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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 7, Ch. 5]
lakṣaṇā ), this is sufficient; the other eight processes are included. Now let us discuss these nine different processes.
(1)  Śravaṇam . Hearing of the holy name of the Lord ( śravaṇam ) is the beginning of devotional service. Although any one of the nine processes is sufficient, in chronological order the hearing of the holy name of the Lord is the beginning. Indeed, it is essential. As enunciated by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu,  ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam : by chanting the holy name of the Lord, one is cleansed of the material conception of life, which is due to the dirty modes of material nature. When the dirt is cleansed from the core of one's heart, one can realize the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead— īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cidānanda-vigrahaḥ . Thus by hearing the holy name of the Lord, one comes to the platform of understanding the personal form of the Lord. After realizing the Lord's form, one can realize the transcendental qualities of the Lord, and when one can understand His transcendental qualities one can understand the Lord's associates. In this way a devotee advances further and further toward complete understanding of the Lord as he awakens in realization of the Lord's holy name, transcendental form and qualities, His paraphernalia, and everything pertaining to Him. Therefore the chronological process is  śravaṇam kīrtanam viṣṇoḥ . This same process of chronological understanding holds true in chanting and remembering. When the chanting of the holy name, form, qualities and paraphernalia is heard from the mouth of a pure devotee, his hearing and chanting are very pleasing. Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī has forbidden us to hear the chanting of an artificial devotee or nondevotee.
Hearing from the text of  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam  is considered the most important process of hearing.  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam  is full of transcendental chanting of the holy name, and therefore the chanting and hearing of  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam  are transcendentally full of mellows. The transcendental holy name of the Lord may be heard and chanted accordingly to the attraction of the devotee. One may chant the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, or one may chant the holy name of Lord Rāma or Nṛsiṁhadeva ( rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan ). The Lord has innumerable forms and names, and devotees may meditate upon a particular form and chant the holy name according to his attraction. The best course is to hear of the holy name, form and so on from a pure devotee of the same standard as oneself. In other words, one who is attached