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Pranava: TheArt & Cultureof Kirtan inthe West
Editor inChief:
J.Yochanan
Russell
SeniorColumnists:
Maturanath-ji,Vamadeva-ji,Shanti Shivani
Art Director:J.Yochanan
Russell
Advertising,Marketing &
Circulation:Shannon
Chambers,J.Yochanan
Russell
ContributingEditor:
Solala Towler
SeniorPhotographer
AnkushVimawala
ArticleSubmissionInquiries:
Request ourMedia Kit for
AdSubmissions:pranamag@gm
ail.com
Pranava Magazine
Editorial
PRANAVAMAGAZINEWINTERISSUE2014
*The definition of Pranava:
Pranava is the name of the Primordial All-pervasive Sound Vibration that
culminates as OM/AUM, which is the Word of GOD/Divinity. Pranava is the voice o
the life-force in motion.
Pranava is that which impregnates all with Life, & it is that which puts everythi
into Motion, hence the etymology, Prana= Life-force & Va: the root of Vayu, Vat
Vaccha (voice).
This is why Every invocation & prayer to the Divine begins & ends with the Pranav
seed syllable OM in nearly every tradition: aum, amen, amin.
Pranava Magazine
Editorial Note
Bhakti-Yoga is the path of Divine Love, & the devotional sadhana of
Kirtan is the means by which we court our Beloved with singing &chanting, who is none other than our very own Inner Divinity that takeswhatever form to suit our own idiosyncrasy. What grace! What kindness& mercy of the Absolute! Jai Bhagawan!!
It is with the warm & loving spirit of Bhakti that I welcome you to our
first pilot issue of Pranava Magazine: The Art & Culture of Kirtan in theWest!
With Pranava* Magazine, we are embarking on a journey of conscious
media that gives voice to the life-force of the ever expanding culture ofKirtan, which is now deeply rooted in the West as a subculture.
Everyone who has the blessed experience of participating in this rich &ancient tradition can feel the palpitating Heart thats been passed to usfrom the East. Our aim is to honor the deep roots of Kirtan & its varioustraditions, while highlighting its continuity of creative expression herein the U.S.
I truly feel that Jnana-Yoga is a key component upon the path of Bhakti,as it aids in the cultivation of direct experiential knowledge & insight(Gnosis) of the Divine, & therefore placing the mind under the service ofthe Heart.
In order to initiate Pranava Magazine., we offer an invocation & praiseto Sri Ganesh as the first article. In the following articles, we presentvital aspects that shape, & are never missing in devotional music:Nada-Yoga: The Yoga of Sound; Mantra: The Science of God-dess; &Music as Wisdom. I hope you enjoy such articles of our pilot issue &find it empowering & enlightening.
For our Spring March/April Issue, we haveGuruGanesha as our firstfeatured sacred music artist to grace the front cover as our outstandingfirst interviewee!
Future issues will follow suit with exclusive interviews of our favoriteKirtan Wallahs, with complimentary articles that delve deeper into theparticular tradition they represent, so stay tuned!
May your hearts forever remain ablaze in the bhav of Bhakti as you draw
ever nearer unto the One! OM Ganapati OM!!
Yours in Loving-Compassionate-Wisdom,~J.Yochanan Russell
[email protected] magazine available at www.pranavamagazine.com
mailto:[email protected]://www.pranavamagazine.com/http://www.pranavamagazine.com/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]8/12/2019 Pranava Magazine Pilot Issue Jan%3AFeb %2714
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As a gifted teacher of Bhakti Yoga, Author and aCertified Ayurvedic Lifestyle Counselor, Matura hasconducted hundreds of classes, and lead upliftingkirtans in America, England, Australia & India,inspiring others to seek and serve the ConsciousSpiritual Reality that is the basis of all world faiths.
A preview of Matura's forthcoming book "AbsoluteAbundance" can be previewed here:www.abundantlives.org
Shanti Shivani is is a singer/nada yogini/soundhealer, internationally acclaimed seminar leader andrecording artist. She is one of the few Western
pioneers bringing the sacred traditions of Nada Yogaand Dhrupad, the most ancient style of Hindustaniclassical music, to the West. She brings a wealth ofvocal, meditative, and movement experience to her
classes. She has several albums to her credit and hasbeen recording as a solo artist and in collaborationwith many World Music artists since 1993.Shecurrently lives in Eugene, OR.www.shantishivani.com
J ~Yochanan~ Russell is the founder, Editor in Chief &Head Columnist of Pranava Magazine; he is a longtimestudent & practitioner of Universal Gnostic Dharma,
Ayurveda, Cha Dao, Raja-Yoga, Bhakti-Yoga, Vajrayana
Tantra, Mahamudra & Dzogchen. As a lover & player ofSacred Music, he participates in the cultivation ofMantric Music/Kirtan for the healing, spiritualdevelopment, upliftment & empowerment of humanity.
