yat-saáš ga-labdhaáš nija-vÄŤrya-vaibhavaáš
tÄŤrthaáš muhuḼ saášspášĹatÄáš hi mÄnasam
haraty ajo 'ntaḼ Ĺrutibhir gato 'áš gajaáš
ko vai na seveta mukunda-vikramam
yat - of whom (the devotees); saáš ga-labdham - achieved by the association; nija-vÄŤrya-vaibhavam - whose influence is uncommon; tÄŤrtham - holy places like the Ganges; muhuḼ - repeatedly; saášspášĹatÄm - of those touching; hi - certainly; mÄnasam - the dirty things in the mind; harati - vanquishes; ajaḼ - the supreme unborn one; antaḼ - in the core of the heart; ĹrutibhiḼ - by the ears; gataḼ - entered; aáš ga-jam - dirty things or infections of the body; kaḼ - who; vai - indeed; na - not; seveta - would serve; mukunda-vikramam - the glorious activities of Mukunda, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Bathing in the Ganges can certainly cure one of many infectious diseases, but it cannot cleanse oneâs materially attached mind, which creates all kinds of contaminations in material existence. However, one who directly associates with the Supreme Lord by hearing of His activities cleanses the dirt from his mind and very soon comes to KášášŁáša consciousness. SĹŤta GosvÄmÄŤ confirms this in ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam (1.2.17):
ĹášášvatÄáš sva-kathÄḼ kášášŁášaḼ
puášya-Ĺravaáša-kÄŤrtanaḼ
hášdy antaḼ-stho hy abhadrÄáši
vidhunoti suhášt-satÄm
The Supreme Lord within everyoneâs heart becomes very pleased when a person hears narrations of His activities, and He personally cleanses the dirt from the mind of the listener. Hášdy antaḼ-stho hy abhadrÄáši vidhunoti: He washes off all dirt from the mind. Material existence is caused by dirty things within the mind. If one can cleanse his mind, he immediately comes to his original position of KášášŁáša consciousness, and thus his life becomes successful. Therefore all the great saints in the devotional line very strongly recommend the process of hearing. ĹrÄŤ Caitanya MahÄprabhu introduced the congregational chanting of the Hare KášášŁáša mantra to give everyone a chance to hear KášášŁášaâs holy name, for simply by hearing Hare KášášŁáša, Hare KášášŁáša, KášášŁáša KášášŁáša, Hare Hare/ Hare RÄma, Hare RÄma, RÄma RÄma, Hare Hare, one becomes purified (ceto-darpaáša-mÄrjanam). Therefore our KášášŁáša consciousness movement is chiefly engaged in chanting the Hare KášášŁáša mantra all over the world.
After oneâs mind becomes cleansed by chanting Hare KášášŁáša, one gradually comes to the platform of KášášŁáša consciousness and then reads books like Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ, ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam, Caitanya-caritÄmášta and The Nectar of Devotion. In this way, one becomes more and more purified of material contamination. As stated in ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam (1.2.18):
naᚣáša-prÄyeᚣv abhadreᚣu
nityaáš bhÄgavata-sevayÄ
bhagavaty uttama-Ĺloke
bhaktir bhavati naiᚣášhikÄŤ
âBy regularly hearing the BhÄgavatam and rendering service unto the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is practically destroyed, and loving service unto the glorious Lord, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.â In this way, simply by hearing of the powerful activities of the Lord, the devoteeâs heart becomes almost completely cleansed of material contamination, and thus his original position as an eternal servant who is part and parcel of the Lord becomes manifest. While the devotee engages in devotional service, the passionate and ignorant modes of material nature are gradually vanquished, and then he acts only in the mode of goodness. At that time he becomes happy and gradually advances in KášášŁáša consciousness.
All the great ÄcÄryas strongly recommend that people be given a chance to hear about the Supreme Lord. Then success is assured. The more we cleanse the dirt of material attachment from our hearts, the more we will be attracted by KášášŁášaâs name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and activities. This is the sum and substance of the KášášŁáša consciousness movement.