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Devotional Singing and Namasmarana (repetition of the Divine name)
has often been prescribed by eminent divine personalities and true
spiritual leaders as an age old tool for spiritual, mental and
emotional upliftment. In short, the end result is an act of
purification to one's being and surroundings. The experience and
intrinsic effect of Devotional Singing/Namasmarana are multitudinous
and too overwhelming to be described here.
However, we have made a humble attempt in this page to document what Bhagawan Sri Sathya
Sai Baba, the world renowned spiritual leader has said about this
topic.
Before we go any further, some background information on Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba - lovingly called Swami
by His devotees, would be helpful.
Who is he?
In Bhagavad-Gita, one of the most sacred
religious book of Hinduism, Lord Sri Krishna declares: "Dharmasamsthapanarthaya
Sambhavami Yuge Yuge" which translates into 'To uphold
Righteousness, I shall incarnate from time to time'. Bhagawan Sri Sathya
Sai Baba is the very proof of this statement.
Swami was born on the 23rd day of November in 1926 AD in a small hamlet called 'Puttaparthi'
in the Andhra Pradesh state in the Indian sub-continent.
At the age of 14, Swami declared to His parents that he had come
to this world with a mission to re-establish the principle of
Righteousness, to motivate love for God and service to fellow man.
Since then, he has consistently called on all mankind to "Love All,
Serve All" and has repeatedly asserted that the essence of all
scriptures is "Help Ever, Hurt never!" Through his discourses and
writings, Swami has offered a veritable ocean of knowledge and
guidance on all aspects of spiritual, religious, and value oriented
living. He has often repeated that it is not necessary to drink the
whole ocean to know its taste, that it is not necessary to read all
scriptures to live a life of joy, peace, and love. It is enough to put
into practice one aspect of spiritual teaching.
His Teachings..
Since the beginning, Swami has emphasized value oriented living. He
has stressed immensely on the five human values - namely Sathya,
Dharma, Shanti, Prema & Ahimsa (Truth, Righteousness, Peace, Love &
Non-Violence). He stresses greatly on serving the mankind & those in
need. Along with His
several other valuable teachings, Swami places paramount
importance on Namasmarana or Devotional Singing. Below are a few
quotations adapted directly from Swami's discourses.
Sing aloud the glory of God and charge the atmosphere with divine
adoration . . .
This is why I insist on group singing of the names of
the Lord. (SSS, VI, 239)
[Devotional singing (bhajans)] is
the process of singing that originates in the heart, not from the lips
or the tongue. It is the expression of the joyous thrill that wells up
from the heart when the Glory of God is remembered. It is the
spontaneous manifestation of inner ecstasy. No attention is paid to the blame or praise that others may give. It doesn't seek the
admiration or the appreciation of the listeners. (SSS
X, 84)
Devotional singing (bhajan) is one
of the processes by which you can train the mind to expand into
eternal values. Teach the mind to revel in the glory and majesty of
God; wean it away from petty horizons of pleasure . . . Devotional
singing induces in you a desire for experiencing the truth, to glimpse
the beauty that is God, to taste the bliss that is the Self. It
encourages man to dive into himself and be genuinely his real Self. (SSS
VII, 497-498)
Devotional singing (bhajan) is a spiritual practice (sadhana)
for all who share in it.
(Sai Bhajana Mala,
30)
Remember, every song sung in praise of the Lord is a sword that
cuts the knots of laziness. It is a fine piece of social service to
remind all of their duty to the Almighty, who watches over them. (The
Holy Man and the Psychiatrist, by Sam Sandweiss Pg. 134)
People say that when you go to Sai Baba, there is nothing but
devotional singing (bhajan). Realize
that there is nothing greater than bhajan.
