True Meaning of Sankirtan

Reciting Shree Radha Krishna’s names and singing the glories of their forms, pastimes, qualities and abode is known as sankirtan. 

The Ramayan says:

ehī kali kāla na sādhana dūjā

joga na japa tapa vrata makha puja

kaliyuga kevala nāma adhārā

sumiri sumiri nara utarahiṅ pārā

“There is no other method in Kaliyug.  Neither yoga, nor austerity, nor yagya, nor worship will take you to your goal.  Just sing the glories of God, engage your mind in roopdhyan (loving remembrance) and listen to his glories from the Saints.  This is the only means in Kaliyug to attain one’s ultimate goal."

Find out more about the true meaning of Sankirtan in this wonderful video from Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj's 2002 lecture in Brahmapur.

TWO CATEGORIES OF SAINTS

The first category of Saints consists of those who are saintly inwardly, and their external behavior is also Saintly. They possess Divine knowledge, realization and Bliss within them, and externally too they appear to be Saints. Their behavior is not contrary to our notion of a Saint, and hence it is easy to recognize them. However, history bears witness to the fact that very few Saints belong to this category.

The second category of Saints consists of those who are saintly inwardly, but appear to be worldly in their outward behavior. We usually judge others by their external behavior, so it becomes difficult to recognize such Saints. Most Saints belong to this category, because it is their nature to conceal themselves from the world.

“Gopaniyam Gopaniyam Gopaniyam Praynataha”

“Spiritual greatness should be kept secret, and not displayed to the world.” The possible reason for this is that it is a common notion that a good man does not declare his greatness with his own mouth. So, if a Saint were to declare his identity himself, people would never accept him as a Saint. Whatever the reason, history bears witness to the fact that most Saints appeared outwardly worldly, but they were Divine from within.