Kali Yuga is said to be an era of great chaos, suffering, and destruction. Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji (Sri Swamiji) of Avadhoota Datta Peetham says that the best way to find peace and strength during this time is by singing the names of the Lord with a controlled mind and utmost devotion to connect with the Divine. He says, “Those who wish to escape from the grip of fear must practice Nama Sankeertana.”
Sri Swamiji is a versatile vaaggeyakaara (composing lyrics, raga, and laya /tala that binds it all together). To the uninitiated, it may appear as a combination of music and literature, however, to Sri Swamiji, they are various names of God. He has composed more than 3,000 bhajans in different languages, including Hindi, Sanskrit, Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam. His tunes are simple and divine and set in the Nama Sankeertana style. While the compositions are intricate, they stimulate inner inquiry (tattva bhajans). Some compositions also belong to the Manipravala style, and some have the lyrical complexities. The various Padabandha and Swarakshara Kritis have impressed literary scholars and music masters alike. His bhajans contain the seed letters (beej mantra) that awaken inner energies. His voice, delivered as a judicious combination of yoga and music, brings about the desired therapeutic effect proportional to the level of concentration by the listener. The bhajans are equally appealing to the layman and the learned and invoke intense devotion within the listener.
Sri Swamiji sings bhajans along with his troupe of musicians at all major events, whether it is festival celebrations or temple consecrations. Many of Sri Swamiji’s bhajans have been released as music albums. There are also albums of other contemporary musicians who have rendered Sri Swamiji’s bhajans, such as Sudha Raghunathan, Balamurali Krishna, Bombay Sisters, Priya Sisters, Chinmayi Sisters, and OS Thyagarajan. During Devi Navaratri and Sri Swamiji’s birthday celebrations at Datta Peetham, many celebrated and accomplished musicians choose to perform live sangeetha seva in the holy presence of Sri Swamiji.
Sri Swamiji says, "Human birth is meant for singing bhajans with a pure mind and sincere heart." He encourages singing and chanting in groups, as it has a significant impact in releasing pent up negative emotions and relieving the mental agony. He, therefore, encourages one and all to chant the divine names at all times.
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