prana
For Guest Contributor Submissions, please email
J.Yochanan Russell:[email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.shantishivani.com/http://www.shantishivani.com/http://www.abundantlives.org/http://www.abundantlives.org/8/12/2019 Pranava Magazine Pilot Issue Jan%3AFeb %2714
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vakratunda mahaakaaya
suryakoti samaprabhaa
nirvighnam kurumedeva
sarvakaaryeshu sarvadaa
Salutations to the supreme Lord
Ganesh, whose curved trunk (vakra-
tunda) and massive body (maha-
kaayaa) shines like a million suns
(surya-koti) and showers his
blessings on everyone (sama-
prabhaa). Oh my Lord of lords
Ganesh (kurume-deva), kindly
remove all obstacles (nir-vighnam),
always (sarva-) and forever
(sarvadaa-) from all my activities
and endeavors (sarva-kaaryeshu).
Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha!
It is through the blessings of Sri
Ganesh that the vision of Pranava
Magazine has been actualized &
made manifest, so let us shine a
spotlight on Him & sing His praises!
Jai Sri Ganesha!
Sri Ganesha: The Lord of
Beginnings & Remover of
Obstacles
Sri Ganesh is the first beloved son of
Devi Parvati & Mahadeva Shiva,
brother of Kartikeya, & husband of
Buddhipriya. Due to his elephant
head, Ganesh is the most
recognizable deities within the
Hindu pantheon. Sri Ganesh is
designated as the lord-chief (Isha) of
all of Lord Shivas ganas (hosts-
servers) hence his name, Ganesh.
He is also affectionately known as
Ganapati, as He holds the position as
the General of Shivas & Kartikeyas
army (as the name Ganapati means)
& is the gatekeeper of sacred
madirs/temples.
As the Lord of Beginnings, Ganesh is
invoked at the start of every
ceremony to ensure that the way is
cleared, with all obstacles removed.
It is stated that if we want the
affectionate attention of the Divine
Mother, that we must firstly appease
Ganesh. As He holds high favor of all
the other Gods, it is through the
vibration of Ganesha-Bhakti that we
can also attract the favor of them as
well. He receives this power as a
blessing from his parents.
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AVAMAGAZINEWINTERIS
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It is very vital to understand that all of the attributes & qualities of Sri Ganesh reflect particular aspects of cosmic
consciousness, which are found within our very own psyche. The many Gods & Goddesses that we find in all the sac
wisdom traditions are all emanations of the Absolute. Sri Ganesh is just one out of many archetypal blueprints of d
that lie dormant within the heart-mind of every sentient being.
In the Hindu tradition there are many symbolic representations of divinity, and it would be very easy to become
confused by the different representations of God, but it is very important to remember that all representations of (the Absolute) are merely symbolic images, forms that the formless will assume in order to aid his devotees. This w
highlighted throughout future articles on the deities of Kirtan as we proceed with the publication of Pranava Magaz
When we talk about Ganesha, Shiva, Krishna, Durga, Lakshmi, or any of the Hindu gods, all of these symbols are
doorways into ourselves, into the deepest regions of our True Nature.
Our True Nature has these levels of manifested and unmanifested nature, which are all discovered within.
Religion means to reunite with Divinity. The purpose of religion is reflected in the origin of that word, religare (Lat
which means "to reunite or to bind, to reconnect," and is identical to the Hindu term yoga, which comes from yug,
which means "to unite," and is where we get the word "yoke." Our purpose is not to unite with some image of a God
to bind ourselves to some doctrinal codes that demand us to behave a certain way in order to be a true follower of
and such symbol.
PRANAVAMAGAZINEWINTERISSUE2014
ur true purpose is to be a manifestation of
the unmanifested, to become a Deva or
Devi on Earth. The whole purpose of
vinity is to make us a reflection of It. That
s why we are alive: to become the divine
ncarnate. All who consciously spend time
ngaged in any kind of spiritual cultivation
from performing a particular puja,
editation or during devotional chanting in
rtan, can attest to moments of when such
a truth is tasted firsthand within.
Remover of all obstacles,
Pranava Swaroopi,
Embodiment of wisdom,Devata of Muladhara Chakra!
O Lord Vinayaka,
The bestower of happiness
Who has Modaka in hand!
O Elephant-headed Lord!
Salutations unto Thee.
Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha.
The Names & Attributes of S
Ganesh
Ganesha means "Lord of hosts." This p
will sound familiar to you if youve stu
Christianity or Judaism, because "lord
hosts" appears throughout the Bible, w
is no accident.
The Sanskrit name "Lord of hosts" is de
from:
gana means "hosts/servers, gr
collection, or categories." It c
also be armies, any large num
things or people
Isha means "Master"
Gana+Isha is "Master of hosts."
