Bhajans, Kirtans, Songs of Yoga and Worship.

[Joe Mc]

Originally Posted by Jainarayan

One of my goals for the near future is to video a guitar cover version. There is a good version on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/YmIsbHrIdEI

Sri Gurvastakam. This one, though it’s actually a happy hymn, makes me cry like a baby. Damn you George for using a minor key (Cm).

https://youtu.be/Ju8--JWpYW4

Good idea to do your own cover, best of luck with it. Nice version with the young lady ..you can see the chordal structure very clearly thanks for sharing.

@ Sri Gurusatakam, yes the minor key can into an opening of the heart for sure. C minor as you say in this case. All Glories to George Harrison !!!

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[Joe Mc]

Originally Posted by Still_Waters

I say the Gayatri Mantra several times daily in addition to my other bhajans and affirmations.

I LOVE the Gayatri Mantra and the version I posted is particularly lively.

Yes indeed seems like and is a very potent mantra thanks for sharing.

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[Joe Mc]

Originally Posted by Still_Waters

Bhajan to Kali, Destroyer of Evil, Ego, and Negativity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTONKvpU5UI

(English translation is in the video. This too is bhakti.)

You're spoiling us with all these bhajans Great stuff Still Waters I'm listening to them all. And hopefully we have a little treasure trove playlist here to pick anyone up or reconnect them. Haribol !

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[Joe Mc]

Another one from the devotees with a more upbeat tempo.

Namah Om Vishnu Padaya

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uos3C9n6tQ

Slower version.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WNAZoqIOsk&t=87s

This is a beautiful bhajan has moved me a few times.
Namaste Narasimhaya
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkkvjZR_Hus

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[Still_Waters]

Originally Posted by Jainarayan

Yes, that’s the version on the Goddess of Fortune album. Pia does a nice one too.

https://youtu.be/5obOz3FUMNw

I just listened to Pia's version of Govinda, and I agree that it is really nice too.

[Still_Waters]

Originally Posted by Joe Mc

Another one from the devotees with a more upbeat tempo.

Namah Om Vishnu Padaya

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uos3C9n6tQ

Slower version.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WNAZoqIOsk&t=87s

This is a beautiful bhajan has moved me a few times.
Namaste Narasimhaya
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkkvjZR_Hus

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These chants definitely bring back memories of the early days of the Hare Krishna movement here in New York City.

I am more of a jnani than a bhakti but I always enjoyed going to the Krishna temple and watching Prabhupada with the devotees.

[Still_Waters]

This is a version of Om Namah Shivaya that I really love and often play while doing yoga. I have played this for hours in the past. It is one of my long-time favorites.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCOfsMVT2B8

[Joe Mc]

Originally Posted by Still_Waters

These chants definitely bring back memories of the early days of the Hare Krishna movement here in New York City.

I am more of a jnani than a bhakti but I always enjoyed going to the Krishna temple and watching Prabhupada with the devotees.

Must have been interesting to be around in those days. I watched a documentary on Prabupad during the lockdown. If i find the link i'll post it. It was quite amazing the fact that Prapupad arrived as he did aged 70 with very little or no contacts in New York and set about starting the Hare Krishna movement. He was warned by many not to go etc. Really a testament to human veracity, faith, courage whatever. Obviously I'm not really endorsing Iskcon. It was pointed out to me by a jnani one time that I was a bhakti, i have to say I didn't fully understand what he was on about.( he was mostly a follower of Ramana Maharshi and a very enlightened soul indeed) But today i still don't know what he was on about I suppose I don't see a rigid and formal training structure like Iskcon as the only way to be a bhakta or a servant of the Divine. I'm very tempted here to slag off 'jnanis' with their endless argumentations it seems but that is a wrong understanding. I suppose the path of the jnani offers an opportunity to go astray down the road of argumentation, although they probably see a beauty in this type of arguing that i cannot see so clearly ? Of course there is also a shadow side to practicing bhakti yoga, perhaps becoming overly compliant and not standing up for oneself ? But im not so sure what do you think ?

Just discovered this one today, looking for a more well known chant, I'm sure it's based on a poem by Rumi :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEvTcmw25yY

I was looking for this one, another fine Song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UfsxvDRrIw




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[Still_Waters]

Originally Posted by Joe Mc

Must have been interesting to be around in those days. I watched a documentary on Prabupad during the lockdown. If i find the link i'll post it. It was quite amazing the fact that Prapupad arrived as he did aged 70 with very little or no contacts in New York and set about starting the Hare Krishna movement. He was warned by many not to go etc. Really a testament to human veracity, faith, courage whatever. Obviously I'm not really endorsing Iskcon. It was pointed out to me by a jnani one time that I was a bhakti, i have to say I didn't fully understand what he was on about.( he was mostly a follower of Ramana Maharshi and a very enlightened soul indeed) But today i still don't know what he was on about I suppose I don't see a rigid and formal training structure like Iskcon as the only way to be a bhakta or a servant of the Divine. I'm very tempted here to slag off 'jnanis' with their endless argumentations it seems but that is a wrong understanding. I suppose the path of the jnani offers an opportunity to go astray down the road of argumentation, although they probably see a beauty in this type of arguing that i cannot see so clearly ? Of course there is also a shadow side to practicing bhakti yoga, perhaps becoming overly compliant and not standing up for oneself ? But im not so sure what do you think ?

Just discovered this one today, looking for a more well known chant, I'm sure it's based on a poem by Rumi :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEvTcmw25yY

I was looking for this one, another fine Song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UfsxvDRrIw




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It's interesting to hear your impressions of the jnanis and Ramana Maharshi as I personally am jnani-inclined with high degrees of bhakti as well as karma yoga. As you know from the Bhagavad Gita, three personality types are identified with suitable practices for each: jnani, bhakti, and karma yogis.

Prabhupada was an intriguing and charismatic bhakti devotee of Lord Krishna with unwavering faith. Being a jnani, you can imagine that we had some interesting personal interactions. The jnani approach is not for everyone. As a matter of fact, I have often said that, given a large group of people whom I had not met before, I would probably mention all three approaches but focus primarily on bhakti (unless there are strong indications to the contrary) as it harnesses one's emotions and focuses them on an ideal. It should be noted that jnanis often have a bhakti element in the form of Lord Shiva who is considered to be the Lord of Yoga and Meditation. Ramana Maharshi was considered by many to be an incarnation of Shiva.

Many jnanis can be argumentative, as you duly noted, but the jnani approach is quite effective for those who can deal with it. I have noticed that jnanis can fully understand and relate to the bhakti and karma yoga approaches ... but .... it seems that most bhaktis and karma yogis have difficulties in relating to the jnani approach for reasons which are quite obvious at least to me.

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It's interesting that you should mention Rumi, as he is one of my favorites and I am actually going to a Rumi reading this evening, Thursday, September 3rd, which I believe is held every Thursday at 7 PM. This will be my first time so I am not in a position to comment further. It was mentioned on a Sufi site that I frequent so I think that it should be interesting.

*Topic: Rumi Reading
Time: 7pm est
Date: Thursday’s

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Meeting ID: 555 300 4157

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[Joe Mc]

Originally Posted by Still_Waters

It's interesting to hear your impressions of the jnanis and Ramana Maharshi as I personally am jnani-inclined with high degrees of bhakti as well as karma yoga. As you know from the Bhagavad Gita, three personality types are identified with suitable practices for each: jnani, bhakti, and karma yogis.

Prabhupada was an intriguing and charismatic bhakti devotee of Lord Krishna with unwavering faith. Being a jnani, you can imagine that we had some interesting personal interactions. The jnani approach is not for everyone. As a matter of fact, I have often said that, given a large group of people whom I had not met before, I would probably mention all three approaches but focus primarily on bhakti (unless there are strong indications to the contrary) as it harnesses one's emotions and focuses them on an ideal. It should be noted that jnanis often have a bhakti element in the form of Lord Shiva who is considered to be the Lord of Yoga and Meditation. Ramana Maharshi was considered by many to be an incarnation of Shiva.

Many jnanis can be argumentative, as you duly noted, but the jnani approach is quite effective for those who can deal with it. I have noticed that jnanis can fully understand and relate to the bhakti and karma yoga approaches ... but .... it seems that most bhaktis and karma yogis have difficulties in relating to the jnani approach for reasons which are quite obvious at least to me.

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It's interesting that you should mention Rumi, as he is one of my favorites and I am actually going to a Rumi reading this evening, Thursday, September 3rd, which I believe is held every Thursday at 7 PM. This will be my first time so I am not in a position to comment further. It was mentioned on a Sufi site that I frequent so I think that it should be interesting.

*Topic: Rumi Reading
Time: 7pm est
Date: Thursday’s

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5553004157

Meeting ID: 555 300 4157

Dial by your location
******* +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
******* +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
******* +1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
******* +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
******* +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
******* +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
Meeting ID: 555 300 4157
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcmLotIL0f

That looks good, the Rumi Reading Event, perhaps i'll pop in if that is ok but i most likely won't as it will be quite late here GMT. Have a good time. I struggled a bit with the Hare Krishna's idealism to be fair and found there approach a bit puritanical in the end, i learned as i got older that there was such a thing as what was called 'fundamentalism' in all religious paths etc. ? Nevertheless as you can see I'm still very attracted to their devotion and song and in general wish them well, do they wish me well, a karmi like myself ?? Maybe not. Think i recounted here my tale to the last Hare Krishna restaurant i visited in Dublin Ireland. The basis of the story was that i felt absolutely blown away with love and a deep feeling of spiritual recognition because i had this feeling that they were singing about me Maybe a jnani might understand that feeling better than a bhakta ? But isn't it strange if i had said to any of the devotees ..you're singing about me ..they would have taken offence lol so ..hmmm not sure what happened there on that day.
I became a Hare Krisha devotee for a short time and lived on an island here. We had a teacher who insisted we needed a speed boat Stuff like that and i also I felt that they kind of missed out on the opportunity to train young monks and to take it more seriously. A bit of that kind of stuff. Hey i can only imagine trying to win an argument with prabupad or his devotees. You got to be made of strong stuff to be a devotee i think. We had an ex IRA member at the time who had become a devotee in the H Blocks, a British internment camp for IRA prisoners. Quite a change of heart in some ways. He was a very nice chap...but stone mad in the sense of his zeal lets say. ok thanks for the insights and thoughts. I will think a bit more about the 3 divisions mentioned as you say in the Gita, Bhakta, Jnani and Karma yogas. All the best. Joe.

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