The power of sankirtana-yajna

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The power of sankirtana-yajna

 

SSR 6 Finding Spiritual Solutions to Material Problems Therefore if you

want to perform relief work simply by collecting funds, I think that it will

not be successful. You have to please the supreme authority, and that is the

way to success. For example, due to the performance of sankirtana here, the

rain has begun to fall after a drought of two years. The last time we performed

a Hare Krsna Festival in Delhi, there was imminent danger of Pakistan's

declaring war, and when a newspaper man approached me for my opinion, I said

there must be fighting because the other party was aggressive. However, because

of our sankirtana movement, India emerged victorious. Similarly, when we held a

festival in Calcutta, the Naxalite [Communist] movement stopped. These are

facts. Through the sankirtana movement we can not only get all facilities for

living, but also at the end can go back home, back to Godhead. Those who are of

a demoniac nature cannot understand this, but it is a fact.

 

SB 1.16.20 P How Pariksit Received the Age of Kali The materialistic men

want to work hard and enjoy fruitive results for sense enjoyment. Thus they are

committing many types of sins at every step of life. Those, however, who are

consciously engaged in the devotional service of the Lord are transcendental to

all varieties of sin and virtue. Their activities are free from the

contamination of the three modes of material nature. For the devotees there is

no need for performance of prescribed sacrifices because the very life of the

devotee is a symbol of sacrifice. But persons who are engaged in fruitive

activities for sense enjoyment must perform the prescribed sacrifices because

that is the only means to get free from the reaction of all sins committed by

fruitive workers. Sacrifice is the means for counteracting such accumulated

sins. The demigods are pleased when such sacrifices are performed, just as

prison officers are satisfied when the prisoners are turned into obedient

subjects. Lord Caitanya, however, has recommended only one yajna, or sacrifice,

called the sankirtana-yajna, the chanting of Hare Krsna, in which everyone can

take part. Thus both devotees and fruitive workers can derive equal benefit

from the performances of sankirtana-yajna.

 

SB 4.2.35 P Daksa Curses Lord Siva In this age of Kali it is

practically impossible to perform the deva-yajna, or sacrifices to the

demigods. As such, in this age Srimad-Bhagavatam recommends sankirtana-yajna.

Yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah (Bhag. 11.5.32). "In this age

the intelligent person completes the performances of all kinds of yajnas simply

by chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare

Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare." Tasmin tuste jagat tustah: "When Lord Visnu is

satisfied, all the demigods, who are parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, are

satisfied."

 

SB 4.6.53 P Brahma Satisfies Lord Siva The performance of yajna is a

very difficult task because all the demigods must be invited to participate in

the yajna. In this Kali-yuga it is not possible to perform such costly

sacrifices, nor is it possible to invite the demigods to participate. Therefore

in this age it is recommended, yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah

(Bhag. 11.5.32). Those who are intelligent should know that in the Kali-yuga

there is no possibility of performing the Vedic sacrifices. But unless one

pleases the demigods, there will be no regulated seasonal activities or

rainfall. Everything is controlled by the demigods. Under the circumstances, in

this age, in order to keep the balance of social peace and prosperity, all

intelligent men should execute the performance of sankirtana-yajna by chanting

the holy names Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare

Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. One should invite people, chant Hare Krsna, and

then distribute prasada. This yajna will satisfy all the demigods, and thus

there will be peace and prosperity in the world. Another difficulty in

performing the Vedic rituals is that if one fails to satisfy even one demigod

out of the many hundreds of thousands of demigods, just as Daksa failed to

satisfy Lord Siva, there will be disaster. But in this age the performance of

sacrifice has been simplified. One can chant Hare Krsna, and by pleasing Krsna

one can satisfy all the demigods automatically.