Another name for him used throughou
is Ganapati. The name Ganesha is use
mostly in northern Indian traditions, w
Ganapati is used in the south; yet, Ga
also means "Lord of hosts."
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Another important name for Ganesha is Vinayaka, andthis name means "without a master." This refers to one
who excels all masters; there is no master higher, in
other words, he is his own master.
In order to comprehend the mysteries of Sri Ganesh, we
must study the elephant itself. As we observe the wild
elephant in the jungles of the world, we discover that
as they roam & feed throughout, they are opening up
space that were previous left in darkness, to receivemore light. We can clearly see that Sri Ganesh is the
remover of obstacles due this exact meaning; not only
should we understand this to mean that Ganesh has the
power to remove certain obstacles that stand in the
way of us accomplishing mundane goals, but also that
He has the power to make room for more light to shine
within the consciousness.
This is why we call upon Sri Ganesh to assist in the
awakening of the consciousness with the prayer of the
Ganesha Gayatri Mantra:
AUM lambodaraaya viddhamahe, mahodaraaya
dhImahi, tanno danti prachodayaath
We pray to the one with the expandable belly
(lambodar!ya) who is omnipresent (viddhamahe). We
meditate upon and pray for greater intellect (dh"mahi)
to the Lord with the huge belly (mahodar!ya). We bow
before the one with the single-tusked elephant tooth
(tanno danti) to illuminate our minds with wisdom
(prachoday!t).
To have a mind that is illuminated with wisdom, it must
first be prepared thorough purification & made empty,
in order to be receptive. Sri Ganesh grants what Zen
Buddhism calls Beginners Mind, which is a mind that
remain always within a state of receptivity. Ganesh is
the Lord of Beginnings for this very reason. For anything
to work in alignment with a vision we hold within, we
can call upon Sri Ganesh to clear the way in order to
initiate manifestation.
Sri Ganesh is also known as the Lord of Speech
(Vaccha), Knowledge (Jnana) & Wisdom (Prajna). It is no
wonder that these attributes are related with Ganesh as
the elephant is well known for its powers of memory, &
sophisticated communication. It is also worthy to note
how the words knowledge & gnosis are both derived
from jnana, which even phonetically sounds like
Ganesha.
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In many of the depictions of Sri Ganesh, we see him
mounted on a mouse, or a rat. This symbolizes a
particular attribute of Ganesh; as he is able to remove
obstacles & create auspicious beginnings, he does so by
way of the rat, whos special ability is to get within &
traverse every nook & cranny. These very nooks &
crannies are those within the heart-mind.
The more we approach Sri Ganesha with sincere hearts
blazing with Bhakti, the more He grants the boon of
Gnosis, which is the direct inner experience of divinity.
As the source of all wisdom, knowledge & intelligence
Ganesha represents is not only secular book knowledge,
but more importantly knowledge which is spiritually
inspired.
Another name of Sri Ganesh is Ekadanta, which means
"one tusked."
There are many stories in the Puranas about his tusks.
In the earliest myths, Ganesh has a single tusk, and this
is symbolically represented in many different ways. It is
stated that in the act of generosity that he offered his
tusk as a pen in order to transcribe the Vedas. Somesources say that it was the Sage Vyasa that asked Sri
Ganesh to transcribe a poem he wanted to have written
down. Ganesh agreed on the terms that Vyasa would
recite it in one breath & in the middle of transcribing
the pen broke, so as to stay in time & flow with Vyasa,
he quickly broke off one of his tusks & continues to
transcribe.
Ekadanta has the suffix danta, from dantin, from the
root dru- darshayati: "to show"; he has a symbolic single
tusk because he is the one who shows the path, who
shows the single way to the Absolute, and that is
Ganeshas role: to clear obstacles within & to show the
path that leads to our true home.
That relates to another one of his names, Vakratunda,
which means "he who straightens out the crooked."
Many Hindus think that this all relates to earthly life,
such as if youre going to take a trip or you need to
have success in your business or marriage, then you ask
Ganesha to bless your marriage or business. That is
great, but the real purpose of the symbol of Sri Ganesh
is related to spirituality. It is "He who straightens the
crooked", it is he who straightens us, because we are
crooked with pride, lust, anger, & many other kleshas
(afflictive emotions), so with his single tusk he points
out the way towards the One.
Sri Ganesh is also represented as the bringer of wealth
and prosperity; many people worship Ganesh because
they want financial prosperity; this is an unskillful
approach. Many Hindus (now western Hindu aspirants)
call upon Ganesh because they want success in business
or power in the world. When we perform the sadhana of
Sri Ganesh regularly, we naturally begin to embody the
spirit of selflessness & renunciation, & we come torealize that the only wealth & prosperity that has any
merit are the riches of the spirit that are reaped in the
consciousness. If any financial abundance comes along
the way, then it is used to further support dharmic
ventures that will benefit humanity for many
generations to come.
