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About HPMG(L)
HPMG(L) –Hari Pari Mandala Gosthi (Ladies) is and international
movement founded by the spiritual teacher and philosopher Shrii
Shrii Anandamurti in India. The objectives are for women to gather,
form small bands and propagate the way of devotional songs, music
and dance for the service and upliftment of society.
Contact: info at hpmgl.net
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What is Kiirtan?
[Text from the writings of Shrii Shrii Anandamurti]
The origin of the word Kiirtan: In Sam’skrta (Sangskrit language)
the root verb kiirt means to ‘utter something loudly in praise
of someone.’ To proclaim the glories of Parama Purus’a
, the Supreme Consciousness, in a loud voice is termed kiirtan.
Kiirtan was first invented by devotees to give joy to Parama Purus’a
and in the process of pleasing and delighting Parama Purus’a,
the devotees lost themselves.
Popularity of Kiirtan
Kiirtan touches the core of human heart. Followers of all religions
do kiirtan. The only reason for such large-scale popularity of
kiirtan is that it arouses the soft spiritual sentiments in a
person. Behind kiirtan is a blissful ideation. This ideation blossoms
into full flower - the soft feelings of the human heart lying
so deep in a bud form. Kiirtan awakens the human feelings and
transports one into great bliss. Kiirtan fills one’s life
and satisfies all wants.
Baba Nam Kevalam Mantra for Kiirtan
What is the meaning of the kiirtan Ba’ba’ Na’m
Kevalam? Ba’ba’ means the Dearest One, only the name
of the Dearest One, only the name of Parama Purus’a (Supreme
Consciousness).
Ba’ba’ Na’m Kevalam is a siddha mantra. When the
first syllable ba’ is uttered, the feeling should be: ‘
I am crossing the threshold and entering the new world’;
and when the last syllable ma is uttered the feeling should be
‘I have accomplished my duty.’ If the kiirtan is done
with these feelings, within two or three minutes the effect will
come into play. ... A feeling of bliss and perfection.
A siddha mantra must necessarily have eight syllables …The
whole siddha mantra should be uttered fully in each phase of the
tune – Ba’ba’ Na’m Kevalam and not a part
of it while doing kiirtan. If this is not done, the kiirtan cannot
be said to be a perfect kiirtan. Everything must be done in a
methodical way. Then you will enjoy and get the (completion) of
kiirtan properly.
The kulakun’d’alinii (spiritual force at the base of
the spine) rises slowly form the Muladhara Cakra to the Saha’sra’ra
Cakra in eight steps, it passes through eight cakras and the Saha’sra’ra
is the ninth… The kulakun’d’alinii rises upwards
in eight jumps or phases, …that is why such a siddha mantra
has eight syllables, never seven or nine syllables.
The Science of Kiirtan
Indo Aryan music is based on a system, a rhythm: there is no
room for any mistake, no scope for deviation. Initially kiirtan
was in vogue, which at first was not based on hard and fast rules,
just as folk songs do not conform to many rules. Later, however,
it was also subjected to fixed rules…it became elevated from
folk music to classical music.
Kiirtan belongs to the category of supra-aesthetic science. Now
the question may be asked: What is supra-aesthetic science? To
put it precisely is the endeavor to ensconce the microcosmic entity,
the individual entitative rhythm, in the eternal bearing, the
infinite rhythm of Parama Purus’a (Supreme Consciousness).
So in all the branches of music kiirtan is the best. Since kiirtan
is the composite of song, dance and instrumental music… and
the charm, the excellence of kiirtan is that when these three
aspects of music are combined together they create such an unblemished,
heavenly environment that people completely forget themselves.
There is a system for the accompaniment of music in kiirtan,
because sometimes, while doing kiirtan our ears may be distracted
…normally a mrdanga (special drum), or some such instrument,
is prescribed. Why? Why not drums and such heavy sounding instruments?
The fact is that the sound of the mrdanga is very sweet. Where
there is harsh or heavy sound and a sweet sound, the mind is normally
attracted towards the sweet sound. Hence the playing of mrdanga
serves the purpose of attracting the mind and helping it to associate
with the vibration of kiirtan, thus immediately the mind returns
to the bha’va (feeling) of kiirtan…
Kiirtan and Meditation
Your mind must be in a state of composure while doing sa’dhana’
(meditation) and in order to bring the mind to a state of composure,
you are to do what? You are to do kiirtan. During kiirtan what
happens?
The mind gets lifted, exalted and as a result you will enjoy a
particular nature of peace. And if you start your sa’dhana’
just after doing kiirtan, you will enjoy bliss. So kiirtan is
a necessity, an indispensable necessity for a proper sa’dhana’.
