“Although one can attain perfection by following any limb of devotion, in any order, still, as briefly mentioned earlier, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī specifies that bhakti is most effective if śravaṇam, kīrtanam and smaranam are executed in a specific sequence.
The primary sequence:
1. śravaṇam
2. kīrtanam
3. smaranam
Within each, there is a secondary sequence:
1. Kṛṣṇa’s name (nāma)
2. His form (rūpa)
3. His qualities (guṇa)
4. His associates (parikara) and their līlā.
Hearing Kṛṣṇa’s name (nāma śravaṇam) is necessarily first, because it purifies the internal senses, thus granting them the capacity to hear about the form of Bhagavān (rūpa śravaṇam). When one thus internally envisions His form, one can effectively hear about His qualities (guṇa śravaṇam). Having apprehended His qualities and form, one can effectively hear about Bhagavān in relation to His associates (parikara śravaṇam), after which one can effectively hear the nāma, rūpa, guṇa, and parikara of Bhagavān interacting in His līlās (līlā śravaṇam).
The proper sequence of all practices is:
1. Nāma śravaṇam
2. Nāma kīrtanam
3. Nāma smaranam
4. Rūpa śravaṇam
5. Rūpa kīrtanam
6. Rūpa smaranam
7. Guṇa śravaṇam
8. Guṇa kīrtanam
9. Guṇa smaranam
10. Parikara śravaṇam
11. Parikara kīrtanam
12. Parikara smaranam
13. Līlā śravaṇam
14. Līlā kīrtanam
15. Līlā smaranam
Thus, the foundation is nāma śravaṇam and the culmination is līlā smaranam. If one’s heart has become pure by hearing and chanting the names of the Lord, one can then engage in nāma smaranam, while still continuing to engage in nāma kīrtanam. In this way, the preceding practice remains and supports the succeeding practice.
Hear From Whom?
It is best to hear (śravaṇam) from great devotees of the Lord. Such śravaṇam is supremely pleasing to the devotees who have attained taste (ruci). It is only by supreme fortune that one gets the opportunity to hear the name etc. of Śrī Kṛṣṇa from the mouth of a great devotee (mahābhāgavata).
Also, one is very fortunate to hear about any form of Bhagavān, but to hear about Śrī Kṛṣṇa is supreme fortune because He is the original Bhagavān. Thus, to hear about Śrī Kṛṣṇa from His great devotee is the ultimate good fortune.
The best subject to hear is Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. This is because the words of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam are revealed by Krsna Himself and have been recited by Krsna’s great devotee, Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Thus the words of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam have a very special potency to inspire devotion and give a vision of Bhagavān. Moreover, Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is very relishable because it consists of supreme rasa.”
Satyanarayana Dasa Babaji Maharaja