Swami Sivananda said:
"Lord Ganesha represents Om or the Pranava,
which is the chief Mantra among the Hindus.
Nothing can be done without uttering it. This
explains the practice of invoking Ganesha
before beginning any rite or undertaking any
project. His two feet represent the power of
knowledge and the power of action. The
elephant head is significant in that it is the only
figure in nature that has the form of the symbol
for Om."
Let us forever recall the glories of Sri Ganesh & chant
his name with loving devotion, & may he bless our every
endeavor from within!
Ganesha Sharanam-Sharanam Ganesha!
Om Ganapati Om!!!
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Nada-Yoga: TheYoga of Sound
Nada Yoga, the yoga of sound, is an
ancient spiritual practice that is part
of Raja Yoga and ayurveda, the
science of life. Nada Yoga means
union (yoga) with the nada
or nadam, the primordial sound
which is the primal, omnipresent,
omnipotent vibration of the jagat
(the universe in sanskrit) that has no
beginning nor end. In the Rg Veda,
the oldest text of the 4,000 year old
vedic scriptures of India, sound is
called nada (sound in skt.) brahma
(the Hindu God of creation), which
means the sound of God. It is the
sound of silence, the sound of the
void, and it is perceived by the yogi
who contemplates the unborn, the
unstruck sound, the anahata nada,
or by the householder practitioner
whose mastery of the outer sound
through music, dance or theater
combined with deep devotion leads
to hearing the unstruck, innersound.
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika IV, 1 says:
NAMAH SHIVAYA GURAVE NADA-
BINDU-KALATMANE
NIRANJANA-PADAM YATI NITAM
YATRA PARAYANAH.
"Salutations to thenadam, whichis the inner guide and the inner
life, the dispenser of happiness to
all!It is the innerguru, appearingasnada,binduandkala. One whois devoted to the innerguru,thenada, the inner music, obtainsthe highest bliss.
The Gospel According to Saint
John 1:1 says:
"In the beginning was the Word.
And the Word was with God,
and God was the Word."
The great Sufi teacher, Hazrat
Inayat Khan, said: "Creation isthe music of God." In other
words, the world arises out of
the music of God, that resounds
and manifests itself in all of
nature. Pythagoras called it the
"music of the spheres. In all
mystical traditions sound plays a
vital role, as it is the bridge
between the lower and higher
worlds, the unconscious and the
conscious, the form and the
formless.
There are many forms of Nada Yoga
in India. The two main streams are
the path of the renunciant, one who
has renounced the world, and the
path of the householder. Within
these two main streams there are
many different lineages with
different practices. A very important
householder lineage is that of the
singer, instrumentalist, drummer,
dancer and poet. The ultimate goal
is the same: Self-realization through
the unstruck inner sound, through
which the individual consciousness
merges with the I AM consciousness.We experience our true Self, we
experience union with the Absolute I
AM.
The renunciantnada yogimeditates
on the inner sound current, thus
traveling into the more subtle
realms of his being by focusing on
the increasingly subtle sounds until
merging with the unstruck sound,
theanahata nada, thus connecting
more and more deeply with the tru
Self, Brahman or God. The
householder who lives in the world
focuses on singing or playing the
outer pure sound on an instrument
to connect with the inner sound
current. The anahata nadais
connected to the anahatachakra,
which is the heart chakra. The lotu
of the heart is the seat of Brahman
our true nature. This would explain
why devotion is so crucial to being
able to connect and merge with the
anahata nada.
Because I have been a householder
practitioner of the Dagar lineage o
Dhrupad music since 1981 and I like
to talk from experience, I will
mainly be speaking about the nada
yogaof our lineage. But let me firs
give you an introduction to Dhrupa
which is little known in the West.
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The modern form of Dhrupadis said
to have emerged out of the
prabandhastyle of the 12th to 14th
century. Dhrupadwas originally only
sung or played on the veena by
Hindu Swamis. It was and still is an
act of worship during which the
priest or musician communes with
Brahman or God and invokes therasa(essence, flavor) of the raga
(musical mode). The intention is to
put the listener into a state of
contemplation and inner peace.
During the 12th and 14th centuries
the language of the compositions
changed from Sanskrit to Brijbhasa,
the language of Braj, the area
around Vrindavan. About six
centuries ago Dhrupadcame under
the patronage of the royal Moghul
courts, where it was adapted for
performance, thus evolving into a
refined and sophisticated art form.
The compositions became more
secular though and were often
praises of the emperors, whereas
before they had been solely
devotional and philosophical in
nature. Dhrupadreached its peak in
the 16th century during the time of
the legendary court musician of the
Emperor Akbar, Tansen, and Swami
Haridas who is said to have been the
guru of Tansen. Swami Haridas was a
Dhrupadsinging saint who lived as a
hermit in the forest near Vrindavan.
