We have the divine name and we have the tongue to say it, so where is the fear says Sri Bodhendra Swamigal. Namakeerthanam is the easiest, most suitable way and will yield the greatest benefits. Ramarajyam is not far we have to constantly chant nama and make others chant everywhere! ~ HH Maharanyam Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamigal
Ekadasi is the eleventh day of every lunar fortnight. Ekadasi is a Sanskrit word, which means 'the eleventh' day. Ekadasi occurs twice in a month, in the Valarpirai and Theipirai (the moon's starting and diminishing periods). Based on this moon calculation and taking into account Pournami (Full Moon) and Amavasya (New Moon) on these periods, Ekadasi falls on the 11th day. On this day we have to be without eating. 
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We are all really fortunate... This world is so vast; millions live in this world. While their life is going on somehow, our life is a lot...
Ancient Songs are very very old, sound vibrations remains in the space in the ether long long time, they dont die or disappear. Sound is Energy isnt it and Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, so the sound energy remains in the conciousness. The Ancient sounds when we sing unites our conciousness vertically deep, thats why the namavali bhajanai, ashtapathis, vedic mantras and chants etc help in very sutle ways to resonate each layer of our conciousness.
Dhanya dhanya heynagara
Bhoovaikunta pandarapura...!!Dhanya dhanya chandrabhaga
Madhyae pundaleeka ubha...!!
Dhanya dhanya venunatha
Kreeta karitho govindha...!!
Dhanya padmalayache pali
Kayechari vanamali...!!
Dhanya pandaricha vasa
Devagayae banudasa...!!
VITTALA VITTALA VITTALA VITTALA PANDURANGA!!!
Veda re Veda re pandari(m)
Morcha lava Bhimadhiri(m)
chalaa chalaa santh jana
karooni vaasi bhandana
lodaa lodaa pandarapura
dharaa rakumayeechaa
vara thuka(m)hane
chalaa gaava nichanii gaalaa
Veda re Veda re pandari
pandari Veda re Veda re pandari
VITTALA VITTALA VITTALA VITTALA PANDURANGA!!!
The meaning of the Abhang goes like this: 'Oh ! devotees !Get flocked in Pandaripur, do not go away from the Bhima River. Let us go and fight with Lord Panduranga, let us loot the divinity of Pandaripur and siege Lord Panduranga !'
Abhangs are sung during the traditional pilgrimage to Pandharpur. It has got a rhythmic gait which is very special, reflecting the tempo of the walking and dancing of the varkaris, as the abhangs were sung mainly during the pilgrimage to Pandharpur, which were undertaken by the devotees walking all the way. The Marathi Abhangs, songs of Mira Bai and Kabir are regularly sung in South Indian bhajans.
Namavalis as the name suggest is to call the divine by name and this is the most simplest to learn, sing and drench oneself with the divine Bhava. It comes so easily which is one of the reasons why this is sung every now and then in a Bhajan and is a revitalizing agent usually after the kalyana heavy meal. As Udayalur Kalyanaraman fondly says one can get over the sleep and also drench oneself in the namavalis after a nice tiffin. Our favourite is Radhe Radhe Radhe Radhe Govinda....More about this in the posts...
Indu Enage Govinda ninna padaara Vindava tOrO mukundane
Sundara vadanane nandaGopana Kanda mandarOdhara aananda indiara ramaNa
nondenayya naa bhavabandhanadoLu saluki munde daari kaaNade kundidejagadoLu kandanamtendenna kundugaLeNisade tande kayo Krishna kandarpajanakane
mUDhatanadi balu hEDijIvananaagi dRuDhabhakutiyanu maadalillavo hariyEnODalillavo ninna paaDalillavo mahime gaaDikaara Krishba bEDikombenoninna
dhaaruNiloLu bhUbhaara jIvananaagi daari tappi naDede sEride kujanaraaaru kaayuvavarilla sEride ninagayya dhIra vENugOpala paarugaaNisohariye
Archaryas follow the Unchavritthi Dharma, a dharma for all Bagavathas. It is also an age old practice which finds mention in the Mahabharata and Bhagavatham. The Vastram procedure is for the Archarya to have an Akshaya Pathram with a red coloured rope tied to the Akshaya Pathram and a Saffron cloth tied around his head like a turban. A handful of rice is then put inside the Pathram. The Saffron cloth is tied on the head and the Akshaya Pathram hung from the shoulder. First the cloth is folded multiple times and then divided into two halves.Then one half is thrown around and over the head like a turban with the front portion tied around the forehead.
This is the famous Gita Govinda by Sri Jayadeva Bhagavathar. They form the fundamental part of a Bhajan. The Ashtapathis and Taranganis are usually sung after presenting a brief narration of the slokas, this may be sung in a musical tone making it fill the Bhava contained within as a prelude to the song itself. The rendering devotional music of the bhajana sampradaya is another genre, not to be confused with the elaborate vicissitudes of classical music. These are delivered with scintillating ragas and talas and the accompanists, one of whom is the Mridanga vidwan...More about Ashtapathis in the posts...
Sri Narayana Tirthar's Krishna Leela Tharangini is a masterpiece of Bhava with melodious overtures. The Tarangini is the longest dance-drama in the Sanskrit language and comprises a total of 12 Tarangams and covers the story of Krishna from his birth to his wedding with Rukmini. It consists of 303 slokas, 31 choornikas and 153 songs, 30 Gadyams, 30 Derus and link passages. It is believed that Narayana Tirtha was closely associated with the Bhagavata Mela tradition of Melattur. Krishna Leela Tarangini is a treasure, which deserves to be cherished by litterateurs, musicians and dancers...Read More about this in the posts...
The Diyanamam is usually danced with joy by a group of Bhagavathas. A Dance with the 'Kolahala' namam is a sight to see with the speed of the dance ever increasing. 'Kolahala Kolahala Kolahala Kolahala Kolahala Kolahala Kolahala Kolahala' on goes the nama and the dancing. The prayer on the knees "Thava Charanam buja eva gathir me muralidhara gopala " takes all the devotees to ecstatic levels. Watch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZDFHCiCvm0On his reasons for composing the Divyanama Keertanas, Thyagaraja Swami, in his kriti, Raga Ratna Malika in Ritigowla, says As the sole means of my salvation, with the authority of all Scriptures, as the path to happiness of all Yogis and for all Bhagavathas to sing together, I composed these songs. Come let us sing these together and attain all Sowbhagya. Collectively a set of songs composed by Thyagaraja Swami as an expression of bhakthi and bhajana tradition came to be known as Divya Nama Kirtanas. There are some 78 kirtanas that are in the group of keertanas called Divyanama Keertanas. These keertanas are meant for group singing. they are generally in the "lambaka" style with one pallavi and a series of charanams with the "dathu" or tune to facilitate repetition on choral singing. In theme and structure, they are varied. The keertanas are composed on a wide variety of popular ragas such as Todi, Sankarabharanam, Karaharapriya and Saveri, and less well known ragas such as Andhali, Ahiri, and Balahamsa. Even in the rarer ragas, these songs have a simple structure and so any one with an ear for music can very quickly learn and join in the singing. This is a special type of simple kirtana with many charanas and is intended for congregational singing. The Divyanama kirtanas written by the saint Tyagaraja in Sanskrit and Telugu reveal his expertise in both languages. Vijaya Gopala and Bhadrachala Ramadasa have also written a numlanguages. Vijaya Gopala and Bhadrachala Ramadasa have also written a number of Divyanama kirtanas in Sanskrit. Divyanama kirtanas have two varieties, Ekadhatu and Dvidhatu. In the former, the pallavi and charanas have the same music, and charanas are sung successively without reverting to the pallavi after each charana. In the Dvidhatu variety, the music of the charana is different from that of the pallavi. Herein the pallavi is sung after of each charana. Pahi Ramachandra (Sankarabharana raga) is a good example for this.Panduranga Panduranga Panduranga Panduranga Panduranga Panduranga Panduranga Panduranga!!Visit Kattuputhur, Trichy District, Tamilnadu to get the Grace of Lord Rama. Divyanamam (Special) performed by Brahmashri Kadayanallur Rajagopala Bhaghavadhar & party
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZDFHCiCvm0Deepa Pradakshinam is a form of dance with the Lord placed as the lamp and the Bhaktas dance around it.The procedure for bringing a lamp to a central place in the Bhajan Hall or in front of the Lords Garbha Graham is usually performed by an elderly person who is qualified to perform unchavruthy dharma, will have been initiated by a Guru and be with a great deal of sanctity, knowledge of the sastras performing his nitya karmas strictly. Sometimes Deepa Pradakshinam has the Kummi, Kollattam, OOdam and Chittar songs which are some of the typical folk forms of Tamil Nadu, these are sung towards the end of the Deepa Pradakshinam. Bhaktas normally dance around a Deepam which is a panchamuka deepam...More about this in the Posts...
Dolotsavam or Utsava Sampradaya kritis come as the last part of bhajan containing many folk tunes from Andhra Pradesh. Dola means Cradle and this is an utsavam of putting the Lord in the cradle and gently rocking it by singing several forms of lullaby songs and prabodhana (suprabhatam) songs. Most of these kritis are set to folk tunes well-known in the Dolotsava paddhati of Sampradaya bhajans. Typical examples of songs are: Hecharikaka rara, Pavanaja stuthi patra, Nagumomu galavani, Napali, Ksherasahara vihara.
By the divine grace and with the blessings of my Guru HH Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamigal, I have embarked upon writing this blog which may be useful to someone. Whenever at a loss for words, ideas of presentation and information, it is my guru who blessed me immediately with ideas in the minds to evolve this blog. I also would like to mention my great thanks to my Ganesan Mama, bhagavathar at Selva Vinayakar Bhajana Mandali, Velan Nagar who from my college days being close to me cultivated my thinking, guided and helped me nourish it, presented his blessings everytime with photos of the Lord, especially Lord Vittala Panduranga, which even now I have with me and introduced me to Radha Kalyanam and Divya Nama Bhajans in Chennai. This is just one of Lords mysterious ways in the grand scheme of things that has enabled development of this blog. Radhe Krishna!
