Devotional
Song
Everyone whether he is well versed in music or not should listen attentively to the singer and try to repeat the words of the song with feeling.
Some persons attending devotional singing do not move their lips at all. They may say that they are singing the songs mentally within themselves. This is not proper. If you have devotional feeling, it should be expressed by the tongue joining the singing. Only then it can be called singing in unison with others. You must sing the Names aloud, full-throated, as far as the voice can reach. Only then the Divine will respond in full measure and shower His grace.
Everyone should realise that every limb and organ in the body given to man to be used for a sacred purpose: The tongue to utter the Lord’s Name, the hands to offer worship, the feet to go to temple and so on. These organs should not be used for frivolous and unholy purposes. Sanctifying everyone of the sense organs, man should purify the mind and contemplate on God.
“Today the atmosphere is polluted by unholy and vicious sounds. This
results in the growth of evil thoughts and feelings which leads to evil deeds.
If the atmosphere is to be purified, it has to be filled with pure and sacred
sounds, hence the need to cultivate purity in thought, word and deed.”
“Community BHAJANS should not be treated as a pastime. When thousands of persons join in singing BHAJANS, they should be absorbed in the devotional process and the ecstasy of that experience. The singing should be vibrant and soulful and not mechanical or drawling and uninspiring. It should combine feeling, melody, and rhythm. What delight can be experienced when all singing in chorus with the same feeling, in the same tune, and to the same timing! When there is such unity the Divine can be experienced.”
Vision of Sai 1 p, 51
In your organisations, there may
be some who insist that only Sai BHAJAN
should be sung, only the name and the
form of Sathya Sai be used. This is a great mistake. You are thereby
dishonouring Sai. If you attach yourself to Sai and detach yourself from Krishna, you get a plus and a minus
here; the resultant is zero.
Again, do not encourage differences based on region, language, religion, or
any other such flimsy grounds. For example, who exaggerate these
differences argue that Madras (Tamil
speaking city) only Tamil songs should
be sung or in Andrhara Pradesh ( Telugu speaking state) only Telegu songs should be sung. If this
idea is entertained, they will undermine the
spiritual outlook, the
attitude of unity and oneness which is
keynote of the spirit. This is a field
where inner joy, inner satisfaction internal purity are more important than
outer expression.
Sathya Sai
Speaks 6 p, 30
God is omnipresent, He is Indweller in every heart; all names are His. So, you can call on Him by any names that gives joy. Members of Sathya Sai Organisation must not cavil at other names and forms of God; they should not become fanatic, blind to glory of other names and forms. They should join the group that honour those other manifestation and demonstrate that all names and forms are mine. They should contribute to the joy and happiness of all without giving up their faith.
1. How do devotional songs assist our spiritual growth?
The tongue is a post, Bhajan is the rope; with that rope, you can bring God Almighty near you and tie him up so that his grace becomes yours. God is so kind that He will yield to your prayers and get bound. You have to call on him to be by your side, with you, leading you and guiding you.
Sathya Sai
Speaks 7, p 52
2. Are there restrictions on the type of BHAJANS sung? Can they be
sung in any language or only Sanskrit?
3. Why should we clap our hands while singing BHAJANS?
Not all realise the potency and
effect of reciting the Lord’s name. The
first required is purity of thought, word and deed. The name that is uttered by
the tongue should be meditated upon by mind. What is uttered and dwelt upon
should be hailed by clapping the hands.
This three-fold concentration on the Divine name - unity of mind, speech, and
action - purifies the heart and nourishes the feeling of devotion.
The BHAJANS that are sung permeate the ether in the form of sound waves
and fill the entire atmosphere, thereby purifying
the whole environment. Breathing in this purified atmosphere purified our
hearts. Reciting the Lord’s name is a process of give and take. Singing the
Lord’s name should become an exercise in mutual sharing of joy and holiness. It
should be remembered that the sounds we produce reverberate in the atmosphere. They remain permanently in the ether as
waves and outlast the individual uttering the sounds.
Vision of Sai 1 p, 51
4. Why should we sing BHAJAN, can’t we do only quite meditation in a
silent room?
Some people may laugh at all this BHAJANS and call it a mere show and recommend instead quite meditation in the silent recess of the shrine room. But coming out in company and doing BHAJANS like this helps in removing egoism. One is then not afraid of being mocked at or ashamed to call out the name of Lord. One gets inspired also by the devotion of others. The company of men with kindred sentiments helps to foster the tiny seedling of devotion.
In fact singing BHAJAN in a group will wean you away from distracting thoughts. So singing aloud the glory of God and change the atmosphere with Divine adoration. Think of it as a part of spiritual training to be seriously taken for reducing the attachments to fleeting objects, and purifying, liberating you from the cycle of birth death and consequent misery. If you are ill, BHAJAN will help the cure, let me tell you it is far better to die during BHAJAN with the Lord’s name on the lips than at other times.
Sai Baba, The Holy Man
and The Phychiastrist p, 133
5. Who may lead BHAJAN (Devotional
singing)
Do not compete with each other in singing BHAJANS and cultivate envy or hatred. Let those with a good voice and musical talent lead; the KEERTAN (song) should be pleasant and it should not jar on the ear. If your voice is granting out of tune, do not disturb the melody, but repeat the NAMAVALI (the name of the Lord in song) in your mind. Sing so that the full significance of each Name is evident to the bearers. Do not repeat each line more than twice.
Sathya Sai Speaks 7 p, 164
6. Who maintains proper standards, and how?
Bhajan must be a felt
experience. Do not sing with one eye on the effect the song makes on the
listeners and the other on the effect it makes on God. Let your heart part for
God; then raga and tala
will automatically be pleasant and correct.