Sankirtana means

Expressions researched:
"sankirtana means"

SB Canto 7

Saṅkīrtana means chanting of the holy name of the Lord.

SB 7.15.71, Purport: Saṅkīrtana means chanting of the holy name of the Lord. The Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is not a new movement as people sometimes mistakenly think. The Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is present in every millennium of Lord Brahmā's life, and the holy name is chanted in all the higher planetary systems, including Brahmaloka and Candraloka, not to speak of Gandharvaloka and Apsaroloka. The saṅkīrtana movement that was started in this world five hundred years ago by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is therefore not a new movement. Sometimes, because of our bad luck, this movement is stopped, but Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His servants again start the movement for the benefit of the entire world or, indeed, the entire universe.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Saṅkīrtana means when we combine together, many persons, and chant and dance. That is called saṅkīrtana-yajña.

Lecture on BG 4.28 -- Bombay, April 17, 1974: Saṅkīrtana means when we combine together, many persons, and chant and dance. that is called saṅkīrtana-yajña. So those who are engaged in the saṅkīrtana-yajña, they are also performing yajña. That is better than dravyamaya-yajña, dravya-yajña. Dravya-yajña, charity. Suppose one man has no money. Then his life is spoiled? No. In any condition we can execute this yajña, saṅkīrtana-yajña. There is no need of money. Ahaituky apratihatā. This saṅkīrtana-yajña is so nice that it cannot be checked by any material condition. If one is interested, he can perform saṅkīrtana-yajña or the bhakti-yoga system, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam [SB 7.5.23], in any condition of life.

Saṅkīrtana means, when we sit down, many people together.

Lecture on BG 6.11-21 -- New York, September 7, 1966: In India there are some selected places, very sacred place, and the yogis, generally, they go there and sit there alone in a sacred place and as prescribed in the Bhagavad-gītā and perform there. Yoga-āsana cannot be executed in a public place, so that, in assembly. Now, so far this kīrtana is concerned... Just like we have performed just now kīrtana, this is called saṅkīrtana. Saṅkīrtana means: bahubhir militvā kīrtayati iti saṅkīrtanam. When we sit down, many people together... When Lord Caitanya was performing this kīrtana ceremony five hundred years before, He had in each group sixteen persons taking part in kīrtana, and thousands and thousands of people were singing with them. Now, this participation in the kīrtana is very easily possible. But so far the yoga system is concerned, that is required any very secluded and sacred place, silent. That is required.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Kīrtana means alone, and saṅkīrtana means in the assembly of many others.

Lecture on SB 3.25.42 -- Bombay, December 10, 1974: In this age, saṅkīrtana-yajña is recommended. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ [SB 11.5.32]. Sumedhasaḥ means those who have got good brain. And it is so easy, anywhere you can perform. Any part of the world, you assemble together. Saṅkīrtana means bahubhir militvā, by intermingling various persons. Just like we are doing here saṅkīrtana-kīrtana and saṅkīrtana. Kīrtana means alone, and saṅkīrtana means in the assembly of many others. That is called saṅkīrtana. So that is recommended, that many persons, you sit together. There is no need of even instrument, but because Lord Caitanya introduced this khol, karatāla. Otherwise this clapping is sufficient. So it is very easy, saṅkīrtana-yajña. You sit down familywise, all the family members. If you perform saṅkīrtana, Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, with the clapping of hands, that is saṅkīrtana-yajña, very easy to perform. But people will not do that. Instead of performing saṅkīrtana-yajña in the evening to become free from all fears of life, they will go to the restaurant, to the cinema and other places, talking unnecessarily in clubs, societies, waste their time. This is going on. This is modern education. This is modern civilization.

Saṅkīrtana means bahubhir militvā. Many people assembled together, when glorifying the Lord, that is called saṅkīrtana.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Johannesburg, October 22, 1975: There are different types of sacrifices mentioned, but in this age it is difficult. Therefore in this age the easiest sacrifice is chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ [SB 11.5.32]. This, performing this yajña, saṅkīrtana-yajña, you have to simply agree. Otherwise you have no loss. Simply you have gain. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. We are not asking anybody that "Give us some fee, some dollars. Then you chant." No. It is free. You can chant—if you like. This is yajña. This is the yajña of this age. Anyone can join. It doesn't matter that this class of men will join. No, anyone—poor, rich, white, black, illiterate, learned—everyone. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana means bahubhir militvā. Many people assembled together, when glorifying the Lord, that is called saṅkīrtana.

Saṅkīrtana means you discuss Kṛṣṇa's activities, that is also saṅkīrtana. That is not different from saṅkīrtana.

Lecture on SB 6.3.20-23 -- Gorakhpur, February 14, 1971: Yamarāja is recommending that by our fruitive activities we are implicated in so many sinful reaction of life, so saṅkīrtanaṁ bhagavato guṇa-karma-nāmnām. Not only the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is called saṅkīrtana of the holy name of the Lord, but here it is said, guṇa-karma-nāmnām. Saṅkīrtanaṁ bhagavato guṇa-karma-nāmnām. Not that when you read Kṛṣṇa, the book which is full of Kṛṣṇa's activities... That is also saṅkīrtana. That is also saṅkīrtana. Saṅkīrtana does not mean simply chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. Saṅkīrtana means you discuss Kṛṣṇa's activities, that is also saṅkīrtana. That is not different from saṅkīrtana.

