Bhajan

 
<translate> Part of a series of articles on the</translate> <translate> Science of
the Spoken Word</translate>

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   <translate> Main article</translate>    <translate> Spoken Word</translate>

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   <translate> Forms of the spoken Word</translate>    <translate> Affirmation</translate> <translate> Call</translate> <translate> Chant</translate> <translate> Decree</translate> <translate> Fiat</translate> <translate> Invocation</translate> <translate> Mantra</translate> <translate> Prayer</translate>

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   <translate> Eastern forms</translate>    <translate> AUM</translate> <translate> Bhajan</translate> <translate> Bija mantra</translate> <translate> Golden Mantra</translate> <translate> Om mani padme hum</translate>

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   <translate> Western forms</translate>    <translate> Hail Mary</translate> <translate> Rosary</translate>

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   <translate> Specific rituals</translate>    <translate> Mother Mary’s Circle of Light</translate> <translate> Fourteenth Rosary</translate> <translate> Archangel Michael’s Rosary</translate> <translate> Ritual of the Resurrection Flame</translate> <translate> Kuan Yin’s Crystal Rosary</translate>

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   <translate> Related topics</translate>    <translate> Violet flame</translate> <translate> Violet-flame decrees</translate> <translate> Balance of violet-flame and blue-flame decrees</translate> <translate> Pranayama</translate> <translate> Djwal Kul's breathing exercise</translate>  

A traditional form of musical devotion still popular in India today. A bhajan is a spiritual song as well as group worship through music and song. Bhajans are customarily performed in a soloist-group format.

For centuries, Hindu devotees have embraced the bhajan as a source of deep spiritual renewal. Today bhajans are performed on holy days, special occasions or with a gathering of relatives, friends and neighbors. An evening of bhajans can last for several hours, often lifting the participants to a state of religious exaltation. A soloist sings a verse and the group repeats it to the accompaniment of percussion and other instruments. Generally the recitation begins slowly and then speeds up.

A distinctive element of the bhajan is the repetition of the names of God. According to Hindu tradition, singing and meditating upon the names of a deity evoke his or her power and presence. To the Hindu, the bhajan is also a medium of divine grace, bringing salvation to those who have erred.

See also

Spoken Word

Sources

Shiva: Sacred Chants from the Heart of India (audio CD)