Hearing and Singing the Glories of God
Even amid worldly life, the devotee continually hears and sings of the Lord's qualities and deeds, keeping love aflame.
In Sutra 37, Narada teaches that love is nurtured 'even while engaged in worldly affairs, by constantly hearing and singing of His glories.' One need not abandon ordinary responsibilities; rather, one infuses them with sacred sound — the chanting of God's names, the singing of His praises, the hearing of His stories. This devotional practice, known as kirtana and shravana, keeps the heart immersed in the Beloved even in the marketplace of life. Narada democratizes devotion, making it possible for the householder as much as the renunciate. The teaching anticipates the great kirtana traditions of India and the universal recognition that sacred music and song have a unique power to lift and unify the human heart.
Even amid worldly affairs, constantly hear and sing His glories.
Kirtana traditions have long held that collective song unites its participants in shared feeling and rhythm, dissolving the boundaries of the isolated self.
Narada Bhakti Sutras