The most important schools ofDhrupadare the Dagar and
Vishnupurbanisor lineages. To this
day a Dhrupadrecital is not seen as
a performance. It is a communion
with Brahmanor God in his or her
many aspects in which the listeners
take part.I had the great fortune to
have been accepted as aparampara
student of the lineage of the late
Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar and his
younger brother, the late Ustad Zia
Fariduddin Dagar but I received most
of my training from Pandit Ritwik
Sanyal, one of the main disciples of
both of the above-mentioned
Ustads, with whom I started studying
in Benares, India in December of
1981.
I will never forget the first time Iheard Dhrupad vocal music. It was
Mahashivaratri, the "Night of Lord
Shiva", during the February new
moon of 1981. This is the most
important time to worship Lord
Shiva, and I was living in the worldly
abode of Lord Shiva in Benares or
Varanasi, India. I was studying sitar
and classical vocal music with Pandit
Ramakant Mishra, in whose family
house I lived. The annual Dhrupad
mela was taking place in a big tent
on Tulsi Ghat for 3 days and nights
and all of my friends were
attending. I had never even heard
about Dhrupad music, but found
myself totally transported listening
to two Dhrupad singers in
jugalbandhi(duet) an older man, Zia
Fariduddin Dagar and his younger
disciple, Ritwik Sanyal.
I had grown up with classical
Western music, but this music took
me to a whole other dimension that
I had not experienced before. The
intricate embellishments consisting
of subtle sliding from one note to
another, the oscillations on one notecreating the finest microtones, the
powerful pulling from very deep
notes, the interweaving of the
notes, the entire unfolding of the
raga that lasted more than one hour
created such a deep mood that it
was truly a spiritual
experience.While going on this
mystical, musical journey with themI
was overcome by the realization
that this was the music I had always
be looking for and that these two
men, the elder and the younger,
were my teachers.That evening I
found out that the younger singer,
Ritwik Sanyal, was teaching classical
vocal music at Benares Hindu
University and teaching Dhrupad
privately. I met one of his studentsthat evening and asked to be
introduced to him but she declined,
saying that he would not accept me
as a student if I didn't
commit to a minimum of 5 years of
study. But Dhrupadwas my destiny,
and so it was that 9 months later the
same student agreed to make an
appointment for me with Ritwik
Sanyal for an audition, because she
realized that I was very committed
to studying Indian Classical music.
Since our first meeting I had been
studying khayal style of singing with
one of the greatest devotional
musicians of Benares, the big-
hearted Bhole Nath Mishra. I had
gotten my first taste of kirtan
(devotional singing) in 1977, while
living with my first spiritual guru,
Bengali Baba, a Shaivite sadhu, at
the Hanuman Bhowri in Pushkar,
Rajastan. We would sing every night
around the dhuni (holy fire pit) with
the villagers and those evenings
were quite ecstatic with my
boyfriend playing guitar to the
chants. Bhole Nath Mishra, who wasa true devotee of Lord Shiva,
rekindled that devotional passion in
me, which is crucial if you are to
sing with total surrender. And as I
would find out much, much later,
singing ragasdemands that you
become an empty vessel for
Brahman or the I-Am consciousness
to sing through you.
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I will also never forget how profoundly I was affected by
my first meeting with Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar, the
greatest rudra veena player of Northern India. I met
Ustad (Master in urdu) for the first time in 1982 at the
Dhrupadmela(festival) in Ambejogai in Maharastra, a
small village with a college in the middle of the desert.
It was the first Dhrupad meladedicated to women in
Dhrupad. Nancy Lesh (the now well-known Dhrupad
cellist Nancy Kulkarni) and I were accompanying our
guru, Ritwik Sanyal, to the mela and we were to meet
"Bare Ustad", for the first time. Being in Ustad's
presence touched me to the core and I felt an
incredible reverence for him as a human being and an
artist. I believe it was also at this particular Dhrupad
melathat Ustad's performance on the rudra veena
catapulted me out of my body into the cosmos. At the
end of this quite amazing mela,when Nancy and I were
sitting in the back of a rickety, old bus, leaving
Ambejogai, my thoughts were with "Bare Ustad" and Ifelt extremely sad that I only got to spend a short
period of time with him. In the middle of my sadness
Ustad appeared before my inner eye and jumped into
my heart. I was overcome with joy, almost ecstasy, and
knew he would be sitting in my heart forever.
In India, vocal music is considered the highest form of
music, as the voice possesses the magnetism that the
instruments lack. The body itself becomes the
instrument when we sing. The tamburaor tanpura, the
drone instrument, rich in harmonics, that the Dhrupadsinger accompanies himself with, is built according to
the proportions of the human body. When carefully
tuned, all of the shrutisor microtones can be heard.
