This I have to include , ...daytime temple Kirtan devotees just sitting singing for their own enjoyment and the Glorification of Sri Hari , ..here all who pas through gain the benifit of hearing Nama , .....

 

Terese

Mangalam Pundarikakshah
Staff member
Premium Member
Namaskaram Terese ji

Sankirtan or sankirtana has a twofold meaning , firstly means “to praise” or “to glorify”... and secondly “to call” or “to tell” .... the act of kirtana is to praise or glorify God whilest calling others to participate in glorification .
kirtana always takes place in a congregation of devotees , Sankirtan or Hari nam in the Gaudiya tradition is often taken out if the temples onto the streets as was done by Sri Chaitanya mahaprabhu in the wery begining of this sankirtan movement , ...thus by going out of the temples one is calling others to join in the Glorification of Sri Hari , therefore it is primarily Mahamantra , ....Hare Krsna Hare Krsna , Krsna Krsna Hari Hari , Hari Rama Hari Rama , Rama Rama Hari Hari , .....with dancing and cries of Bolo Bolo , ...Chant chant or sing sing , ....this is simply welcoming others to join , ...

Why ? ...because it is concidered benificial for the soul to hear the chanting of the Holy name as it awakens God consciousness in all who hear , ....if you live in any large city you will have heard them ??? ...where are you ? have you herd or joind in with a Sankirtan party ?

Sankirtan in the streets of Vrindarban , ....so nice to see people stop and join in , .....



This I have to include , ...daytime temple Kirtan devotees just sitting singing for their own enjoyment and the Glorification of Sri Hari , ..here all who pas through gain the benifit of hearing Nama , .....

Thanks for clarifying Ratikala! I haven't heard them, i've never seen a sankirtan. In fact i didn't know what ISKCON was until i became interested in Hinduism. I would join a party if i saw one! How could i refuse?
 

ratikala

Istha gosthi
Jai Jai , ... Nitai Dasa ji

thank you for the Nagar Sankirtan , ..it reminded me to look up a freinds Guru maharaj ji , ...I hope you will like this one He has devotees in many places here on a visit to Moscow , ....and below Amritsar , .....


 

ratikala

Istha gosthi
Namaskaram Terese ji

I would join a party if i saw one! How could i refuse?

sankirtan in Melborne , ....

but it is not just Iskcon , but all Gaudiyas that perform sankirtan , it is just that Iskcon have a larger representation world wide , .....any how heres hoping you get a pleasant surprise and meet up with some singing devotees soon , .....
 

Terese

Mangalam Pundarikakshah
Staff member
Premium Member
Namaskaram Terese ji



sankirtan in Melborne , ....

but it is not just Iskcon , but all Gaudiyas that perform sankirtan , it is just that Iskcon have a larger representation world wide , .....any how heres hoping you get a pleasant surprise and meet up with some singing devotees soon , .....
Do only Gaudiyas perform sankirtan?
 

निताइ dasa

Nitai's servant's servant
Do only Gaudiyas perform sankirtan?

Nitaibol! No Terese Mataji, all the 4 Vaishnav Sampradayas (and even some Adwaita and Saiva/Shakta sampradayas) also perform Sankirtan. Sankirtan is an excellent way to cry for the Lord's Mercy I mean who doesn't like music? In Bhagavatam it is described as "Yuga Dharma" or the most suitable religious practice for Kaliyuga.

thank you for the Nagar Sankirtan , ..it reminded me to look up a freinds Guru maharaj ji , ...I hope you will like this one He has devotees in many places here on a visit to Moscow , ....and below Amritsar , .....

Hari Hari. Dandavat Pranam. Thank you so so much. My dandavat Pranams :). When I see Vaishnavs doing Nagar Sankirtan, it feels like an ocean is flooding the streets in a surge flooding one and all in joy! And Bhaktivallabha Tirtha Maharaj is just awesome! His kirtans and dnacing are epic! I wish one day I can perform Sankirtan also with the devotees. I want to share one Kirtan also that makes me want to dance (esp in the end when it speeds up):

 

kalyan

Aspiring Sri VaishNava
Nitaibol! No Terese Mataji, all the 4 Vaishnav Sampradayas (and even some Adwaita and Saiva/Shakta sampradayas) also perform Sankirtan. Sankirtan is an excellent way to cry for the Lord's Mercy I mean who doesn't like music? In Bhagavatam it is described as "Yuga Dharma" or the most suitable religious practice for Kaliyuga.



