Part Two -
Abhidheya-tattva-nirupana - Description of the Means of Spiritual Attainment
Chapter Two - Sadhana-prakarana
Activities for Spiritual Advancement
Sutra 62
tat-tat-kirtanam
tat-tat-them; kirtanam-glorifying.
Then one chants the glories of all these.
Commentary by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
In the Taittiriya Upanishad it is said:
samagayann aste.
"He chants the glories of the Lord."
In the Chandogya Upanishad it is said:
vacam brahmety upaste.
"He worships the Lord by describing Him with words.
In Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.1.11) it is said:
etan nirvidyamananam
icchatam akuto-bhayam
yoginam nripa nirnitam
harer namanukirtanam
"O king, constant chanting of the holy name of the Lord after the ways of the great
authorities is the doubtless and fearless way of success for all, including those who are
free from all material desires, those who are desirous of all material enjoyment, and
those who are self-satisfied by dint of transcendental knowledge."*
In Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.5.22) it is also said:
idam hi pumsas tapasah srutasya va
svishtasya suktasya ca buddhi-dattayoh
avicyuto 'rthah kavibhir nirupito
yad uttamasloka-gunanuvarnanam
"Learned circles have positively concluded that the infallible purpose of the
advancement of knowledge, namely austerities, study of the Vedas, sacrifice, chanting
of hymns, and charity, culminates in the transcendental descriptions of the Lord, who
is defined in choice poetry."*
Srila Jiva Gosvami explains:
yadi sakshad eva mahat-kritasya kirtanasya sravana-bhagyam na sampadyate tadaiva
svayam prithak kirtanam iti. gana-sakty-abhave tat srinoti. tad-anumodanam. bahubhir
militva kirtanam sankirtanam.
"When one is not engaged in hearing the Lord's glories from a great soul, one may
personally engage in chanting the Lord glories. If one has no power to chant the
Lord's glories, then one may simply hear. Chanting the Lord's glories becomes a
source of great pleasure for the chanter. When many are assembled together to hear
and chant the Lord's glories the chanting is called'sankirtana'."
Sutra 63
tat-tat-smaranam
tat-tat-of these; smaranam-remembering.
Then one remembers all these.
Commentary by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
In the Chandogya Upanishad it is said:
smarena va vijanati smaram upasveti smaram brahmety upaste.
"By remembering the Lord one worships Him."
In the Narada Purana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead explains:
vishayan dhyayatas cittam
vishayeshu visajjate
mam anusmaratas cittam
mayy eva praviliyate
"One who turns from material things and remembers Me in his heart, attains Me."
Srila Jiva Gosvami explains:
tad idam smaranam panca-vidham. yat kincid anusandhanam smaranam. purvatas cittam
akrishya samyakarena mano-dharanam dharana. viseshato rupadi-cintanam dhyanam.
amrita-dhara-vadanavac chinnam tat dhruvanusmritih. dhyeya-matra-sphuranam samadhir iti.
"Remembering the Lord progresses in five stages. First one tries to understand the
Lord. That is called 'smarana'. Then the heart becomes attracted to the Lord. That is
called 'dharana'. Then one specifically meditates on the Lord's form, qualities, and
pastimes. That is called 'dhyana'. Then that meditation drowns one in a flood of
nectar. That is called 'dhruvanusmriti'. Then the Lord personally appears before the
meditator. That is called 'samadhi'."
