{"id":98293,"date":"2022-06-07T12:11:55","date_gmt":"2022-06-07T10:11:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/?p=98293"},"modified":"2022-06-08T06:55:16","modified_gmt":"2022-06-08T04:55:16","slug":"who-can-lead-kirtan-who-should-lead-kirtan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/?p=98293","title":{"rendered":"Who can lead kirtan, who should lead kirtan?"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Ananta Purusottama das<\/p>\n

Why such a question you might ask? In one sense anyone can lead a kirtan,
\nbut let us consider a few things first. I write this as much for myself as
\nothers as I too am prone to egoism and a lack of proper attitude at times
\nin my service.<\/p>\n

There are few leaders, such as Indradyumna Swami and Sivarama Swami, who
\nwill only have capable devotees lead a kirtan, those who know how to keep a
\nsteady pace and stick to the same melody. I am not of the opinion that
\nanyone can lead at any given time, maybe we need some sort of training
\nprogram? There does not seem to be an exact standard even, some will sing
\nGaura Nita and other things, which are not wrong, obviously, but we saw
\nSrila Prabhupada mainly stick to the Hare Krsna mantra, so why don\u2019t we do
\nthat. It is after all called \u201csarva mantra sar\u201d, that which contains all
\nother mantras.<\/p>\n

We all know that Srila Prabhupada taught the famous three couples who came
\nto England, how to conduct kirtan, it seems that is a necessity, we should
\nhave some idea how to conduct a proper kirtan, whether we are pure or not,
\nthat will come in time no doubt.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, Srila Prabhupada was once asked, what can we do to
\nattract more people to kirtan, he said you don\u2019t need to do anything
\nexternally, but if you chant purely and sincerely, Krsna will send people
\nto you. I believe he also stopped some travelling festivals because it was
\ngetting too extravagant and losing the purity, I would have to look that up
\nto remember the specifics though.<\/p>\n

There are many instances where Srila Prabhupada would stop somebody if he
\nfelt they were in the wrong mood, one particular instance comes to mind.
\nOne devotee was leading, dressed very nicely and very expert at playing
\nmrdanga and he had a very nice voice, but Srila Prabhupada stopped him and
\nasked a young gurukula boy to sing, whose voice was even a little off tone,
\napparently that devotee who began leading walked out. I heard this in one
\nof Srila Prabhupada\u2019s memories.<\/p>\n

We have heard Srila Bhaktisiddhanta asking his devotees to lead who did not
\nhave a great voice, I think he was making a point there, Krsna wants our
\nlove, not our expertise.<\/p>\n

Should a devotee ask to lead or be asked to lead? It may be he or she wants
\nto lead as a service, and that is okay, as long as their motivation is just
\nthat. Nowadays we do have a bit of a celebrity culture and it seems one
\nneeds to know a very good melody also. Does that matter? One could be pure
\nin heart still, one who sings a basic melody that we all know, may not be
\nso pure, it may be difficult to tell for some of us. It is up to that
\ndevotee to be sure of their own heart. I prefer the scenario where a
\ndevotee is asked to lead.<\/p>\n

There is a nice interview with Agnideva Prabhu where he mentions that he
\nhas now become well know, even famous, he didn\u2019t want that, but he takes
\nthe opportunity to lead kirtan as a service which I think is a nice attitude<\/p>\n

As for melodies, now we have a few of our Guru\u2019s using melodies from songs
\nof the 60\u2019s and 70\u2019s, I don\u2019t say it is wrong or bad, I don\u2019t think it is
\nnecessary either, in fact it makes some think of that song the melody has
\nbeen taken from. Now younger devotees follow that sometimes, and may not
\nalways do a good job of it, then better they sing something simple for all
\nto follow.<\/p>\n

You sometimes get a situation where a devotee is not thinking of the
\naudience, but instead is singing a \u201cfar out\u201d melody that perhaps only a few
\nknow, so why is that, are they being taught that it is necessary to know
\ngreat melody, or a new melody, that could give the wrong impression, it
\ncould be we get bored of the same old melodies, that is not a good mood to
\ncreate I don\u2019t think. I have even had a few devotees tell me that when they
\nare leading they think the melody should be changed as others might be
\ngetting bored!<\/p>\n

I know one of our sanyasi who will only sing the same melody when leading,
\none that Srila Prabhupada taught us, he feels that is right I guess, and
\nother melodies are not needed. I have never asked him though.<\/p>\n

I have seen situations where every single festival the same few devotees
\nare leading a kirtan, they should give others an opportunity. There are
\noften senior devotees present, but I never see that they are asked to lead,
\nit may be they don\u2019t mind, but I think it is good etiquette to at least ask
\nthem, but it is not happening, at least in England. I go on a local Harinam
\non festival days, we often have a disciple of Srila Prabhupada there, Saksi
\nGopal, we always invite him to lead, even though some of us have been in
\nthe movement over 40 years, as he is still lout senior devotee and it is
\nthe right thing to do.<\/p>\n

