yoga

Kirtan is Sanskrit for "chant" or "glorify" — to chant the names of the Divine, or God. God has many names in many languages. It is through hearing and chanting that we connect bodymind with heart, and commune with the Divine. This is a deeply purifying practice of Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of devotion. When we engage ourselves, absorb ourselves in these transcendental names, we rise above the bondage of material nature.

One of my teachers says: 1. Always listen intensely, 2. Always chant back ("sing louder w/ your lousy voice"), 3. Always do it with a longing in your heart.

(Paramananda's instructions on Kirtan from the sadhu)

LYRICS

Rama Rama Bolo Jay Jay Sita Rama Bolo

Rama Rama Bolo (x3)
Rama Rama Bolo Jay Jay Sita Rama Bolo

Sing to Lord Rama, the hero of the Ramayana, is the embodiment of virtue. Glory to His beloved Sita, his Divine consort. 

WORD FOR WORD TRANSLATION

Rama: Lit. "The One who makes other rejoice!"

Bolo: Sing!

Jaya: Victory to, glory to

Sita: the Divine feminine, beloved of Lord Rama

LYRICS

Om Gan Ganapataye Namaha

Ganesha Sharanam

Om
Ganesha, I bow to you, the remover of obstacles. Ganesh is my shelter.

WORD FOR WORD TRANSLATION

Om (ॐ): The eternal source-sound-vibration of creation.

gam: Bija mantra (condensed sound form) for Ganesha

ganapataye: "to Ganapati." Ganapati is another name for Ganesha

namaha: to honor or solute. i.e. "All glory to..."

sharanam: refuge, shelter, or protection

Ganesha is often invoked at the beginning of an endeavor.

LYRICS 

Jaya Sita Rama, Jaya Jaya Hanuman x4

Hare Rama Rama Ram, Sita Rama Rama Ram

All glories to the divine couple, Sita and Rām, the embodiment of eternal love, compassion and righteousness. Hail, Hanuman, the embodiment of devotional service. 

WORD FOR WORD TRANSLATION

Jaya: victory, hail, glory to

Sita: Divine feminine, beloved of Lord Rama

Rama: Divine masculine, embodiment of virtue

Hanuman: Embodiment of selfless service 

Hare: Divine feminine (as in Srimati Radharani)

LYRICS

Om Bhur Bhuva Swaha  

Tat Savitur Varenyam

Bhargo Devasya Dimahi        

Dhiyo Yonah Prachodayat

Let us meditate on that excellent glory of the divine, vivifying Sun, May It enlighten our understandings.

WORD FOR WORD TRANSLATION

Om (ॐ): The primeval sound, representing the Absolute Source

Bhur: The physical realm

Bhuvah: The mental realm

Swaha: The spiritual realm

Tat: lit. That (the ultimate reality)

Savitur: The Sun

Varenyam: The most excellent

Bhargo: The radiant splendor

Devasya: Of the divine

Dhimahi: We meditate upon 

Dhiyo: The intellect

Yo: Who

Nah: Our

Prachodayat: May enlighten

LYRICS

Shiva Shiva Shiva Shambo   

Mahadeva Shambo

Oh most compassionate Lord Shiva. Give us ease in letting go of fear. We pray to You, O Lord Shiva and offer our salutations.

WORD FOR WORD TRANSLATION

Shiva: the auspicious one - one of the trinity of gods who is the destroyer

Shambo: goodness personified

Mahadeva: Lit. great god

LYRICS

When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me

Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me

Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be

Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree

There will be an answer, let it be

For though they may be parted, there is still a chance that they will see

There will be an answer, let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be

There will be an answer, let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be

Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be

Whisper words of wisdom, let it be, be

And when the night is cloudy there is still a light that shines on me

Shinin' until tomorrow, let it be

I wake up to the sound of music, Mother Mary comes to me

Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

And let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be

Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

And let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be

Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

(Paul McCartney)

LYRICS

om ayim saraswate namaha om (x2)

om ayim saraswate saraswate saraswate 

namaha om

Om
Glory and repeated salutations to Saraswati, the Goddess of knowledge, the source of wisdom and creativity.

WORD FOR WORD TRANSLATION

Om (ॐ): The universal primal sound

Ayim: (Pronounced eye-eem) The bija or "seed" syllable of Saraswati

Saraswate: unto Saraswati

Namaha: I honor you deeply

LYRICS

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare

Hare Rama, Hare Rama

Rama Rama, Hare Hare

O feminine energy of Krishna (Radha), O Krishna, please engage me in Your service.

WORD FOR WORD TRANSLATION

Hare: the Divine feminine energy, Radha (It is only through the grace of the Divine feminine, Rādhā, that we are able to connect with Kṛṣṇa)

Krishna: the Divine masculine energy "He who is attractive to everyone, or All attractive

Rama: the Divine masculine, He who gives pleasure

Krishna West Salem is a community that practices the ancient spiritual path of Bhakti yoga in modern times. Message us to learn more!

Founded by H.D.Goswami, Krishna West is a spiritual project that serves the world through the teaching and practice of advanced spiritual knowledge found in ancient texts such as Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-bhagavatam. As one of the oldest, most cherished treatises on the philosophy and practice of yoga, Bhagavad-gita explains that we are all eternal spiritual beings. We have always existed and always will exist. Only our temporary body is born and dies. Compelled by the reactions to our worldly actions (karma) we wander through many lives until we clearly grasp our eternal identity as souls, and our loving relationship with an infinitely beautiful, all-knowing, and ever youthful God, Krishna.

Krishna West is part of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, ISKCON,  founded by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. We seek to serve the Western world with intelligent, appropriate, non-sectarian spiritual activism that powerfully addresses, with spiritual wisdom, issues of social and economic justice, the global environment, and ultimate liberation. Our vision, that every living being is an eternal part of God and thus worthy of our love, forms the basis of our approach to justice, the environment, and enlightenment.