If some other form of devotion enhances our roopdhyan, then we should keep it. We don't need to cut that one loose. But out of all the forms of devotion, kirtan is said to be the most effective enhancer of roopdhyan in Kali Yug.
The Bhagwatam says, “In other yugs there are other external practices that help us with our roopdhyan.” So in Sat Yug, you have to leave everything and go in some isolated place and just do like Dhruv did, just sit and do roopdhyan until Shri Krishna comes to you. In Treta Yug, yagya, Vedic yagya is recommended as the accompanying practice. In Dwapar Yug, poojan is recommended as the accompanying practice. But in Kali Yug, kirtan is the most highly recommended thing.
The Bhagwatam says, “Although Kali Yug is the ocean of all the bad qualities, yet there is one supreme quality that Kali Yug has that makes it an even better yug than Sat Yug.” What's that? You can attain Shri Krishna just by chanting His name. So kirtan is the main external practice of devotion for Kali Yug. The kirtan helps us. It's like a delivery method. So the medicine is the main thing, right? Roopdhyan is that magic pill. You put that in, it's going to do its work. But maybe, you know, if you mix that medicine, that pill, in some, gur (sweet) and ghee, something sweet, something tasty, then it's going to go down a lot easier. And you might even feel like eating more of that medicine than you would otherwise. So that delivery method is not the main thing, but it enhances the experience of the medicine.
Similarly, roopdhyan is the main thing, but when we put it in the kirtan, we can do it for a lot longer and it feels a lot sweeter. So, to maximize the time you're spending in devotion, what is recommended for Kali Yug by all the Saints and especially by Jagadguru Shree Kripalu Ji Maharaj is, of course, roopdhyan for the entire time, but concentrate on doing kirtan with your roopdhyan. What about all the other practices? Those ones we're ruthlessly cutting away, “Okay, I don’t need you anymore! I don’t need you anymore!” Will there be any punishment? “You know, I used to do this poojan. I used to do this vrat.” All these various ways that we worship God, if they're not required, if all that's required is sit and do kirtan or listen to kirtan and do roopdhyan… now I'm cutting out all these other practices!?
Ved Vyas ji says not to worry.
स्मर्तव्यः सततं विष्णुर् विस्मर्तव्यो न जातुचित् । सर्वे विधि-निषेधाः स्युर् एतयोर् एव किङ्कराः ॥
Smartavyaḥ satataṃ viṣhṇur vismartavyo na jātuchit. Sarve vidhi-niṣhedhāḥ syur etayor ev kiṅkarāḥ.
- Padma Purāṇa
He says…“remember, I already told you. The other one was from Ling Puraṇ, where Ved Vyas Ji said, “I did manthan (churn) of all the scriptures again and again and the essence of all the knowledges and practices is do roopdhyan on Shri Krishna.” So, if you're doing roopdhyan, here he uses the word smaran - same thing, “You remember Shri Krishna with your heart.”
