Meaning Of Sankirtana

[Paramhamsa Vani]

Sree Sree Guru Gaurangau Jayatah!

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, in his first sloka, is singing the glories of the chanting of Sri Krishna. Sri means beauty, the beauty of Krishna. What is the beauty of Krishna? Beauty is the potency. Attribute. The attribute of a thing is the beauty of that thing. That attribute in concrete form is called Radhika. So, Sri Krishna means Radha-Krishna. You are to chant the Holy Names of Radha-Krishna. He (Chaitanya Mahaprabhu) is singing the glories of chanting of Radha-Krishna. By chanting Radha-Krishna, you can get seven-fold attainments—all kinds of attainments. What does perform sankirtan mean? If you perform chanting of the holy names, forms, attributes, pastimes, entourage—one meaning. Another meaning—without ten fold offenses and the third meaning—chanting the holy name loudly, collectively in the association of Suddha-bhaktas. These three meanings you find in the explanation of our Param Gurudev.

--- Jagad-guru His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj