Navadhā Bhakti
The Bhāgavata Purāṇam (7.5.23) enumerates nine forms (navadhā) of bhakti:
- Śravaṇam — hearing of the Lord's names and stories
- Kīrtanam — singing/chanting of the Lord's names and glories
- Smaraṇam — constant remembrance
- Pāda-sevanam — service at the Lord's feet
- Arcanam — ritualistic worship
- Vandanam — prostration
- Dāsyam — servant-attitude
- Sakhyam — friendship with the Lord
- Ātma-nivedanam — total self-offering
Prahlāda taught these to his classmates; the Bhāgavatam presents kīrtana as the yugadharma (the spiritual practice most suitable for the current Kali age).
In Sri Vaishnava Practice
Kīrtana in the Sri Vaishnava tradition takes the form of reciting the Divya Prabandham — the Āzhvārs' songs are the supreme kīrtana of this tradition. The Araiyar Sevai at Śrīraṅgam — the liturgical performance of select Divya Prabandha verses by trained Araiyar priests with song, instrumental music, and gesture — is the highest form of kīrtana in the tradition.
The Adhyayanotsavam (the annual 20-day festival at Śrīraṅgam and other Divya Desams) is a festival of continuous kīrtana — the entire 4,000 verses recited before the Lord.