134 TEACHINGS OF QUEEN KUNTI

being trained in the beginning as a brahmacari, he will not stay for many
years in family life, but will very soon become vdnaprastha (retired) and
then accept sannyasa, the renounced order of life.

In this material world everyone is suffering—the birds, the beasts, the
trees, the animals, the plants, and even Brahma and Indra. Indra is also
not safe; he is always in anxiety about competitors who may come.

tat sadhu manye ’sura-varya dehinam
sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat
(Bhag. 7.5.5)

Why is everyone in this material world always in anxiety? Avidya-kama-
karmabhih: because they are rascals. Therefore Krsna stresses, ‘‘ You ras-
cal, give up all your nonsense and surrender unto Me.”’ This is Krsna’s
very good mercy. He is the supreme father. Therefore He directly says,
sarva-guhyatamam: ‘‘This is the most confidential knowledge.’’ Sarva-
dharman parityajya mam ekam Saranam vraja: ‘You rascal, give up every-
thing and simply surrender unto Me.”’

Therefore Kunti says, ‘“You have come to teach rascals like this and
engage them in hearing, remembering, and worship.” This is bhakti. Sra-
vanam kirtanam visnoh: one should hear and chant about Visnu, Krsna.
But as soon as devotees begin to hear and chant about Visnu, some rascal
svami will say, ‘“No, hearing or chanting any name will do. Why Visnu?
Why not Kali?’ In Bengal there is a group of people who have invented
‘‘kali-kirtana,”’ chanting the name of the demigoddess Kali. What is this
nonsense? In the Vedic literature there is no such thing as ‘‘kali-
kirtana.”” Kirtana means Ssravanam kirtanam visnoh—hearing and chant-
ing about Visnu, Krsna. The Vedic literature recommends harer nama,
chanting of the holy name of Hari, Krsna, and no one else.

This sravanam kirtanam, hearing and chanting, was described very
nicely by Sukadeva Gosvami in the Second Canto of Srimad-Bhdgavatam
(2.4.15). He said:

yat-kirtanam yad-smaranam yad-iksanam
yad-vandanam yat-sravanam yad-arhanam
lokasya sadyo vidhunoti kalmasam
tasmai subhadra-sravase namo namah

Before speaking Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sukadeva Gosvami offered his
obeisances to Krsna with this verse. He said, ‘‘I offer my obeisances unto
