Hearing and Singing the Lord's Glories Together
Narada teaches that gathering to hear and sing the stories and glories of God is the living heart of holy company.
In the company of devotees, the chief activity is the loving hearing (shravana) and singing (kirtana) of the Lord's names, forms, qualities, and deeds. Narada and the whole tradition hold that such shared remembrance kindles love more swiftly than solitary effort, for many hearts aflame together raise a greater fire. The congregational chant, the recited story, the shared tears of devotion — these bind the community and lift each member beyond what they could reach alone. This is why kirtan and katha stand at the center of devotional life. The teaching makes love a communal joy, not only a private discipline. Sung and shared, the glory of the beloved becomes a feast in which all partake.
They speak of Him to one another, with quavering voices, tearful eyes, and thrilling hearts.
The sociologist Emile Durkheim named this collective effervescence, the heightened emotional and communal bond that shared ritual song and worship generate, illuminating the unique power Narada attributes to congregational kirtan.
Narada Bhakti Sutras