- 2 Types of Sankirtan!

“Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvata Thakura’s instruction to the mind is to be  constantly engaged in the “loud” harinama sankirtana or congregationally  chanting the glories of the holy name of Krishna.

There are two kinds of Sankirtana which are authorized.

1. First there is the sankirtana performed by many devotees together playing on mrdanga drums and karatala cymbals while chanting loudly the Hare Krishna maha-mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Räma Hare Räma Räma Räma Hare Hare. This is also accompanied by dancing. That form of vocal, audible sankirtana can be heard throughout the surrounding neighborhood, and with amplification, it can be heard for a mile or more.

2. Another form of sankirtana known as the Brhat Mrdanga or “greater drum” sankirtana, is the distribution of transcendental literatures glorifying Lord Krishna and His holy names. When literatures authorized in the line of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are distributed amongst the general public, they glorify the holy name for an unlimited distance.

Books may go thousands of miles to rescue fallen souls from the illusion of materialistic life. Even in remote places, such as military camps, prisons, frontier outposts and distant countries, the books of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada have reached the hands of open-minded seekers of truth and dramatically improved their lives. ”