The tamburanot only provides the tonic note or "Sa" of
the middle and lower octave as well as the lower fifth
as a point of reference, but also puts everyone hearing
it into a state of relaxation, even contemplation,
because it balances the left and right brain
hemispheres.(Continued on page 14)
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(Continued from page 12)
I might note, that medieval Western
music and the church-modes of
Gregorian chants which preceded
the even-tempered scales of
Western classical music had the
same relationship to the tonic.) Thetamburaalso regulates the inner
rhythms of the player and the
listener. This is why it is so
important to tune it correctly and
to play it with a constant rhythm.
As we tune the tambura, we also
tune our bodies through posture,
breath and specific vocaltechniques.These practices anchor
the voice in the perineum within the
help of the breath and allow us to
sing all the notes, from the the
lowest to the highest notes with the
entire body. Singing in this way
vibrates every cell of the body, thus
attuning our physical and subtle
bodies. The nada yogaof the
Dhrupad tradition is considered to
be kriyayoga(purification yoga). We
purify our physical, emotional and
mental bodies through singing the
pure sound and align them with our
spiritual body. Through speaking or
singing we manifest ourselves in the
world and are thereby able to be in
the world but not of the world. The
nada yogapractices of Dhrupad are
also of great therapeutic value.
When one begins this practice as an
adult, the first thing one
experiences besides a state of
relaxation is that repressed
emotions arise. The emotional
healing is very deep, especially
when doing the early morning kharaj
(lower octave) practice, which
consists of singing the lower octave
of your personal fundamental note
before sunrise for approx. 45 min. I
will talk about my personal
experience with this practice below.
The first few years as a student of
Dhrupad, I was always searching for
a nada yogito initiate me into nada
yogaas I did not know that singing
the pure sound could connect me
with the inner sound current. That is
until I started hearing various forms
of the inner sound current after
several years of devoting myself to
doing many different forms of vocal
practices, learning compositions in
various ragasand singing alap, the
slow evolution of the ragain call-
and-response style with Ritwik
Sanyal.
The first inner sound that I
perceived on a regular basis was like
the sound that crickets make. Later
it turned into a humming sound like
the sound of bees that has pretty
much stayed with me. Much later I
had the one-time blessing of hearing
the sound of the celestial flute. I
don't know how it happened nor
what brought it on. All I can say is
that it was Grace. I suddenly heard
one long-drawn high-pitched note, a
note of such exquisite beauty and
divine vibration that I found myself
in the deepest state of bliss that I
have ever experienced.
For me, the most powerful practice
was the kharajpractice of singing
the lower octave down to the low
"Sa" or "do" (in my case lower octave
G) one hour before sunrise. Like
many meditation practices thispractice is done while it is dark,
because the pineal gland, which is
responsible for heightened
awareness, is awake when it is dark.
When the day breaks the pineal
gland goes to sleep. When doing
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But years later the kharajpractice took me to
a whole other level. It was the summer of
1989 and I had not been able to go to India for
4 years as I had given birth to my daughter,
Tara, in Germany and couldn't find the time to
do my early morning kharajpractice as a
single mother. So my first opportunity to study
Dhrupadagain was in the South of France at
Sheela Raj's Centre Chakra. She had organizedthe first 10-day Dhrupad retreat of several to
follow. This first one was with Ustad
Fahimuddin Dagar, a cousin of my two Ustads
who was a master Dhrupadsinger and nada
yogi. Fahimuddin Dagar's father, the late Ustad
Rahimuddin Dagar, had dedicated himself to
the in-depth study and practice of nada yoga.
He had taught body movements to open up the
breath and body to the subtle powers of soundto his son, and Fahimuddin passed them on to
us during this retreat. I had already
experienced the profound relationship
between movement and sound in the course of
interpreting and assisting Frderic Leboyer,
the father of the "birth without violence"
movement during his seminars. Leboyer taught
a series of movements distilled from his
lifelong hatha yoga and tai chipractice which
had produced an incredible opening of my
voice. Lo and behold, the movements that
Fahimuddin Dagar taught us were almost
exactly the same.
So there I was, ecstatic to have the
opportunity to focus on my beloved Dhrupad
music again for 10 days, starting with the
kharajpractice in the morning, one hour
before sunrise. I was very happy when I
realized that nothing had been lost and I was
able to almost reach the low "Sa" (lower
octave G), but then one morning the
unexpected happened. I sang the low "Sa" with
ease for the first time and suddenly exploded
into white Light inside and out. This was an
incredibly cosmic moment that seemed like an
eternity as this kind of experience transcends
time and space. Bathing in the white Light
feels like a complete purification of all of your
bodies and past karma. Once you come out of
this state, you feel totally reborn and as if the
past has been dropped.
I had had this experience of being one with
the Light once before in McCloud Ganj, H.P.,
in 1979 while falling asleep. I was in a deep
state of depression because I was missing my
new partner who I had left behind in Germany.
