Kirtan Guide
Framework of The Daily Programme
at Śrī Chaitanya Sāraswat Maṭh, Nabadwīp
The first line of each kirtan is given along with the its page number.
At the beginning of each ārati, the Pañcha Tattva mantra is sung:
Śrī-Kṛṣṇa-Chaitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda,
Śrī-Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsādi Gaura-bhakta-vṛnda
Each ārati and parikramā ends with the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahāmantra:
Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma Hare Hare
The Daily Morning Programme
Begins with Śrīla Gurudev’s ārati at his Samādhi Mandir – The Temple of Love and Affection:
jaya jaya gurudever ārati ujjvala 44
Then Śrīla Guru Mahārāj’s ārati at his Samādhi Mandir – The Temple of Union in Separation:
jaya ‘guru-mahārāja’ yati-rājeśvara 46
Followed by the ārati of Śrī Śrī Guru-Gaurāṅga-Gāndharvā-Govindasundar-jīu (the Deities of Śrī Chaitanya Sāraswat Maṭh):
kali-kukkura-kadana yadi chāo he 49
yaśomatī-nandana vraja-vara-nāgara 50
jaya śachī-nandana sura-muni-vandana 51
Then parikramā of the three Temples:
Followed by offering obeisances to Śrīmatī Tulasī Devī:
Immediately followed by obeisances to the Vaiṣṇavas:
vāñchhā-kalpa-tarubhyaś cha 22
and sometimes:
sakala vaiṣṇava-pade mora namaskāra
ithe kichhu aparādha nahuka āmāra
haiyachen haiben prabhura jata bhakta jana
vandanā kari’ āmi sabāra charaṇa
“I respectfully bow to the lotus feet of all the Vaiṣṇavas, praying that there is no offence in my attempt to please them. To all Vaiṣṇavas who have been, and all Vaiṣṇavas who shall be, I offer my obeisances to their lotus feet.”
Finally devotees offer obeisances to Śrīla Gurudev and Śrīla Guru Mahārāj at their Samādhī Mandirs, and to the Deities. Then beside the Temple, facing east they offer obeisances to Śrīmatī Gaṅgadevi:
sadya pātaka saṁhantri sadya duḥkha vināśinī
sukhadā bhaktidā gaṅgā gaṅgeva paramāgati
“O Gaṅgā, destroyer of sins in an instant, destroyer of sorrow in an instant, giver of happiness, giver of devotion – O Gaṅgā, you are certainly the supreme refuge.”
THE MORNING KĪRTANS begin with:
Recitation of the Vandana prayers 15
Followed by the kīrtans:
saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka 56
śrī-kṛṣṇa-chaitanya prabhu jīve dayā kari 59
bhaja re bhaja re āmār mana ati manda 60
After which is a reading from Śrī Chaitanya Bhāgavata in Bengali.
Closing with:
hari haraye namaḥ kṛṣṇa yādavāya namaḥ 65
After morning Prasādam is a class in English (or Spanish, etc.) established by Śrīla Gurudev and held on Śrīla Guru Mahārāj’s Samādhī Mandir.
THE MIDDAY PROGRAMME
commences with offering bhoga, while singing:
bhaja bhakata-vatsala śrī-gaurahari 66
Followed by Śrīla Gurudev’s ārati and Śrīla Guru Mahārāj’s ārati at their respective Samadhi Mandirs (as in the morning).
Then ārati of the Deities:
yaśomatī-nandana vraja-vara-nāgara 50
jaya śachī-nandana sura-muni-vandana 51
Before honouring Prasadam, the devotees chant:
(but on days when no grains are taken, only the first prayer is chanted.)
MID-AFTERNOON: reading from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam in Bengali.
THE EVENING PROGRAMME
begins with Śrīla Gurudev’s and Śrīla Guru Mahārāj’s āratis at their respective Samādhi Mandirs.
Then ārati of the Deities:
(kibā) jaya jaya gorāchā̐der āratika śobhā 73
jayare jayare jaya gaura-sarasvatī 75
Followed by parikramā of all three Temples:
kabe śrī-chaitanya more karibena dayā 77
Then, as in the morning programme, devotees offer obeisances to Śrīmatī Tulasī Devī, the Vaiṣṇavas, the three Temples, and Gaṅga Devī.
EVENING KĪRTANS:
Recitation of the Vandana prayers 15
Followed by the songs:
śrī-kṛṣṇa-chaitanya prabhu dayā kara more 80
(ohe) vaiṣṇava ṭhākura dayāra sāgara 81
Followed by a selection, most of which are included in this Kīrtan Guide.
Daily, usually near the end, is sung:
sujanārbuda-rādhita-pāda-yugaṁ 83
Which is followed daily by 10 verses from Śrī Śrī Prema-dhāma-deva Stotram beginning with verse 1 each Saturday.
Followed by a Bengali reading from Śrī Chaitanya Charitāmṛta.
Concluding with:
hari haraye namaḥ kṛṣṇa yādavāya namaḥ 65
AdditIonal kĪrtans chanted on special occasions:
During the month of Kārtik
additional kirtans are chanted.
The following are added to the morning programme:
nadīyā-nagare nitāi neche neche gāya re 235
namāmīśvaraṁ sachchidānanda-rūpaṁ 272
rādhe jaya jaya mādhava-dayite 287
And added to the evening programme is Mahāprabhu’s Śrī Śikṣāṣṭakam, with Śrīla Bhaktivinod Ṭhākur’s accompanying compositions:
cheto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ pages 192 - 207
pīta-varaṇa kali-pāvana gorā 192
On the Appearance Day of a guru in our lineage
the following is also chanted during the morning and/or evening seated programme. This song is often begun from verse five or six:
On the Appearance Day of Śrī Gaurāṅga Sundar
the following are sung leading up to moonrise:
aruṇa vasane sonāra sūraja 141
chaudda-śata sāta-śake māsa ye phālguna 247
On the Appearance Days of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s Līlā-avatārs
the Śrī Daśāvatār Stotram is sung:
On the Disappearance Days of Gurus
from our lineage or other worshipable Vaiṣṇavas:
also the following may be sung:
ei-bāra karuṇā kara vaiṣṇava gosāñi 120
On Harivāsar Tithi
whether it falls on an Ekādaśī or a Mahādvādaśī.
In the morning programme:
śrī-hari-vāsare hari-kīrtana-vidhāna 243
and in the evening:
śuddha-bhakata-charaṇa-reṇu 245
Ākhars (lit. ornaments) may be sung during or after songs. Throughout this book, ākhars are in non-bold text enclosed within brackets.