Shakespeare, Winter and Kirtan.

When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold;
Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang. - Shakespeare.

I came across these desolate lines of poetry last week, as winter was setting in. Some scholars think the line "bare ruin'd choirs ..." may refer to Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries, where the monks used to sing their prayers (like this, maybe). The sonnet may describe not only the winter season, but also hint at the Winter of the Ages - Kali-yuga -when spiritual principles lose favour and devotees of God are often hassled and disturbed. When, instead of being the most natural thing to sing thanks and praises to God, that is seen as something odd and even embarrasing. And worst of all, when many religions spring up, each thinking they are the only ones who know the Truth. Instead of recognising and honouring saintly persons of all traditions by their rare qualities of surrender to God, they quarrel with each other over dogma sounding more like crows than 'sweet birds' singing.

But Shakespeare's lines are too bleak. You can't keep a good bird down. Thanks to Lord Chaitanya's sankirtana movement, sweet birds are still singing, all over the world, for Krishna. Kirtan is the way to keep our hearts blazing in the wintry cold of Kali-yuga, and on a dreary winter's day, there is nothing more uplifting than to gather with friends and chant for an hour or so; nothing more warming to the cockles of the heart; and certainly, nothing more pleasing to Krishna.

And here's a nice one led by Ranchor, for the times inbetween.