Chanting is yuga dharma – does this mean it is recommended way, the best way or the only way?
So when we say chanting is the yuga dharma does that mean chanting is the recommended process or chanting is the best process or is chanting the only process yeah, see chanting is definitely essential but the whole point is that we have to develop a relationship with Krishna so chanting is the primary way in which we can develop that relationship at the same time it's a relationship and that's why there are nine limbs of bhakti if it was only chanting then Rupa Goswami didn't have to write a book of Bhakti Samasindhu where he talks about 64 items of devotional service he could have just chanted and Krishna everything will happen Prabhupada he gives so much philosophy in his books he could have just chanted he has given us philosophy he has given us so much shastric commentary so there are two extremes one is that I make chanting only everything and neglect everything else if I can truly become absorbed in chanting that's wonderful but for most of us it is difficult to be constantly absorbed fully in chanting so there is no need to reduce the whole process of bhakti only to chanting because the process of bhakti is a process of developing a relationship with Krishna and chanting is important within that and because it is yoga dharma we do definitely need to chant but that doesn't necessarily mean that that is the only thing we need to do if we can from the chanting everything will come but for most of us it is difficult to chant constantly so there are other processes also involved in bhakti so when it is said that this is yoga dharma that means this is a vital process but that doesn't mean that is the only process by only process means certainly anybody who wants to develop bhakti they have to chant but along with chanting there are other ways also in which you can connect with Krishna not only does Bhakti Rasaam talk about 64 items of bhakti it also talks about 5 potent forms of devotional service within that so that way we see the process of spiritual advancement as a process of developing a relationship with Krishna and while giving chanting the central primary importance we also observe to see what are the ways in which I can develop a relationship with Krishna.