(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 17 August 2013, Kirtan Mela, Germany, Final lecture)
When the pure devotee chants in any place or sets foot in any place, that place becomes transformed; it becomes a sacred place. It is mentioned that pure devotees goes to Vrindavan to purify Vrindavan and not to become purified. They purify Vrindavan from the sinful reactions that are left by all the pilgrims. In this way, it is very nice that we indeed received the mantra in parampara. Without the sampradaya, the mantra will not produce fruit. Each of the acaryas have added their blessings including Srila Prabhupada, in particular, who had such a desire that we would all chant the holy name.
So this event (kirtan mela) is important. If we don’t have such events, then what are we doing? If we don’t come together to chant then how can we expect to break through? Spiritual life is not cheap. We have all taken up the chanting of the holy name but for most of us, it doesn’t get beyond the mechanical platform. We are just everyday struggling to finish the quota. Are we chanting our rounds or are we counting our rounds? So unless we just sit by ourselves to chant, how can we ever expect to be successful? One of my favorite verses is the verse:
sei panca-tattva mili’ prthivi asiya
purva-premabhandarera mudra ughdiiya
pance mili’ lute prema, kare asvadana
yata yata piye, trsna badhe anuksana (CC Adi 7.20-21)
It is the famous verse where the Panca Tattva broke the lock of the storehouse of love of God and then what happened next? They went inside and when they went inside, they drank and plundered the storehouse of love of God. They drank it themselves to their full satisfaction and as they drank, their thirst increased!
So don’t think that what we are doing it is not authorised. Don’t think, ‘Why are we sitting here so far away from the world? Shouldn’t we be out there preaching?’ No! Lord Caitanya himself drank and we must also drink the holy name. So these events are important actually and we should make them much bigger!