We also have kirtans now with all sorts of instruments, which can be a
\ndistraction, we may like that kirtan because it is funky or jazzy etc. You
\ncan listen to Revati Nandan Prabhu on Srila Prabhupada memories telling us
\nhow Srila Prabhupada did not like such kirtans, he said the ear will tend
\nto hear those instruments and distract one from hearing the maha mantra
\nproperly. I don\u2019t really like the extra instruments, but now it is another
\nfashion in ISKCON. I hardly think they are necessary either. You might see
\na flute player who is not even able to chant along with the kirtan.<\/p>\n

I remember Bhaja Hari Prabhu saying in one of his Vyasa Puja offerings that
\nthe devotees used to argue over who should lead, not a very nice mood for
\nhaving a kirtan in my opinion. Some devotees like to \u201cbook a spot\u201d for an
\nupcoming festival, in some cases that seems okay, for example, there is 24
\nhour kirtan on Gaura Purnima and devotees are asked to put their name
\nforward, but when I see a Harinam coming up and devotees want to book their
\nplace, they are often the same devotees again and again. I am not sure if
\nthat is the right and fair thing, to start with it takes away the
\nopportunity for others on the day. Usually singers are asked on the day,
\norganised by one devotee who might be organising the festival, I think that
\nis better. I have heard that Aindra had two others lead with him, he said
\nthat helps diffuse the false ego of the leader, let\u2019s face it, it is easy
\nto think I am singing nicely, I know I struggle with that sometimes.<\/p>\n

There are some situations where only one devotee will lead the whole time
\nfor a Rathayatra festival. Is that right or fair? I recall a small Rath
\nYatra festival in England where the devotee led the whole time, another
\ndisciple of Srila Prabhupada asked me if he could lead, but I said I can\u2019t
\nsay anything (it was another Srila Prabhupada disciple leading). I think
\nsome or many devotees really do not mind that happening, it seemed to be
\ncommon in the early days, Visnujana Swami would lead a lot, or Parikisit
\nand Bhardvaja, most are just happy to be in a kirtan actually.<\/p>\n

At the end of the day we have to be pure and concentrate on the melody
\nwhether we are leading or responding, the same goes for our japa, we all
\nknow what a struggle that can be at times. I do not think devotees
\nhave to *lead
\nthe kirtan* to be encouraged to attend a Harinam. That could possibly give
\nthe wrong impression and create the wrong mood for that person, as well as
\nthe motivation to go on Harinam could be spoiled, instead the emphasis
\nshould be on why we go out on Harinam, for both our own and the public’s
\nbenefit. How we have to have good sadhana and japa in order to be in the
\ncorrect frame of mind at the time of the Harinam.<\/p>\n

These are some of my thoughts on the matter. I welcome any input,
\nespecially from senior devotees who knew how Srila Prabhupada wanted us to
\nbehave in all situations.<\/p>\n

Here are some headline quotes I found from the kirtan standards book plus
\nother quotes I found online, as below.<\/p>\n

*\u201cSrila Prabhupada\u2019s Kirtana Standards,\u201d installment 5*<\/p>\n

*Guidelines from His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami*<\/p>\n

*1. Kirtana means glorification of Sri Hari by means of singing. (When only
\none devotee sings, it is bhajana.)*<\/p>\n

*2. Glorify Sri Krsna, not yourself.*<\/p>\n

*3. Sing with sincere devotion for the pleasure of Sri Krsna and His
\ndevotees.*<\/p>\n

*4. When singing in a group, one or two persons should lead and other
\ndevotees should follow.*<\/p>\n

*5. The instruments that Srila Prabhupada instructed for accompanying
\nkirtana were karatal, mrdanga and jhampa (whompers). He didn\u2019t approve of
\nharmonium for kirtana. For bhajana it is all right. The instruments,
\nespecially jhampa, should not drown out the holy name or cause pain to the
\nears. The instruments should follow the kirtana leader.*<\/p>\n

*6. Use simple melody and preferably the appropriate melody (raga) for the
\ntime of day.*<\/p>\n

*7. Don\u2019t think that you are the best singer and therefore you should lead.
\nVaisnavas are by nature humble. They naturally want to follow, not lead.
\nHowever, if they are requested to lead by the Vaisnavas, then they are
\nhappy to serve.*<\/p>\n

*Melodic instruments divert attention from the mantra; rhythm instruments
\nmake one inclined to dance and dancing unlocks devotion; melodies are to be
\nfilled with the mantra; no extended notes*<\/p>\n

