Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 7.15.72

aham ca gayams tad-vidvan

stribhih parivrito gatah

jnatva visva-srijas tan me

helanam sepur ojasa

yahi tvam sudratam asu

nashta-srih krita-helanah

SYNONYMS

aham -- I myself; ca -- and; gayan -- singing the glories of other demigods rather than those of the Lord; tat-vidvan -- knowing very well the art of singing; stribhih -- by women; parivritah -- being surrounded; gatah -- went there; jnatva -- knowing well; visva-srijah -- the prajapatis, to whom the management of universal affairs was entrusted; tat -- the attitude of my singing; me -- my; helanam -- negligence; sepuh -- cursed; ojasa -- with great force; yahi -- become; tvam -- you; sudratam -- a sudra; asu -- immediately; nashta -- devoid of; srih -- beauty; krita-helanah -- because of transgressing the etiquette.

TRANSLATION

Narada Muni continued: Being invited to that festival, I also joined, and, surrounded by women, I began musically singing the glories of the demigods. Because of this, the prajapatis, the great demigods in charge of the affairs of the universe, forcefully cursed me with these words: "Because you have committed an offense, may you immediately become a sudra, devoid of beauty."

PURPORT

As far as kirtana is concerned, the sastras say, sravanam kirtanam vishnoh: [SB 7.5.23] one should chant the glories of the Supreme Lord and the holy name of the Supreme Lord. This is clearly stated. Sravanam kirtanam vishnoh: one should chant about and glorify Lord Vishnu, not any demigod. Unfortunately, there are foolish persons who invent some process of kirtana on the basis of a demigod's name. This is an offense. Kirtana means glorifying the Supreme Lord, not any demigod. Sometimes people invent kali-kirtana or siva-kirtana, and even big sannyasis in the Mayavada school say that one may chant any name and still get the same result. But here we find that millions and millions of years ago, when Narada Muni was a Gandharva, he neglected the order to glorify the Lord, and being mad in the association of women, he began to chant otherwise. Thus he was cursed to become a sudra. His first offense was that he went to join the sankirtana party in the company of lusty women, and another offense was that he considered ordinary songs, like cinema songs and other such songs, to be equal to sankirtana. For this offense he was punished with becoming a sudra.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness