Bhajans

"Bhajans are prayers in the form of songs, rich in meaning and full of devotional content. When one sings a bhajan wholeheartedly, they completely forget themselves and become one with their longing for the divine; this is meditation. In this modern age with distractions galore, traditional meditation and contemplation are not possible for everybody, but anyone can sing bhajans. When sung with concentration and devotion, bhajans awaken the innocence deep within us and we feel the divine in our hearts."

"While singing the divine name, you should always keep the eyes closed; otherwise, the eyes, persuaded by the mind and tempted by the objects, will run after them. Children, behold the inner light; it cannot be seen if you look at the external light."

"The bliss of singing the divine name is something unique. It is inexpressible. Amma is not at all hesitant to take any number of births to sing the name of the Lord. There is no question of gaining total and complete satisfaction in singing the Lord's name. That is why even those who have reached That State will come down and sing the glories of the Lord with the attitude of a devotee. That is something which one will not feel fed up with at all."

"Darling children, to gain concentration in this age of Kali Yuga (material age), bhajan is easier than meditation. By loud singing, other distracting sounds will be overcome and concentration will be achieved. Bhajan, concentration and meditation, this is the progression. In fact, constant remembrance of God is meditation."

"Children, bhajan sung with one-pointedness will benefit the singer, the listener and also Mother Nature. Such songs will awaken the listeners' minds in due course. If bhajan is sung without concentration, it is a waste of energy. Bhajan is a spiritual discipline aimed at concentrating the mind on one's Beloved Deity. Through that one-pointedness, one can merge in the Divine Being and experience the bliss of one's true self."

"At dusk, the atmosphere is full of impure vibrations. This is the time when day and night meet and is the best time for sadhaks (spiritual aspirants) to meditate because good concentration can be attained. If sadhana is not done, more worldly thoughts rise up. That is why bhajan should be sung loudly at dusk. In this way, the atmosphere will also be purified. Children, at dusk sing bhajan while sitting in front of a burning oil lamp. The smoke produced by the wick burning in oil is a siddha oushadha (perfect medicine). We inhale the smoke and the atmosphere is also purified."

"God alone is eternal. Our life's goal is to attain Him. You should not forget this. Singing the Divine Name is the best way. One should imagine that one's Beloved Deity is standing everywhere in the room. One should pray, 'O Lord, are You not seeing me? O God, please take me on Your lap. I am Your child. I have no one but You as my refuge. Do not abandon me but always dwell in my heart.' Devotional singing is the spontaneous music of the soul. Nobody can resist the inspirational qualities of such music penetrating one's heart when it is sung with concentration and devotion."

"Children, sing from the depth of your hearts. Let the heart melt in prayer. The joy of singing the Lord's name is unique. This bhajan is for us to pour out all our heart's accumulated dirt. Leave aside all shyness and open your hearts to God."