General Lectures

Saṅkīrtana means bahudhā, bahubhir militvā. When congregational chanting is done, that is called saṅkīrtana. So in this age the saṅkīrtana movement is recommended.

Lecture at Harvard University -- Boston, December 24, 1969: So the recommendation is... That was a topic between Mahārāja Nimi and great sages called nine sages, navayogindra. Nava means nine. Yogindra means mystic yogis. So they were talking, and Mahārāja Nimi questioned the different incarnations in different ages. And Camasa Muni was replying. In that replying, he said that in the Kali-yuga, in this age... This age called Kali-yuga. This Kali-yuga has begun about five thousand years ago. So he said, "In the Kali-yuga the process of self-realization is saṅkīrtana movement." Saṅkīrtana. Saṅkīrtana means bahudhā, bahubhir militvā. When congregational chanting is done, that is called saṅkīrtana. So in this age the saṅkīrtana movement is recommended. There is no question of what is your religion, what is my religion. Everyone can join in this saṅkīrtana movement, without any discrimination. That is the recommendation. Yajñair saṅkīrtana. This is also yajña, sacrifice. You are sacrificing some time, your valuable time, in joining with us to perform the saṅkīrtana movement. That is a sacrifice. And sacrifice means to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yajña. Yajña is the name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, yajñārthāt karma anyatra karma-bandhanaḥ. Whatever you have to act, you have to act on the basis of pleasing the Supreme Lord.

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Saṅkīrtana means assembly. When many people assemble together and chant, that is called saṅkīrtana.

Room Conversation about Marriage -- September 24, 1968, Seattle:

Madhudviṣa: Did Lord Caitanya have women, householders traveling with Him when He went on saṅkīrtana?

Prabhupāda: Yes. They were following. Still, saṅkīrtana, they follow. But they have got their husband. Saṅkīrtana, everyone can...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Children too.

Prabhupāda: Oh yes. Everyone. Saṅkīrtana means assembly. Bahubhir militva kirtayatiti saṅkīrtanaḥ. That is the derivation. When many people assemble together and chant, that is called saṅkīrtana. If you alone chant, that is called kīrtana. And when you chant in assembly that is called saṅkīrtana.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Saṅkīrtana means many men combined together chanting.

Room Conversation With Radha-Damodara Sankirtana Party -- March 16, 1976, Mayapur: Prabhupāda: You are cooperating; therefore I am getting the credit. Otherwise alone what could I do? Ekākī āmāra nāhi pāya bolo. Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself wanted our cooperation. He is God, Kṛṣṇa. And therefore cooperation is very important thing. Nobody should think that "I have got so great ability. I can do." No. It is simply by cooperation we can do very big thing. "United we stand; divided we fall." This is our.... So be strong in pushing on Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and Kṛṣṇa will help. He is the strongest. Still, we must be combined together. Saṅkīrtana. Saṅkīrtana means many men combined together chanting. That is saṅkīrtana. Otherwise kīrtana. Saṅkīrtana. Bahubhir militvā kīrtayeti saṅkīrtana.(?) Bahu. Bahu means many, many combined together. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission, combined together.

1971 Correspondence

Sankirtana means preaching.

Letter to Krsna Devi -- Delhi 20 November, 1971: Sankirtana means preaching. So if you are regularly holding classes, street Sankirtana may be postponed until the proper time. Meanwhile it is very encouraging that Dinesh Prabhu may be starting to teach classes in Vedic literature at Tel Aviv University. Just try to give this Krishna philosophy to the intelligent class of men, and distribute our books as many as possible, and your all efforts will come out successful. Know it for certain that by this your sincere working for Krishna, very soon you will go back to Home, back to Godhead.

Sankirtana means preaching.

Letter to Sudama -- Delhi 20 November, 1971: Sankirtana means preaching, so for some time try in other ways to spread our Krishna philosophy anywhere and everywhere, by selling books, as many as possible, by holding kirtana and classes in schools and college—wherever there is preaching, that is Sankirtana. You have an American brain, now use it to think of new ways to preach in Japan.

1973 Correspondence

We should not understanding the meaning of sankirtana very narrowly, that only chanting and dancing and playing instruments, no, sankirtana means to glorify the Lord in a congregational manner.

Letter to Ravindra Svarupa -- Bombay 5 January, 1973: Regarding your question is it all right to assign the entire sankirtana party for distributing books so that no one will be free for street chanting? Of course we should not understanding the meaning of sankirtana very narrowly, that only chanting and dancing and playing instruments, no, sankirtana means to glorify the Lord in a congregational manner. So if many devotees are going out daily on the streets and public places for distributing our literature, that is also sankirtana, even if there is no one chanting. Hearing and chanting are essential processes for sankirtana. So if someone is hearing us singing on the street, or if he is purchasing one book and if he reads sincerely, these two activities are the same. So if there is any occasion of necessity, if there are not very many men available or if there is prohibition by the municipal authorities, something like that, we may assign everyone for distributing our literatures, there is no loss for that. But it is always better if there are also some devotees chanting loudly on the street. If there is even one man to two men or a small party who are chanting Hare Krishna, that will increase also the book sales. So if there are sufficient men, and if we have got sanction by the authorities, it is always better to have at least a small party chanting along with as many distributers of books as possible.