You all know that the meaning of the Sanskrit word tańd́u is “jumping” or “leaping”, and tańd́ula means “rice”. Rice is called tańd́ula because the rice kernels jump when they are separated from the husk. Thus táńd́ava also means “jumping”. While jumping, when the knee comes up to the navel or above it then it is called brahmatáńd́ava, and when the knee goes above the anáhata cakra then it is called viśńutáńd́ava , and when the knee crosses the vishuddha cakra it is called rudratáńd́ava. All of you should remember this.

Today at noon I talked about the fundamental principles of devotion. The subject of discourse was “Kiirtaniiyah Sadá Harih”. In it I discussed what should be the cardinal principles of a gentleman, what their nature should be. What is kiirtana, what is Hari? I also talked about that. Did you all understand it properly?

Kiirtaniiyah sadá Harih. The devotee will do the kiirtana of Hari. At that time what will Hari do? That is one question. The devotee is very dear to Hari and Hari is also very dear to the devotee. And Hari steals the devotee’s sins. All this takes place. But when the devotee does the kiirtana of Hari, what will Hari do then? You know, if, when the devotee does kiirtana, the mantra is a siddha mantra (kiirtana has siddha mantras), an aśt́ákśarii siddha mantra, that is, having eight syllables and also being siddha [consecrated and infused with tremendous power], then as a result a certain environment is created, a special wave is created. Why is this wave produced? Each spiritual aspirant while doing kiirtana feels that a special wave is produced. How does it happen? Where does this wave come from? When the devotees do kiirtana they themselves create a certain environment. That wave emanates from the nucleus of this environment. The way that the devotees create this environment is called hariparimańd́ala in the scriptures. Parimańd́ala means “environment”. This wave emanates from the hariparimańd́ala. At that time where does Hari remain? There is a shloka prevalent in the scriptures –

Náhaḿ tiśt́hámi vaekuńt́he yogináḿ hrdaye na ca;
Madbhaktáh yatra gáyanti tatra tiśt́hámi nárada.

Nárada asks the question: “It is true that you are all-pervading, but while you are everywhere you still control everything while remaining in one specific place. You control everything from one particular nucleus – this is also true. But where is this nucleus? Where is your actual residence?” Nárada asks Náráyańa this.

What does the word nárada mean? The word nára has three meanings in Sanskrit. One meaning of the word nára is niira, that is, “water”. The second meaning is Paramá Prakrti, the Supreme Operative Principle. Nára means prakrti and ayańa means “shelter”. Thus the one in whom nára or prakrti is sheltered, prakrti’s shelter, is Náráyańa. Nára means prakrti and ayańa means “shelter”. The ayańa of nára is Náráyańa. And the third meaning of the word nára is “devotion”. Nára + da = nárada. In Sanskrit da means “one who gives”. Hence nárada means “one who gives nára, or devotion, one who distributes devotion”. Nárada was a great devotee. That Nárada’s question was: “Lord, where do you stay? Where is your true dwelling? Where is your nucleus really located? You are everywhere but where is your nucleus?”

Náhaḿ tiśt́hámi vaekuńt́he. Some people say that Náráyańa remains in vaekuńt́ha [heaven]. Vaekuńt́ha does not mean a far-away land. Kuńt́há means “contraction.” For example, people are contracted in the cold; they are contracted out of fear or shame. So vaekuńt́ha is used in the sense of contraction having passed, that is, where the mind does not undergo any kind of contraction, where it is liberated, free, absorbed in the love of the Paramátmá. Where there is no kuńt́há it is vaekuńt́ha. Vaekuńt́ha does not mean a distant place. When there is no contraction in your mind then there is the dawn of vaekuńt́ha in your mind. This is vaekuńt́ha. But here Náráyańa says, “I do not remain in vaekuńt́ha”– náhaḿ tiśt́hámi vaekuńt́he. Why does he not remain there? It is true that where there is no contraction the devotees get the Lord, because the mind is not contracted. However, here there is no emanation of the wave of kiirtana. Only one person will feel it, will attain bliss. It will not be possible for that person to distribute bliss to everyone. Thus He says, náhaḿ tiśt́hámi vaekuńt́he.

Again He says: yogináḿ hrdaye na ca. What does yogii mean? The word yogii has several meanings. One meaning is: sarvacintáparityágonishcinto yoga ucyate. Or yogashcittavrttinirodhah. Another meaning is: saḿyogo yoga ityuktah jiivátmá paramátmanah. In this way there are many explanations. But what does a yogi do? The yogi brings the cittavrtti, that is, the mental propensities to cessation, suspends and stops them. In that state all the mental propensities cease, that is, all their mental propensities are suspended, remain in a suspended state; there cannot be expression of any of [[one’s]] feelings. If Náráyańa remains there [[the yogi]] will not have any expression. The yogi feels the presence of the Paramátmá in their heart but in this state there cannot be any outward emanation of that wave, as happens in kiirtana. Although Paramátmá is present in a yogi’s heart, it is a kind of dry desert. It is not sweet.

But kiirtana has raso vae sah. He is full of rasa i.e. sweetness, full of bliss. People derive bliss from it. They get bliss from kiirtana. So if Náráyańa were to reside in a yogi’s heart then no one would enjoy bliss; only that yogi would enjoy bliss. So what does Náráyańa say? Madbhaktáh yatra gáyanti tatra tiśt́hámi nárada. He says: “O Nárada, I reside where my devotees do my kiirtana.” In other words, “I go where my devotees are doing kiirtana, where they are creating the Hariparimańd́ala.” This is why people get bliss from kiirtana.

I have said that doing kiirtana is the definite duty of every spiritual aspirant. In kiirtana the mind becomes very elevated. One gets bliss. One gets the wave of Hari, and if a person sits for meditation immediately thereafter then they will also experience great bliss in their meditation. Thus doing kiirtana is definitely a necessity for every spiritual aspirant.