276
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta
[Ādi-līlā, Ch. 17]
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu regularly led congregational chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra in the house of Śrīvāsa Thākura every night for one full year.
TEXT 35
কপাট দিয়া কীর্তন করে পরম আবেশে। পাষণী হাসিতে আইসে, না পায় প্রবেশে ॥ ৩৫ ॥
kapāṭa diyā kīrtana kare parama āveśe pāṣaṇḍī hāsite āise, nā pāya praveśe
SYNONYMS
kapāṭa —door;  diyā —closing;  kīrtana —chanting;  kare —performed;  parama —very high;  āveśe —in an ecstatic condition;  pāṣaṇḍī —nonbelievers;  hāsite —to laugh;  āise —come;  nā —does not;  pāya —get;  praveśe —entrance.
TRANSLATION
This ecstatic chanting was performed with the doors closed so that nonbelievers who came to make fun could not gain entrance.
PURPORT
Chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa  mahā-mantra  is open to everyone, but sometimes nonbelievers come to disturb the ceremony of chanting. It is indicated herein that under such circumstances the temple doors should be closed. Only bona fide chanters should be admitted; others should not. But when there is large-scale congregational chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa  mahā-mantra , we keep our temples for everyone to join, and by the grace of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu this policy has given good results.
TEXT 36
কীর্তন শুনি’ বাহিরে তারা জলি’ পুড়ি’ মরে। শ্রীবাসেরে দুঃখ দিতে নানা যুক্তি করে ॥ ৩৬ ॥
kīrtana śuni’ bāhire tārā jvali’ puḍi’ mare śrīvāsere duḥkha dite nānā yukti kare
SYNONYMS
kīrtana śuni’ —after hearing the chanting;  bāhire —outside;  tārā —the nonbelievers;  jvali’ —burned;  puḍi’ —to ashes;  mare —die;  śrīvāsere —unto Śrīvāsa Thākura;  duḥkha —troubles;  dite —to give;  nānā —various;  yukti —plans;  kare —do.