Kīrtana sadācara (the etiquette of kīrtana)

“Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Kīrtana Standards,” installment 5

Guidelines from His Holiness Bhakti Chāru Swami

In a course on Vaiṣṇava Etiquette, Bhakti Chāru Swami has given the following guidelines.¹ Here and there in this book I will discuss most of these points, with references from Śrīla Prabhupāda, but I want to include them now all together.

1. Kīrtana means glorification of Śrī Hari by means of singing. (When only one devotee sings, it is bhajana.)

2. Glorify Śrī Kṛṣṇa, not yourself.

3. Sing with sincere devotion for the pleasure of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His devotees.

4. When singing in a group, one or two persons should lead and other devotees should follow.

5. The instruments that Śrīla Prabhupāda instructed for accompanying kīrtana were karatāl, mṛdaṅga and jhampa (whompers). He didn’t approve of harmonium for kīrtana. For bhajana it is all right. The instruments, especially jhampa, should not drown out the holy name or cause pain to the ears. The instruments should follow the kīrtana leader.

6. Use simple melody and preferably the appropriate melody (rāga) for the time of day.

7. Don’t think that you are the best singer and therefore you should lead. Vaiṣṇavas are by nature humble. They naturally want to follow, not lead. However, if they are requested to lead by the Vaiṣṇavas, then they are happy to serve.

This is an installment of a draft for an upcoming book.

I especially welcome comments—suggestions, criticisms, questions, whatever.

Among other things: If you were personally present with Śrīla Prabhupāda and received or heard instructions from him about kīrtana, or were present at an instructive incident, I’m all ears.

I’m also particularly interested in hearing from “second generation” devotees (or third generation)—those born into the Hare Krishna movement or who joined after Śrīla Prabhupāda’s departure. Again, I’m all ears.

Especially welcome: Thoughts or evidence that runs contrary to what’s in the draft or that adds a different perspective or nuance.

The draft has not yet been reviewed for spelling, italics, diacritic marks, and so on. I’ll handle that later. The same goes for formatting—headlines, subheads, and the like. For now, what matters is the content.

You can reach me by the contact form on this site. Or if you have my contact details, feel free to call me, message me, or send me an email.

Thank you very much. And happy chanting!

1. Vaiṣṇava Etiquette, chapter 15, “Kīrtana Etiquette.” https://www.vaishnavaetiquette.com/kirtana-etiquette/[↩]