As I was falling asleep I found myself
plummeting down a dark tunnel, but instead
of hitting the bottom and waking up I
exploded into white Light. The next day I felt
as if I had been reborn and instead of dwelling
in the past and being depressed, I focused on
being in the present moment. I attributed this
experience to the grace of a tantric yogi, the
rainmaker of H.H. The Dalai Lama, Nagpa
Yeshe, who I would meet on my walks in
McCloud Ganj. He had the most heart-opening,
happy smile I had ever seen and I was always
filled with joy after crossing paths with him.
Much later I realized that I had to have this
life-changing experience because I was meant
to let go of my life and relationship in
Germany and start walking on the path of thenada yogini. Only when it happened I didn't
know that that was what it was all about.
Literally two days later, I met my tabla
teacher-to-be "by chance" because my friends
wanted to sit in on a tabla lesson and I
decided to join them. And this was the
beginning of my journey into the nada. More
about that in the next issue of Pranava.
PRANAVAMAGAZINEWINTERISSUE2014
Shanti Shivani is is a singer/nada yogini/sound healer, internationally acclaimedseminar leader and recording artist. She isone of the few Western pioneers bringing
the sacred traditions of Nada Yoga andDhrupad, the most ancient style ofHindustani classical music, to the West.She brings a wealth of vocal, meditative,and movement experience to her classes.
She has several albums to her credit andhas been recording as a solo artist and incollaboration with many World Music artistssince 1993.She currently lives in Eugene,
OR.www.shantishivani.com
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The Meaning of Mantra
Nowadays, the term mantra can be heard
almost anywhere from the streets to themainstream media & oftentimes without the
any real definition emphasized. If one were to
ask any common person what does the word
mantra mean, more than likely the answer
would be either some strange foreign word or
phrase thats repeated as a prayer or spell of
some type...?
It is also very common in our modern era for
people to join spiritual groups or movements &
then take on new names given to them by
their leaders; usually these are mantric
names, or names of certain divinities, etc.
Depending on the tradition, such names are
rarely unveiled in their deeper meaning &
application, & more often than not, such
individuals end up creating for themselves a
false personality, or a spiritual ego.
For ages, mantras have been used to inspire
personal development, & oftentimes used as
aspirations to generate abundance, prosperity
& material gain.
In this article we are going to delve a little
deeper into the meaning & application of
Mantra-Yoga, revealing some of the original
practices that have been held within the
sacred traditions of spirituality around the
world.
The Science of Mantra-Yoga is the essentially
the science of breath, vibration, sound &
light.
A deeper meaning for mantra thats generally
used for conventional purposes is: mantra is a
sound or word generally used to help focus the
mind on a single thought until thoughtless
Beingness is established. As a tool to achieve
stillness, the mantra is to be discarded at the
moment stillness is achieved.
The word Mantra is related to manas (the
mind); yoga means to unite with our origin.
Mantra -Yoga would then mean to unite using
the tool of mantra. This tool is the tool of
transformation.
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Google defines mantra as:
A mantra is a sound,
syllable, word, or group of
words that is considered
capable of "creating
transformation" (spiritual
transformation). Its use and
type varies according to the
school and philosophy
associated with the
mantra. This at least hints
at the subtle & profound
power that mantra
possesses.
The Word mantra itself, like
many Sanskrit terms, is a
compound word, & has a
variety of meanings depending on its
context; it could mean, an
instrument, or tool that transforms/
protects the mind. The prefix Man
means the mind of the spirit
Manas,& the suffix
Tra:transformative/protective
principle.
There are 3 primary purposes that
mantra serve in Mantra-Yoga:
1. Purification
2. Illumination
3. Perfection
There are mantras that Purify,
mantras thatIlluminatethe
Consciousness & mantras that
Perfect, therefore providing the
ground for Self-Realization.
Mantra in Ayurveda
In Ayurveda, & in the East in
general, the Mind is more than just
a function of the brain. Usually
when a person of the East speaks
of the mind, they place their
hands upon the Center of the
Heart, in order to suggest that
the mind does not exist only in
the head & moreover, that the
mind itself is formless & cannot
be found anywhere in the body or
within one particular organ.
Even though this term originates
from the East, its implications &
practices are universal.
Within every spiritual tradition,
mantras are repeated as Japa, sung
as Hymns, recited as prayers or
conjurations, & chanted as Kirtans,
Gospels or Bhajans.
The sound of our very heart beat,
along with our breath, is a rhythmic
mantra thats being resounded for
the duration of our lives.
In studying the Tattvas (the
vibrational signatures of the 5
Elements), we find that sound is
etheric in nature. ether, or akasha,
is the first condensation of the
absolute that emanates out of the
initial vibration of the Nada-Bindu,
or the Spanda; as sound & ether
crystallize & becomes more dense, it
changes it vibration to create the
other four Elements, (Air, Fire,
Water & Earth).
