The word ‘kirti’ means to praise and keertan is singing the praises of God with the purpose of glorifying Him and increasing our bhakti. Keertan is melodious singing of the leelas of God. When we take part in keertan, we keep alive the flame of bhakti burning brightly in our being. When there is harmonious singing with emotions of love and surrender, it is easy for the mind to be focussed on the songs and be filled with love of God. It is very easy for anyone to take part in keertan and benefit by it immediately. When the keertan is sung, in the emotions of bhakti bhava, it is easy to lose oneself and sing and dance to the glories of God. In such conditions, when we are in a different state of consciousness, great transformation takes place within us and our bhakti deepens.
Among the greatest persons who were famed for keertan was Sage Sukadev – the son of Veda Vyasa. Sage Sukadev sang the 18,000 slokas of Srimad Bhagvad to group of saints and Rishis for the sake of salvation of Maharaja Parikshit. Sage Sukadev was always one with Divinity and when such a person performed keertan, all the listeners were transported to a mystical realm of love of God.
Sage Sukadev was the great son of Veda Vyasa. He was a mystic and was always One with all Creation. He was a realised soul and more advanced than his great father Veda Vyasa who compiled the Vedas and Puranas. Once when he was gone, his father Veda Vyasa called out to him: Suka, where are you? And the trees in the forest murmured: I am here! I am here!
Sage Suka was a boy of sixteen and his mind was eternally set on the Para Brahman. He was a Nitya Muktaatama by birth – meaning he was born wholly self realised. He had no body consciousness and used to wander around naked. Once, Veda Vyasa followed his son Sage Sukadev as he was walking through the forest. Sage Sukadev passed by a pond where many women were bathing. The women smiled at Sage Sukadev and continued bathing. They were not affected though they were naked and bathing, and Sage Sukadev was also young and naked. When they saw Veda Vyasa approaching the pond, they collected their clothes and covered themselves out of modesty even though Veda Vyasa was old and a Rishi. Noticing this strange behaviour on part of the women, Veda Vyasa asked them to explain why they covered themselves when he came but did not do so when his son Sage Sukadev passed by. The women replied that he – Veda Vyasa was alive to the differences of sex but his son Sage Sukadev was one with all creation and did not differentiate between man and woman.
The Srimad Bhagvad was sung in keertan by Sage Narad to Veda Vyasa who sang it to his son Sage Sukadev. Suka had a perfect memory and could recite the entire Srimad Bhagvad without any omissions. Sage Sukadev sang it for Maharaja Parikshit when Parikshit was cursed to die on the 7th day by a snake bite. Hearing that Maharaja Parikshit was cursed to die and had come to Naimisharanya forest, all sages and saints assembled there and Sage Sukadev performed the keertan of stories of the leelas and incarnations of Lord Vishnu. For seven days and seven nights, Sage Sukadev did not eat or drink. He was fully engrossed in the keertan. And Maharaja Parikshit who was in ecstasy and bliss by hearing the wonderful stories of Sri Krishna did not eat and drink also. The keertan of Sage Sukadev transported Parikshit into another plane of existence and at the end of the seventh day, he was bitten by a snake and he died instantly. As he was wholly focused on the name, form and glory of the Lord, he was released from the worldly ties and attained the Supreme Bliss of Self Realisation.
Regular keertan in all homes across the country will bring a great change. There will be less violence and crime and people will be more honest and peaceful. Bhaktas or devotees of God develop qualities of hard work, discipline, selflessness and compassion. When these qualities are used in daily life, it makes the individual and collective life of people successful and prosperous and also leads them to the Supreme Power.