Revatinandana: \u201cSrila Prabhupada gave a Sunday feast lecture about kirtan,
\nand he said things that I never heard him say at other times, particularly
\nnot during a lecture. He remarked that melodic instruments, including the
\nharmonium, are not meant for kirtan, and he explained why. He said that the
\near will automatically follow musical strains, and then our attention will
\nbe diverted from the mantra. He said that rhythm instruments are good for
\nkirtan because they make one more inclined to dance, and dancing, in turn,
\nunlocks devotion. He liked graceful dancing. He used to mention that
\nJayatirtha was a graceful dancer. He said, \u201cSee how he dances. This is very
\ngood. This will help one feel more devotion.\u201d Another time he told
\nVishnujana that he did not like melodies that had long, extended notes in
\nthem. He liked the melody to be filled with the mantra.<\/p>\n

*Prabhupada wanted the devotees to learn how to do kirtan properly*<\/p>\n

Prabhupada wanted to teach his London-bound disciples to sing and play
\ninstruments in a specific way. Someone should learn to play the harmonium
\nproperly-following the melody, not simply pumping it, as the devotees had
\nbeen doing for years. And the Sanskrit mantras and bhajanas should be
\npronounced properly and the melodies sung correctly. Some melodies were to
\nbe sung in the morning, others in the evening. Each word was to be
\npronounced correctly and with the right intonation.<\/p>\n

Prabhupada liked Yamuna\u2019s singing, and Mukunda was an expert musician for
\norganizing the party. The spacious Montreal temple was a suitable place for
\nthem to practice. Ideally, Prabhupada said, the party should have two
\nmridanga players, one harmonium player, one tamboura player, and at least
\nsix karatala players. He talked about sending the group not only to London
\nbut to the European continent and then to Asia also. So he wanted them to
\nbecome expert at kirtana. (Prabhupada Lila 7\u2013 4, Satsvarupa Swami: A Summer
\nin Montreal 1968)<\/p>\n

*Musical ornamentation attracts people but devotees should not be attached
\nto it*<\/p>\n

\u201cAniruddha: Vishnujana Swami was a wonderful devotee who sang beautifully.
\nPrabhupada said, \u201cBy his singing alone, he can go back to the spiritual
\nworld.\u201d And Vishnujana Swami was expert in playing the tambora, the
\nmridanga, the harmonium, and in making up his own melodies. He was a little
\nembarrassed to play his own melodies for Prabhupada, but he wanted to be
\nrecognized. Once, in the La Cienega temple, where Prabhupada had a small
\nprivate room adjoining the main temple room, Vishnujana was elaborately
\nplaying his melodies on the harmonium in the temple room when Prabhupada
\ncame out of his room and said, \u201cWhat is wrong with the melodies I have
\ngiven you?\u201d Today the movement has grown and we have many different
\nmelodies, but I\u2019m fond of Prabhupada\u2019s original ones.<\/p>\n

Prabhupada knew that we were attracting all varieties of people and he was
\nbroad-minded. When Vishnujana Maharaj started the road shows using guitars
\nand a lot of music, Prabhupada said, \u201cThis is very good to attract people,
\nbut the devotees shouldn\u2019t get attached to it.\u201d Today, however, in some
\nplaces it\u2019s common for devotees to play all these songs
\n. Whatever brings a
\nperson to Krishna consciousness is all right \u2013 Prabhupada taught us to be
\nbroad-minded \u2013 but we have to be careful not to compromise.\u201d (Srila
\nPrabhupada Remembrances [Siddhanta das ITV], Chapter 32)<\/p>\n

*Not to please the crowd but to deliver Krsna in the right way*<\/p>\n

\u201cYour business is not to, I mean to say, satisfy the crowd. Your business
\nis satisfy Krishna, and then crowd will be automatically satisfied. We are
\nnot going to please the crowd. We are going to give them something,
\nKrishna. So you should be very much careful whether you are delivering
\nKrishna in the right way. Then they\u2019ll be satisfied. Your only business
\nshould be to satisfy Krishna.\u201d (Bhagavad-gita 7.1, Los Angeles, December 2,
\n1968)<\/p>\n

SP letter to Jadurani, 26 May 1969:<\/p>\n

Regarding your question about kirtana, practically we are not concerned
\nwith the instruments. They are used sometimes to make it sweeter, but if we
\ndivert our attention for using the instruments more, that is not good. We
\ncan accept everything for Krishna’s service, but not taking the risk of
\ndiverting attention to any other thing which will hinder our Krishna
\nConsciousness. That should be our motto, or principle.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ananta Purusottama das Why such a question you might ask? In one sense anyone can lead a kirtan, but let us consider a few things first. I write this as much for myself as others as I too am prone to egoism and a lack of proper attitude at times in my service. There are<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[94],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98293","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-testing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98293","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=98293"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98293\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98299,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98293\/revisions\/98299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=98293"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=98293"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=98293"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}