1. Chanting manifests lila

    Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc Antya 20.21], life should be so moulded that this kirtana will go on twenty-four hours.

    Even you are engaged in your occupational duties if you practice it. It will go on twenty-four hours and when you are advanced in practice as soon as you chant the Hare Krsna mantra immediately the Krsna with all His paraphernalia. Krsna does not mean alone, just like when we speak, “The king is coming,” that does not mean king is coming alone. He is coming, his private secretary is coming, his etikong [?] is coming, his military secretary is carrying on, so many people are coming. Similarly Krsna those who are impersonalists, voidists, for them Krsna has nothing to do. But actually those who are devotees of Krsna as soon as they chant this word, “Krsna” or, “Rama,” immediately all Krsna’s paraphernalia becomes manifest.

    Just like it is stated in the Brahma-samhita [Bs 5.29]:

    cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa-
    laksavrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam
    laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam
    govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

    Krsna means Krsna, immediately Krsna’s Vrndavana-lila, Krsna’s Dvaraka-lila, Krsna’s Mathura-lila, immediately becomes in rememberence. Krsna who is fighting with such-and-such demons, Krsna is playing with His cowherd boyfriends, Krsna is dancing with the gopis. Krsna is speaking with His mother, Krsna is joking with His friends, Krsna is taking the cows to the pasturing grounds there He is taking bath in the… So many things will come in your mind. So these descriptions are there in the Krsna. So actually one who is advanced in Krsna consciousness, simply by chanting one word, “Krsna,” so many things will come — harer muhuh: and this remembering of Krsna’s pastimes when you are accustomed. Then even when you are sleeping you will think of Krsna — harer muhuh. That is perfection of Krsna consciousness. Not a second, not a moment he is without Krsna consciousness. That is recommended here: srnvatam grnatam viryany uddamani, because when you are thinking of Krsna everything is profoundly uddamani — encouraged. Krsna is engaged in fighting with the demons, how He is saving his friends in the forest fire, everything is. How He has lifted the Govardhan hill. All endeavors are uncommon in the human society, they are very interesting especially to the devotees.

    Yatha sujataya bhaktya: but these things happen when you are developed in devotional service — bhaktya. Just like you can imagine that if you have got profound love for a person, either for your children or for your wife, then you’ll always think of them. You can not be without thinking of them for a second, this is practice only. So if we transfer this power of thinking to Krsna, that is our perfection of life. We are thinking, we can not stay without thinking for a moment but if we think Krsna and His pastimes then our life is perfect, that is Krsna consciousness. Yatha sujataya bhaktya: but this situation is possible by advanced devotional service — sujataya bhaktya. Suddhyet: that means so long we are thinking of Krsna and His pastimes we are being purified, purified. If you can not think then you must hear therefore this is the opportunity. In a temple or in a place, institute like this where there is always something Krsna business. So from morning to night something is going on about Krsna so by association one becomes purified.

    From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.3.32-33 February 23, 1971, Gorakhpur