What bliss is there in bhajans! What a
demonstration of oneness is it when a myriad throats join in uttering
the name of God! The vibrations emanating from them make the heart
vibrant. If you sing alone in your shrine, the vibrations return to
you as a reaction. But in community singing, what you have is not a
reaction but a wave of vibrations. They enter into the atmosphere and
purify the polluted air. The atmosphere today is polluted by bad
thoughts and feelings. When you sing the glory of God, the bad germs
in the air are destroyed and the air gets purified by a treatment of
anti-biotics, as it were. (SS, Jan.
1995, 26)
When all the participants in a bhajan
sing in unison, what sacred vibrations are produced and what Divine
energies are released! When these vibrations fill the world, what
changes cannot they bring about! When one sings alone, the heart is
merged in the song. But when many sing together, it acquires a Divine
power. (Sai Bhajana Mala, 30)
Those who sing bhajans get what can
be called a 'double promotion', for they derive joy and distribute
joy. (SSS X, 101)
God is omnipresent. He is the in-dweller of every heart and all
names are His. So you can call Him by any name that gives you joy. You
must not cavil at other names and forms, nor become fanatics, blind to
their glory. When you sing bhajan
songs, dwell on the meaning of the songs and the message of each name
and form of God and roll on your tongue its sweetness. (The
Holy Man & the Psychiatrist, by Sam Sandweiss, 134)
Some people ... question the propriety of calling God by means of
... a multiplicity of names. But each name is indicative of only one
aspect of Divinity. It denotes a single part of the Supreme
Personality ... Every name is but a facet, a part, a ray of the
Supreme. The spiritual discipline consists in recognizing and becoming
aware of the One that supports and sustains the many. That is the
precious gem of wisdom that one must secure and treasure. (SSS
X, 87)
The procession to the cremation ground starts immediately on birth
and the beating of the heart is the drum beat for the march towards
that place. Some take a longer route, some reach quickly, but all are
on the way. Therefore, devotional singing (bhajan)
has to start in the childhood and has to continue. It must be the
constant companion of man, his solace and strength. Do not postpone it
to old age, for it is essential food for the mind. (SSS
I, 123)
Devotional singing (bhajan) must
become an unbroken stream of bliss on your tongues and in your hearts;
it must confer on you the uninterrupted awareness of
soham, of the unity of I and He. (SSS
IX, 41-42)
The tongue is the post, devotional singing (bhajan)
is the rope; with that rope, you can bring God Almighty near you and
tie Him up so His grace becomes yours. (SSS
VII, 52)
Desire and anger are ... two enemies. Devotional singing ... is a
good disciplinary process by which these two can be kept away. (SSS
X, 100)
Take for example, there is a tree. It is full of birds. They make a
mess all over. How to get rid of these noisy ones? You should clap
loudly. Similarly, in this tree of life, there are birds of desire.
The heart therefore becomes dirty. In order to cleanse it, do
devotional singing (bhajans). (Kodaikanal
discourse, April 12, 1996)
Think of [devotional singing (bhajan)]
as a part of spiritual training to be seriously taken for reducing the
attachment to fleeting objects, and purifying and strengthening you,
liberating you from the cycle of birth and death and consequent
misery. It may appear a frail cure for such a dreadful malady.
Nevertheless, it is a panacea. (The Holy Man
and the Psychiatrist, by Sam Sandweiss, 132)
In this busy age of fear and anxiety, the remembrance of God and
repetition of His name is the one means of liberation that is
accessible to all. (Sai Bhajana Mala,
30)
Let your whole life be a spiritual song. Believe that God is
everywhere at all times, and derive strength, comfort, and joy by
singing
His glory in His presence. (SSS X,
94)
"Let the mind wander as it likes. Do Namasmarana. It is like placing
the pot of water on fire for boiling. The fire of Namasmarana
eliminates all the impurities in mind and it becomes pure. That is the
SECRET".
More Resources
Namasmarana - The Supreme Sadhana
Namasmarana - A Universal Sadhana
Organizing Devotional Singing
Discourses
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