Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya-lila Chapter 6 Verse 241

SYNONYMS

bhakti-sadhana -- in the execution of devotional service; sreshtha -- the most important item; sunite -- to hear; haila -- it was; mana -- the mind; prabhu -- Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; upadesa -- advice; kaila -- gave; nama-sankirtana -- chanting of the holy name of the Lord.

TRANSLATION

Then the Bhattacarya asked Caitanya Mahaprabhu, "Which item is most important in the execution of devotional service?" The Lord replied that the most important item was the chanting of the holy name of the Lord.

PURPORT

There are nine items to be executed in devotional service. These are enumerated in the following verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam (7.5.23):

sravanam kirtanam vishnoh smaranam pada-sevanam

arcanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam atma-nivedanam

Hearing the glories of the Lord, chanting, remembering, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering worship in the temple, offering prayers, becoming a servant of the Lord, becoming the Lord's friend, and sarvatma-nivedana, offering oneself fully at the lotus feet of the Lord -- these are the nine devotional processes. In The Nectar of Devotion, these are expanded into sixty-four items. When Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya asked the Lord which item was most important, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu immediately answered that the most important item is the chanting of the holy names of the Lord -- Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. He then quoted the following verse from the Brihan-naradiya Purana (38.126) to confirm His statement.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness