Festivals
and Events
Akhanda Bhajan
As part of the birthday celebrations of Bhagawan
Baba, on the second Saturday-Sunday in November, Bhajans (devotional
singing) are conducted continuously for 24 hours at all Sathya
Sai Centres on a global level praying for peace, harmony and
bliss to all mankind.
 The
significance of community singing is immense, according to
Baba. It is the easiest way to reach God in the present age.
Speaking on the efficacy of Bhajans, Baba says, "The
spiritual vibrations produced by Bhajans confer great joy
both on those who sing them and on those who hear the songs.
Bhajans remove all negative thoughts, soothe the nerves, purify
the mind and fill the body and the heart with sweet love for
the divine. As one sings Bhajans, the mind is saturated with
God Consciousness and a great ecstasy wells up from within.
No mental or intellectual effort is called for, as there is
no need to understand anything while uttering the holy names
of God and singing His glory. The singing and the atmosphere
created by Bhajans takes one beyond the realms of the body,
mind and intellect and helps to establish communion with the
Higher Self (consciousness) within. Therefore, singing Bhajans
becomes a beautiful and blissful experience. Many great composers
and musicians like Thyagaraja established communion with God
through devotional music.”
Excerpts from
Bhagawan’s Discourses:
“Today we are having the Akhanda Bhajan.
This is being done not for the sake of one individual, one
nation or one community. It is for the welfare of humanity
as a whole.
The bhajans that are sung permeate the ether
in the form of sound waves and fill the entire atmosphere.
Thereby, the whole environment is purified. Breathing in this
purified atmosphere, our hearts get purified. Reciting the
Lord's name is a process of give and take. Singing the Lord's
name should become an exercise in mutual sharing of joy and
holiness. It should be remembered that the sounds we produce
reverberate in the atmosphere. They remain permanently in
the ether as waves and outlast the individual uttering the
sounds.
Community bhajans should not be treated as
a pastime. When thousands of persons join in singing bhajans,
they should be fully absorbed in the devotion and the ecstasy
of that experience. The singing should be vibrant and soulful
and not mechanical or uninspiring. It should combine bhava
(feeling), raga (melody) and tala (rhythm). What delight can
be experienced when all sing in chorus, with the same feeling,
in the same tune and to the same timing! When there is such
unity the Divine can be experienced.
Not all realize the potency and efficacy
of reciting the Lord's name. The first requisite is purity
of thought, word and deed. The name that is uttered by the
tongue should be meditated upon by the mind. What is uttered
and dwelt upon should be hailed by clapping the hands. This
threefold concentration on the Divine name - unity of mind,
speech and action - purifies the heart and nourishes the feeling
of devotion.
When the chanting of the Name is done in
community singing, it should be in a form in which the entire
group can participate easily. The tune, the rhythm, etc. should
be such that all can follow the bhajan. If the lead singer
takes up a song that is not familiar to others, the response
from the group will be poor. There will be no enthusiasm or
genuine participation. Their minds will be distracted. When
all the devotees participate in the bhajan, the vibrations
that are produced will generate joy and harmony.”
- Divine Discourse on Akhanda Bhajan day on
November 8, 1986
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