### CC Adi 17.135

> এত কহি’ সন্ধ্যাকালে চলে গৌররায় ।\
> কীর্তনের কৈল প্রভু তিন সম্প্রদায় ॥১৩৫॥

> eta kahi' sandhyā-kale cāle gaurarāya\
> kīrtanera kaila prabhu tina sampradāya

*eta kahi'*—saying this; *sandhyā-kāle*—in the evening; *cale*—went out; *gaura-rāya*—Gaurasundara; *kīrtanera*—of performing *saṅkīrtana*; *kaila*—made; *prabhu*—the Lord; *tina*—three; *sampradāya*—parties.

**In the evening Lord Gaurasundara went out and formed three parties to perform kīrtana.**

This is a scheme for performing *kīrtana* in a procession. During Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's time, one party was composed of twenty-one men: four people playing *mṛdaṅgas,* one leading the chanting, and sixteen others striking *karatālas,* responding to the leading chanter. If many men join the *saṅkīrtana* movement, they may follow in the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and form different parties according to the time and the number of men available.