नाम्नां तु सङ्कीर्तनमार्तिभारान्
मेघं विना प्रावृषि चातकानाम् ।
रात्रौ वियोगात्स्वपते रथाङ्गि-
वर्गस्य चाक्रोषणवत्प्रतीहि ॥
nāmnāṁ tu saṅkīrtanam ārti-bhārān
meghaṁ vinā prāvṛṣi cātakānām |
rātrau viyogāt sva-pate rathāṅgi-
vargasya cākroṣaṇavat pratīhi ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.3.167)
“Know saṅkīrtana of the names [of Bhagavān] to arise from a profusion of heartache like the loud cries of cātakas during a monsoon devoid of clouds or [the loud cries] of cakravākīs at night separated from their husbands.”
Commentary
cātakānām ākrośanam ārta-svareṇa “priya priya” ity āhvānam iva … evaṁ virahaja-premṇaiva prāyo nāma-saṅkīrtanaṁ syād … viraha-dvārāvirbhavataḥ premṇaś ca parama-vaiśiṣṭyaṁ pūrvopākhyānānte prāyeṇoktam evāgre’pi vakṣyate | evaṁ paramārtyā vicitra-madhura-gāthā-prabandhena bhagavan-nāma-saṅkīrtanaṁ kāryam iti tātparyam, siddhasya lakṣaṇaṁ yat syāt sādhanaṁ sādhakasya tat iti nyāyāt ||
(Excerpt from the Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā)
[“Like the loud cries of cātakas” means] “Like cātakas’ calling with a tone of heartache, ‘Priya! Priya! [Beloved! Beloved!]’ … In this way nāma-saṅkīrtana will generally manifest with prema arising from separation. … The paramount excellence of prema manifest by way of separation was stated in general at the end of the previous narration and will be described ahead as well. Thus, saṅkīrtana of Bhagavān’s names is to be performed out of great heartache by means of variegated, sweet verses and compositions. This is the intention [i.e., this is the directive intended to be gathered from the verse under discussion], as per the principle, ‘The characteristics [i.e., conduct, etc.] of a siddha [i.e., a prema-bhakta] should be the sādhana of a sādhaka.’”