the way of the bird
Bhajans
The singing of bhajans or devotional songs is a very ancient tradition in India. The bhajans that are presented here come from several sources. For the most part, these bhajans come from the writings of Saint Tukaram, Saint Ramdas, or some of their devotees. Several verses were added later by devotees of Shri Siddharameshwar Maharaj.
Devotional Advaita?
Many people wonder about the significance of bhajans and the role that they play in a teaching that is rooted in Advaita Vedanta. Ranjit Maharaj used to say that the bhajans played two important roles for the devotee. He would say that the teaching of this lineage is contained in the bhajans, and that consistently singing the bhajans helped the devotee by keeping his or her mind focused on the teaching contained therein. He constantly urged his disciples to understand the meaning of the words contained within the bhajans, which was the same as his own teaching. As for the second role that the bhajans play, he would say that once one had understood the teaching of the sadguru, the bhajans should be sung as a means of worshipping him who has given that most precious understanding. He would say "sing the bhajans without understanding, or sing them with understanding, but the best is to sing them with understanding." Maharaj would say that devotion naturally follows Self-knowledge, and for the one who did not worship their Master after Self-knowledge had been gained, the pride of ego remained intact.
Times for singing bhajans
Maharaj never laid down any hard and fast rules of conduct for anyone. He did say however "Sing the Bhajans!" Many people with backgrounds in Advaita would come to him with a reluctance for doing any kind of devotional practice. Some would even argue with him about the particulars of how to worship. He would invariably say, "worship in your own way, I don't say no, just do the worship." When asked about times, He would generally say that when doing bhajans with others, do them at a time that is convenient for all, and when doing the bhajans by oneself, there is no set time that they have to be done. Typically, in Mumbai, bhajans are done at Maharaj's apartment twice a day, once around mid-day, for Morning Bhajans, and in the early evening, for the Afternoon and Night Bhajans, which are usually done together. Devotees are usually on their own to do Kakad Arati whenever they deem appropriate.
As a general guideline for those who wish to do bhajans on their own, Kakad Arati is done sometime shortly after one wakes up in the morning. Morning Bhajans are usually done sometime between mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Afternoon and Night Bhajans are most commonly done together sometime in the evening. Bhajans are traditionally done in front of a photo or photos of the Master or Masters of the lineage.
Note: It is not necessary always to sing the complete version of all the bhajans to benefit from them. If one has a busy schedule, there are ways to shorten them, such as omitting repeats, singing them quickly, or just singing afternoon bhajans in the evening and not the night bhajans. The main point is to use the routine of singing bhajans to keep the mind focused on what is truly important.
A few words about Arati, Prasad, and Puja
India is a land full of customs and rituals. The act of performing arati, the offering of prasad, and the performing of puja are customs that are performed daily in Maharaj's apartment in Mumbai, and also during special gatherings of the devotees of Shri Ranjit Maharaj and Shri Nisargadatta Maharaj which are called saptahs. Arati is done at the end of the bhajans each time that they are done. So arati is done at the conclusion of Kakad Arati Bhajans, Morning Bhajans, and Afternoon-Night Bhajans.
Arati literally means the waving of light. The main significance of this is that the one who is waving the light is only the light of Consciousness waving the light, which is only Consciousness, to the light of Consciousness who is the one being worshipped. It is nicely described in the translation of Kakad Arati where it is said, "I came to do arati, and I lit myself".
Prasad is a small offering of some special food or sweet that is traditionally placed in front of an image of the Master. This is symbolic of offering everything to the Master, and the recognition that everything is truly His, and nothing is "mine". As for puja, Maharaj never specifically told western devotees that they should do regular puja, however many of them do. Puja is basically the act of worshipping, which is done in a prescribed manner. The first section of Morning Bhajans explains the significance of the various aspects of puja. Anyone wishing to become more familiar with the actual ritual of puja would be advised to visit Maharaj's apartment on Dubhash Lane in Mumbai to learn about it first hand.
It is worth mentioning that most devotees do practice the act of offering flowers as a means of decorating the table or place where they keep a photo of Maharaj. These flower offerings are not required, but as can also be said for doing the bhajans themselves, the significance of this activity can only be understood when one partakes in it.
Recordings of principal bhajans (mp3 format)
These recordings are being made available for those who wish to use them as an aid in learning to sing the bhajans for themselves. Right-click the link and then click Save Target As to download the mp3 file.
Kakad Arati with Ranjit Maharaj in Hawaii, 1998 (24min, 44sec - Chidanandaroopa included)
Morning Bhajans with Sri Ranjit Maharaj in Hawaii, 1998 (16min, 26sec)
Afternoon and Night Bhajans recorded in Maharaj's Apartment Mumbai, 2000 (37min, 45sec, includes Ranjit Maharaj arati and Shri Siddharameshwar Maharaj arati)
Recordings of other songs (mp3 format)
These songs are sung after the arati and are are comprised of: Shej Arati, Karuna Ashtak, Palana, singing of Jai Guru while waiving of light, Abhay Daan, and Sadgurustavan. The words for some of these songs are contained in the bhajan book "Pathway to Understanding."
After Arati chants, not including Sadgurustavan (11min, 24sec)
Bhajan words with English translation (htm format)
Click on the links below to view the text of the Bhajans as well as the translations in English. This text is from the book "Pathway to Understanding." You can order the "Pathway to Understanding," book here.
| Dedication | Masters | Glossary | Commentaries | Letters | A Free Bird | Contact |
| Español | Books |
No comments:
Post a Comment