When I was a kid (I haven’t yet grown up!), I would watch Soccer World Cup matches. Being in India, these matches would begin at insanely strange timings — anywhere between midnight and 3 a.m. I had the habit of sleeping early, but for the sake of these matches, I would somehow get up. Sometimes my father would also sit with me and watch.

Every Soccer World Cup would also have its own theme song. Even years later, hearing those songs would immediately transport one back to the emotions, memories and atmosphere of that tournament. A theme song has the power to define an entire experience.

In many ways, every person also lives with a “theme song” constantly playing within the heart — a recurring meditation, aspiration, obsession or attachment that shapes the direction of one’s life. Whatever we repeatedly think about, glorify, remember and pursue gradually becomes the soundtrack of our existence.

An Ordinary Person’s Theme Song

People of this world base their lives on thinking, remembering and chatting about various things. Srila Prabhupada writes:

“The four processes, namely glorifying, hearing, remembering and worshiping, are general occupations for everyone. Without these principles of life, no one can exist.”
(SB 1.2.5, Purport)

Some people like to read books filled with sensual, political, social and related subject matters. They make such topics the theme songs of their lives. Bhagavatam describes such discussions as places of pilgrimage for crows.

Others make accumulating wealth the theme song of their life.

All such theme songs gradually sap the vital energy of our existence. They simply lead us toward wasting the valuable human form of life, which could otherwise be utilized to attain eternity.

Misdirected Theme Songs

Scriptures also describe personalities who made unworthy subjects the theme songs of their lives, resulting in their ruination.

Daksha made offending Lord Shiva the theme song of his life, because of which he ultimately received a goat’s head.
Ramachandra Puri made criticizing devotees the theme song of his life.
Pururava made association with Urvashi the theme song of his life.
Indra made maintaining his position the theme song of his life.
Ravana made association with women the theme song of his life.

What we repeatedly meditate upon eventually shapes our destiny.

Krishna’s Theme Song

Krishna also has a hidden theme song revealing the innermost emotions of His heart. Krishna spoke His famous song — the Bhagavad-gita. The quintessence of this song is Krishna repeatedly assuring Arjuna about the position of His devotees: how deeply He cares for them, how He never abandons them, and how they eternally reside within His heart.

The Lord says to Durvasa Muni in Srimad Bhagavatam 9.4.63:

“I am completely under the control of My devotees. Indeed, I am not at all independent. Because My devotees are completely devoid of material desires, I sit only within the cores of their hearts. What to speak of My devotee, even those who are devotees of My devotee are very dear to Me.”

This is the repeated theme song of Krishna’s life.

Krishna told the gopis that He was so indebted to their love that He did not possess enough love even to repay them. Therefore, He became forever purchased by them.

A Devotee’s Theme Song

Devotees must also have a theme song in life. While many songs may come and go, the foundational theme song must always remain the same.

When HH Vishnujana Swami Maharaja would wake up devotees, he would do so in a very unique manner. He would rub their chests and say, “Time to shine for Srila Prabhupada.” Pleasing Srila Prabhupada was the theme song of his life.

On the order of Lord Caitanya, Subuddhi Raya made serving devotees the theme song of his life.
Rupa and Sanatana Goswamis made their lives revolve around Mahaprabhu’s instructions — excavating holy places, writing books and establishing devotional practices.
The gopis made Krishna Himself the theme song of their lives.

The Universal Theme Song of a Devotee

For a devotee, there may be unlimited distractions trying to divert one away from the real theme song of life. Maya’s greatest victory is not merely distracting us for a few moments. Her greatest victory is when she places obstacles in our chanting of the Holy Names.

Sometimes life becomes so occupied that chanting receives the last priority, and we somehow finish our rounds before sleeping — half awake and half conscious.

Yet there is no greater wealth than chanting the Holy Names of Krishna. There is no greater pleasure in this world than chanting the Holy Names. There is no song more soothing, calming and satisfying to the heart than Krishna’s Holy Name. In Kali-yuga, Krishna has descended in the form of His Holy Name.

Haridasa Thakura conquered maya not by running away from her, but by the strength of chanting. He had made chanting the theme song of his life.

Srila Prabhupada also made chanting Hare Krishna the theme song of his life, and he imparted this theme song to the entire world — so much so that even popular culture eventually echoed it, though often in distorted ways.

Lord Caitanya prayed, kirtaniyah sada harih — continuous chanting was the theme song of His life, and He descended to teach the same principle to the world. In Navadvipa, He would perform nocturnal kirtans at Srivasa Angana. In Jagannatha Puri, He remained constantly immersed in the chanting of Krishna’s Holy Names.

Although the associates of Lord Caitanya may have had different secondary services and responsibilities, chanting the Holy Name remained the primary theme song of every one of them. Therefore, all our acaryas have spoken their deepest realizations about the Holy Name.

Lord Caitanya gave us Siksastakam.
Rupa Goswami gave us Namastakam.
Sanatana Goswami gave us Brhad Bhagavatamrta, whose essence is Gopa-kumara’s chanting of the Gopala mantra — the theme song that ultimately led him to Goloka Vrindavan and the association of Krishna.

We can reflect in our own lives – What have I made as the theme song of my life? Offending devotees, judging others, sensual gratification, or service to Krishna, chanting and hearing, following guru’s instructions?

When we practice bhakti-yoga, if we make chanting the central theme song of our life, along with supporting sub-themes such as serving devotees, worshiping the Deities and hearing hari-katha, then our entire life can gradually become a perfect offering unto Krishna.