Those who wish to attain spiritual progress in their sa’dhana’
will have to do more and more kiirtan. By kiirtan the mind becomes
pure and with this pure mind one can do sa’dhana’. If
the mind is purified even for five minutes by kiirtan then if
you do sa’dhana’ for only five minutes, your sa’dhana’
will be very good. You will surely attain spiritual progress.
Effect of Kiirtan on the Cakras
The physical body of those who practice sa’dhana’ (meditation)
or do a lot of kiirtan secrets fluids from certain art of the
Anahata Cakra, Vishuddha Cakra and Ajina Cakra. The smell of this
secretion is somewhat, but not exactly, like a light smell of
jasmine flower or ripe jackfruit. The body of those with a devotional
nature or who regularly practice yoga usually emits this kind
of fragrance. In fact the emission of a sweet aroma is one of
the criteria for ascertaining the degree of one’s devotion
to God.
Celestial beings and Kiirtan
Whenever there is an assemblage of singers or dancers what happens?
Gandharvas (luminous beings) with their mental bodies…assemble.
Wherever there is any musical programme they assemble there but
they are invisible. Sometimes though, they become visible….
During a musical function, whenever the mind of a particular artist
becomes concentrated, he or she will see the luminous bodies of
Gandharvas. Similarly, during meditation, or particularly during
kiirtan or devotional chanting, when a spiritual aspirant’s
mind becomes concentrated, he or she will feel the existence of
those siddhas.
Kiirtan dispels calamities
Now whatever might be the physical miseries – be they natural
or man-made – if people collectively chant kiirtan, the calamities
are dispelled then and there. In the case of natural calamities
like flood, famine, drought, or epidemic, or man-made calamities,
miseries and tortures – if kiirtan is chanted with maximum
sincerity it will being direct relief in no time. In addition
kiirtna removes the collective psychic afflictions as well those
which are already existing and those, which are not yet arrived
but about which we have premonitions of their impending arrival.
If kiirtan is done in advance, those impending troubles disappear.
Why do they disappear? They are dispelled not merely because of
the collective mental force of so many people, but also due to
the impact of so many minds moving with tremendous speed under
the inspiration of Parama Purus’a.
Healing powers of Kiirtan
Kiirtan is not only helpful in the realm of spirituality, but
also in all spheres of life. It banishes physical troubles and
tribulations as well. Kiirtan fights against all mundane difficulties
and finally becomes victorious.
Whatever worldly difficulties might obstruct your path the best
position or auxiliary force is kiirtan. Kiirtan helps a devotee
to accelerate the speed towards the hub of the universe…If
people do kiirtan with distinct expression of the mantra, their
mouth becomes pure, their tongue becomes pure, their ears become
pure, their whole bodies become pure and when so many parts of
the body become pure, the atman (self or soul) also becomes pure.
A person moving about puffed up with vanity and arrogance and
always engaging in self-aggrandizement can improve only by utilizing
the time in kiirtan. If one keeps oneself engaged in kiirtan,
one will not get time to criticize and scandalize anyone in order
to elevate oneself in comparison. So it is a must for such a person
to do kiirtan to the maximum, so that one doesn’t get time
to indulge in nefarious activity of criticism.
Lalita Ma’rmika Dance of 7000 years
Parvati, the wife of Shiva, invented Lalita Marmika which means:
‘voice of the inner spirit’. The dance used for kiirtan
is Laita Marmika. It represents the inner voice of the spiritual
aspirant. The main thing in Lalita Marmika is the expression through
mudra’ (gesture).It represents that now we are enjoying bliss,
we are in a happy mood.
Lalita ma'rmika is purely a devotional dance. The elbows must
be placed above the 90° position in relation to the shoulders.
The upraised hands indicate the spirit of surrender.
Devotion – Love for the Supreme
Devotion has tremendous power which neither knowledge nor action
have. Rather people of knowledge, have a subtle sense of vanity
of which common people are afraid. So they maintain distance from
them, saying: ‘Good heavens, they are such scholars, how
can we go near them?’ But no one is afraid of people of devotion.
Rather they think: ‘After all they are devotees, so let us
go and sit near them for a while’. So if you can arouse devotion,
then by coming in contact with you, thousands and thousands of
people will attain spiritual salvation.
One may not possess knowledge or intelligence, but if one has
devotion, that is enough. So devotion must be aroused by all means.
After coming in contact with a devotional person thousand and
thousand of people may also become devotional.
Kiirtan and babies
Until the age of six months the mother should give only milk
to the baby and at the time of nursing she should sing the kiirtan
mantra Baba Nam Kevalam in a low voice, so that only she and the
baby can hear. If she does so the baby will have a spiritual start,
and at the time of singing kiirtan, her milk will become divine
nectar.
Ananda Marga teaches yoga and mediation free of charge:
www.anandamarga.org
InnerSong sells CDs with this mantra:
www.innersong.com
Listen to free Kiirtan downloads:
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