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The Glories Of Chanting

SB 3.33.7
aho bata sva-paco 'to gariyan yaj-jihvagre vartate nama tubhyam tepus tapas te juhuvuh sasnur arya brahmanucur nama grnanti ye te

TRANSLATION
Oh, how glorious are they whose tongues are chanting Your holy name! Even if born in the families of dog-eaters, such persons are worshipable. Persons who chant the holy name of Your Lordship must have executed all kinds of austerities and fire sacrifices and achieved all the good manners of the
Aryans. To be chanting the holy name of Your Lordship, they must have bathed at holy places of pilgrimage, studied the Vedas and fulfilled everything required. (Devahuti to Lord Kapiladev)

SB 6.3.31
tasmat sankirtanam visnor jagan-mangalam amhasam mahatam api kauravya viddhy aikantika-niskrtam

TRANSLATION
My dear King, the chanting of the holy name of the Lord is able to uproot even the reactions of the greatest sins. Therefore the chanting of the sankirtana movement is the most auspicious activity in the entire universe. Please try to understand this so that others will take it seriously. (Sri Sukadeva Goswami to Maharaja Parikshita)

Brhad Vishnu Purana
namno hi yavati saktih papa-nirarane hareh tavat kartum na saknoti patakam pataki narah

TRANSLATION
Simply by chanting the holy name of Hari, a sinful man can counteract the reactions of more sins than he is able to commit.
Hare Krishna Mantra
Vaiyasaki

I was born in London, England, where I lived in Chelsea until 5 years old. That's when my mother packed me and my sister off to Canada. We ended up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where I grew up and was educated. My mother was a cultured lady so she sent her children for music lessons and ballet classes. I studied violin for 7 years until age 13, when I discovered rock 'n' roll and the blues. That's when I switched to guitar. By the time I was 14 I had already formed a band and was gigging around town. I played guitar and sang in different bands until ending up in the Vancouver scene by the end of the '60s.

In 1970 I returned to London to try and make it big in the music business. It wasn't long before I met the Krishna devotees. I was already a vegetarian and into spiritual life back in Vancouver so I felt a kinship with these Hare Krishna monks. By 1973 I had met my spiritual master, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, and took up the process of bhakti yoga.

I received my spiritual name from Srila Prabhupada in 1975 and, on his request, journeyed overland to India, hitchhiking and taking public transportation whenever necessary. I had always been attracted to India, but I knew that it would change my life so I held off going while still pursuing a rock music career. But now, as a devotee, I was definitely ready to go. I loved India and traveled all over the subcontinent distributing the books of His Divine Grace.

I discovered the ancient Bengali art of raga kirtan and was moved like never before. Never before had I heard such singing!

In 1978 I arrived in Bangladesh. On a boat trip down the Meghna River I chanced upon a local kirtan band on its way to a festival. I decided to follow them and attend that festival. That night my life changed. I discovered the ancient Bengali art of raga kirtan and was moved like never before. Never before had I heard such singing! What to speak of the level of musicianship of the drummers and flute players.

I spent 3 years associating with different bands around Bangladesh and then returned to London with my own style of kirtan, a blend of ancient Bengali and modern contemporary music. By the grace of Lord Krishna, my music was appreciated everywhere and I have been traveling around the world since then performing in the major cities of the world. My childhood dream to become a famous musician was finally fulfilled, but not in the way I ever could have imagined.

Now I am married and live with my wife, Kaisori Devi, in St. Augustine, Florida. I hope that you like the CDs I have recorded. Each one is a little different as I am always trying to stay one step ahead of the listener.

- Vaiyasaki dasa Adhikari

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Contact: Vaiyasaki@kirtan.org