Hari Hari. Dandavat Pranam. Thank you so so much. My dandavat Pranams :). When I see Vaishnavs doing Nagar Sankirtan, it feels like an ocean is flooding the streets in a surge flooding one and all in joy! And Bhaktivallabha Tirtha Maharaj is just awesome! His kirtans and dnacing are epic! I wish one day I can perform Sankirtan also with the devotees. I want to share one Kirtan also that makes me want to dance (esp in the end when it speeds up):

 

kalyan

Aspiring Sri VaishNava
What do the lyrics mean?
Basically he is saying 4 things
1. Who says god does not come but no one calling him like meera bhai did.
2. Who says god does not eat food but no one are feeding him like Sabari(did to Sri Rama)
3. Who says god does not sleep but no one is trying to make him sleep like yashoda (mother of Krishna) did.
4. Who says god does not dance but no one is making him dance like the gopis did...
 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
Kalyan, I was a great lover of music all my life (had as nice voice in my younger days), enjoyed many kind classical and folk music, but now, unfortunately, have a hearing problem. My listening days are over. However, you enjoy this 'Madhurashtakam' by Sri Vallabhacharya. Lyrics here: http://www.greenmesg.org/mantras_slokas/sri_krishna-madhurashtakam-adharam_madhuram.php


while I try to enjoy this Shiva-Thandava-Stotram supposed to have been written by the demon king, Ravana. Lyrics here: http://www.greenmesg.org/mantras_slokas/sri_shiva-shiva_tandava_stotram.php


Nice site, check for other information also.
 
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ratikala

Istha gosthi
Namaskaram Prabhu ji's

jai jai , ..we are also very fond of chanting Sri Jaganatha Astakam



Translation
Who sometimes fervently plays His flute on the banks of the Yamunä river in Sré Våndävana,
who is like a bumblebee that blissfully tastes the lotus faces of the
vraja-gopés, and whose feet are worshipped by great personalities such as Laksmi,
Siva, Brahmä, Indra, and Ganesa --

may that Sré Jagannätha Deva be the object of my vision.
Who holds a flute in His left hand, who wears a peacock feather on His head and a fine
yellow silken cloth around His hips, who from the corners of His eyes bestows loving
sidelong glances upon His companions, and who is forever known as the one who performs
wondrous pastimes in the divine abode of Sré Våndävana -- may that Sré Jagannätha Deva be
the object of my vision.

Who on the shore of the great ocean resides in a palace situated on the gold-like crest of
Nélächala Hill accompanied by His powerful brother Baladevajé and between Them, His
sister Subhadrä, and who bestows the opportunity to serve Him upon all the demigods --
may that Sré Jagannätha Deva be the object of my vision.

Who is an ocean of mercy, whose bodily complexion is as beautiful as a row of blackish
rainclouds, who sports with Laksmi Devi and Sarasvati, whose face is like a spotless fully-
blossomed lotus, who is worshipped by the foremost demigods, and whose transcendental
glories have been sung in the topmost scriptures -- may that Sré Jagannätha Deva be the object of my vision


When Jagannätha’s Ratha-yäträ cart is moving along the road, at every step assemblies of brahmanas sing His praises. Upon hearing them, Jagannätha, being an ocean of mercy and the true friend of all the worlds, becomes favourably disposed towards them -- may that Sré Jagannätha Deva be the object of my vision.

Who is the crown-jewel of transcendence, whose eyes are like the petals of a fully-opened blue lotus, who resides at Nélächala, whose feet are placed on the head of Sesa, who is blissfully immersed in bhakti-rasa, and who derives happiness from embracing the rasa- laden body of Srimati Rädhikä -- may that Sré Jagannätha Deva be the object of my vision.

I do not pray to Jagannätha for a kingdom, nor for gold, jewels, wealth, or even for a beautiful wife as desired by all men. My only prayer is that Sré Jagannätha Deva, whose splendidglories are always sung by Siva, be the constant object of my vision.

O master of the demigods! Quickly deliver me from this worthless worldly existence. O
Lord of the Yadus! Purge me of my limitless host of sins. Aho! You have promised to bestow
Your feet upon the fallen and shelterless -- O Jagannätha Swämi, please be the object of my vision.

One who carefully recites this sacred Jagannäthästakaà, upon becoming sinless and purehearted, will attain entrance into Visnuloka.

Thus ends the eight stanza hymn Jagannäthästakaà composed by Srimat Saìkaracärya.
 
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