Krishna Das

"Chanting is a way of getting in touch with yourself. It's an opening of the heart and letting go of the mind and thoughts. It deepens the channel of grace, and it's a way of being present in the moment."

(Krishna Das)

Last night we had the incredible experience of seeing Krishna Das in concert right in the heart of Stockholm. What more can I say? It was absolutely wonderful. Finally after all this time I had the chance to see him live. He takes the audience on a incredible journey through devotional sound and song. The chants vibrated through my entire being. Moving and transformational in many ways.

Thank you, Krishna Das!

Nataraj

Nataraj Nataraja Jay Shiva Shankara Nataraja
Shivaraj Shivaraja Shambo Shankara Shivaraja
Om Namah Shivaya Namah Shivaya

Lord Shiva - is the cosmic energy of change and transformation, the fire that burns away all that stands between us and freedom. He is the absolute pure consciousness, the embodiment of auspiciousness. He is know as the Lord of time, of dreams, of the unconscious mind, of ghosts, of death. He is the exhale that creates room for the inhale. He is destruction that opens up the way for rebirth. Creation, preservation, and destruction happening every moment ... When we sing to Shiva, we offer ourselves to Him to be cleansed, purified, transformed, liberated. We offer our sense of separateness, our ego driven self-will to the will of the divine.

Nataraj/Nataraja - means Lord or King (raja) of the dance (nata). This is an epithet of Shiva, referring to his tandava, his ferocious dance of fury which causes the entire world to crumble to dust. This is the auspicious and sometimes frightening clearing away of the old to make way for the creation of the new.

Shivaraj/Shivaraja - means Lord or King Shiva.

Shankara - is the epithet of Shiva, meaning "the annihilator."

Shambo - is another epithet of Shiva.

Om - is the cosmic sound, the scared syllable, the core sound of creation, preservation, and destruction.

Namah Shivaya - is translated as: I bow to; I surrender to, I honor; I offer myself unto Shiva, the great Lord of yogis and of transformation; the indwelling higher Self.

(Written by Jai Uttal)

Ganesha Sharanam

Ganesha Sharanam Sharanam Ganesha
Gan Gan Ganapati Sharanam Ganesha
Jay Ganesha Jaya Jaya Gananatha


Ganesha is the elephant-headed god, son of Shiva and Parvati. "Gana" means troops or multitudinous spiritual attendants of Shiva, and "isha" means Lord, so Ganesha is the "Lord of the troops." Ganesha is the remover of obstacles and is always invoked at the beginning of any endeavor. He also represents the earth element - the root chakra - which needs to be solid before we can fly. Ganapati and Gananatha are two other neames of Ganesha. "Pati" means Lord or protector, and "natha" means Lord, so Ganesha, Ganapati, and Gananatha really mean the same thing: "Lord of the troops."

Sharanam means refuge, protection.

Gan Gan is part of the bija, or seed mantra of Ganesh. This core sound doesn't carry discursive meaning. Bija mantra are said to contain the essence of the deity. I seek refuge in Ganesha. Please protect me, oh great Elephant.

(Written by Jai Uttal)

Kirtan

Chanting the many names or mantras of the Gods and Goddesses - is perhaps the most important technique in Bhakti yoga. Although the practice itself is very simple, the internal process that it stimulates is vast and mysterious. Externally, we're just singing repetitive songs with simple melodies and a few Sanskrit words. We're asked to try to put our analytical minds to the side (easier said than done), and sing from our hearts. We're told that whatever emotion we're feeling, even anger, can be passionately channeled into the song. We're told that it doesn't matter the slightest bit what our voices sound like. Then the magic happens. Walls constructed long ago come crumbling down. Wounds that we never knew were there begin to heal. Long submerged emotions, both joy and sorrow, come to the surface to be offered up into the chant. And somehow, effortlessly, we move into a meditative state that creates a safe, calm haven for the flower of the heart to unfold. Whether or not we understand the meanings of the words, these chants become vessels to carry our deepest unspoken prayer to the infinite soul of God.

One of the amazing things about Kirtan as a practice is that it welcomes any mood or emotional condition. We can sing softly, like a mother to her baby. We can sing sensually, as if to a lover. And we can sing with powerful energy of an angry warrior. Our whole being is offered. Whoever we are at any given time, whether happy or sad, shining with light or hidden in darkness, our prayers are perfect in the eyes of unconditional love.

Finally, one who embraces the path of Bhakti very quickly stops doing these practices to get anything or feel anything. Rather, the Kirtan becomes an outpouring of love and emotion to the beloved, and unburdening, an offering. I feel, when I sing, my connection to my guru, my longing to be closer, and my gratitude for His unending grace. Truly, the essence of Bhakti is surrender, offering our individual selves to the great ocean of pure consciousness, gently resting in the loving embrace of the Divine Mother, saying, "Not my will, but Thy will be done."

(Written by Jai Uttal)