(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 12 April 2015, Mauritius, Kirtan Mela, Day 3, Introduction to Kirtan)
In the introduction to the Srimad Bhagavatam, Srila Prabhupada quotes a very famous verse (SB 1.5.11):
tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo
yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api
nāmāny anantasya yaśo ‘ńkitāni yat
śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ
It means wherever there are devotees who are chanting the names of God, that can bring about revolution in a misdirected and misguided civilization. In other words, this chanting can change everything! When we look around the world, we can see that in the past, people were very God-centered. So many temples, churches and famous mosques were built around the world – so many religious buildings. It is only in a very short time span, in modern times, that people have become so atheistic. Nowadays, God consciousness goes out the window and as a result there is so much unrest in the world, so much anxiety, madness, aggression and unhappiness. But simply worshiping the Supreme Lord will change all that. However, it is not required to build big temples and large religious monuments. All that is required is that we worship the Supreme Lord and the very best way to do it is by chanting His holy name. Therefore, when we gather and chant, it has great significance for the whole world, blessing it all over. So regular kirtan events should continue, in order for revolution to take place in our hearts and in our consciousness, and that gradually we become pure at heart.
