334 Sri Caitanya-caritamrta [Madhya-lila, Ch. 6

SYNONYMS

bhakti-sadhana—in the execution of devotional service; srestha—the most im-
portant item; sunite—to hear; haila—it was; mana—the mind; prabhu—Lord Si
Caitanya Mahaprabhu; upadesa—advice; kaila—gave; nama-sahkirtana—chant-
ing of the holy name of the Lord.

TRANSLATION

Then the Bhattacdrya asked Caitanya Mahaprabhu: “Which item is most
important in the execution of devotional service?” The Lord replied that the
most important item was the chanting of the holy name of the Lord.

PURPORT

There are nine items to be executed in devotional service. These are enumer-
ated in the following verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam (7.5.32):

Sravanam kirtanam visnoh
smaranam pada-sevanam

arcanam vandanam dasyam
sakhyam atma-nivedanam

Hearing the glories of the Lord, chanting, remembering, serving the lotus feet of
the Lord, offering worship in the temple, offering prayers, becoming a servant of
the Lord, becoming the Lord's friend, and sarvatma-nivedana, offering oneself fully
at the lotus feet of the Lord—these are the nine devotional processes. In The Nec-
tar of Devotion, these are expanded into sixty-four items. When Sarvabhauma
Bhattacarya asked the Lord which item was most important, Sri Caitanya
Mahdaprabhu immediately answered that the most important item is the chanting
of the holy names of the Lord—Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. He then quoted the following
verse from the Brhan-naradiya Purana (Thirty-eighth Chapter, verse 126) to con-
firm His statement.

TEXT 242

RINT WaT WaTteay cFAay |
Bea) ABA ALCBTA iC fea 1 282 I

harer naéma harer nama
harer naémaiva kevalam

kalau nasty eva nasty eva
nasty eva gatir anyatha
