Practicing Yoga in the Age of Quarrel
139
krṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne:  “You are Krṣṇa, but You have assumed the name Krṣṇa Caitanya. I surrender unto You.”
So this is the process. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Krṣṇa Himself, and He is teaching how to develop love of God by a very simple method. He says simply to chant Hare Krṣṇa.
harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā
“In this age, simply go on chanting the Hare Krṣṇa mantra. There is no other alternative.” People are embarrassed by so many methods of realization. They cannot take to the actual ritualistic processes of meditation or yoga; it is not possible. Therefore Lord Caitanya says that if one takes up this process of chanting, then immediately he can reach the platform of realization.
The chanting process offered by Lord Caitanya for achieving love of God is called  saṅkīrtana .  Saṅkīrtana  is a Sanskrit word.  Sam  means  samyak —“complete.” And  kīrtana  means “glorifying” or “describing.” So complete description means complete glorification of the Supreme, or the Supreme Complete Whole. It is not that one can describe anything or glorify anything and that will be  kīrtana . From the grammatical point of view that may be  kīrtana , but according to the Vedic system,  kīrtana  means describing the supreme authority, the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is called  kīrtana .
This devotional service begins with the method of  śravaṇa .  Śravaṇa  means “hearing,” and  kīrtana  means “describing.” One should describe, and another should hear. Or the same man himself can both describe and hear. He does not need anyone else’s help. When we chant Hare Krṣṇa, we chant and hear. This is complete. This is a complete method. But what is that chanting and hearing? One must chant and hear about Viṣṇu, Krṣṇa. Not of anything else.  Śravaṇam kīrtanam viṣṇoh : one can understand Viṣṇu, the all-pervading Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by the method of hearing.
We have to hear; if one simply hears, that is the beginning. One does not need any education or development of material knowledge. Just like a child: as soon as he hears, immediately he can respond and dance. So by nature God has given us these nice instruments—ears—so that we can