”Schnick Schnick AAAhma AAAhma”

Absorbed in the thought of the transcendental qualities of the Lord, who is sung in select poetry, the ladies on the roofs of all the houses of Hastināpura began to talk of Him. This talk was more attractive than the hymns of the Vedas. [ŚB 1.10.20]

The chatter of the ladies on the rooftops was more spiritual than the mantras chanted by the brahmanas.

Why?

The goal of Vedic mantra is to sacrifice oneself entirely into the fire of Brahman. The ladies on the rooftops had absolutely and completely sacrificed every atom of their being to Krishna. Therefore their chatter is on a higher platform than Vedic Mantra.

Similarly the songs of Śrī Narottama are better than the chandas of Ṛg, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva.

The import for us?

“Schnick Schnick Rāma Rāma” doesn’t attract anyone or produce much spiritual bliss. We have to sacrifice our whole minds and hearts to the mantra, giving a completely open space for the mantra to fill. Then our chanting sounds like the chatter of the ladies on the rooftops, otherwise we are lucky if we sometimes sound like Vedic Brahmanas. More like frogs and strange crickets, usually. 😉