The Science of Mantra-Yoga is first &
foremost a tool/component of
Esoteric Psychology.
We could probably safely say that
Mantra-Yoga was the first effective
tool of psychology itself.
One of the principle healing methods
of Ayurveda is Sound-Vibrational
Therapy which utilizes Mantra-Yoga
to balance out each Dosha
constitution.
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Light, Sound, the Great Breath & the Living Word
Everything within our perceptible & non-perceptible universe is permeated by
reverberating mantra. Every single particle of matter vibrates at a certain
frequency that in turn produces sound. It is known by esoteric science &
mainstream science alike, that movement within the ether is what produces
sound. The ether is the 1st Tattva that vibrates within the Absolute in order tproduce space. There are 5 Tattvas (Akasha, Vayu, Tejas, Apas & Prithvi), they
all vibrations of the Absolute, & each one has its own Keynote sound, or soun
signature.
The ancient scriptures of India & the Bible both state very clearly that God is
Verb of Light, the Logos, the Word, which is the beginning & source of all cre
In the beginning was Prajapati [God the Creator], with Him was the Wo
and the Word was truly the Supreme Brahman. Kathaka Samhita, 12.5
In the Beginning was the Word, & the Word was with God & the Word wa
God... the Gospel of St. John
It was Sri Krishna who stated to Arjuna in His most beloved song; I Am Om, T
Word that is God. ~Bhagavad Gita 7:8
So naturally the questions arise: What is God & what is the Word that thes
scriptures speak of?
The term God is best understood when broken down as an acronym & the bes
that Ive heard was coined by Yogi Bhajan, who was a Mater of Kundalini Yoga
the Sikh Tradition; he taught that GOD is an acronym for the Generator, Origi
& Destroyer.
Out of any general definition of God, this describes it best. Rather than some
of an Anthropomorphic or Monotheistic Deity, it defines God as being Principle
Forces, & this is exactly how most Esoteric Traditions view God.
So if God is the Generator, Originator & Destroyer, then what is the Word? Theexact same Tri-unity of Principles/Forces.
In the Gnostic Teachings, these Three Primary Forces are what makes up the F
Logos, the Second Logos & the Third Logos.
In order for us to understand this term Logos, we need to understand the term
Psychology & vise-versa.
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d Creates with the Word; how do we create? With sex. It is the sexual force within us
at carries the Word of God.
ity-Yoga
e Mystery of Mantra-Yoga is that we can create with our sexual potency with Mantra
en applied in the Initiatic context.
e culmination of Mantra-Yoga is Deity-Yoga.
ery tradition that utilizes Mantra in their Initiatic levels culminates ultimately in
ity-Yoga. Deity-Yoga is well known in the East & not so much here in the West (yet).
s an ancient system of spirituality that has yet to be fully realized by those who call
emselves spiritual today. We mainly find this type of yoga in Indian spirituality & in
ddhism. Upon deeper investigation, we find Deity-Yoga in nearly all of the Mystical
aditions, including Christianity... so what is Deity-Yoga?
ities are most commonly depicted as Gods & Goddesses who are immortal, Divine &
werful. They have their own particular abiding places in the Heavens & are held in
h regard.
va, Tara, Chenrizig, Vishnu, Jehovah, Wankan-Tanka, etc. are some of the names ofities around the World.
s understood & taught in Deity-Yoga that these Divinities are Archetypal Principles of
r very own psyche. So in Deity-Yoga, not only is Puja (worship) a vital component of
dhana (practice), but also in Realizing & Actualizing these archetypes within.
ery Deity has its Mantra, & it is through the Mantra that we not only invoke the Deity
th its attributes, but we also Unite with & embody the Deity as well. This is done
ough Visualization, Meditation, Mantra-Japa & Maithuna (Sexual Alchemy).
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Deity-Yoga is a deep & profound science of the ancient world that modern
quantum & astro physicists are beginning to catch up with.
Within this science it is taught the the subtle nervous system (the Nadis &
Chakras) are actually the condensed crystallization of light & sound within u
actual channels that flow with prana are etheric; our vital bodies are the
expression of light & sound.
Deities are composed of light, sound, emptiness, bliss, & the secret of MantrDeity is so are you (us all), we just utilize these energies in an inverted mann
order to create false personality & ego.
The Seven Chakras & their Seed Syllables:
Within our subtle anatomy we have 7 main energy vortices called chakras (ch
is a term that means wheel or circular disc; in fact its where the words
church & circle comes from), they are junction points of energy where th
nadis meet & branch out. These are the storehouses of pranic energy & of ou
subconscious impressions that act like memory banks/hard-drives.
Theres a common misconception that our chakras are inactive & need to be
opened activated or balanced, when in-fact, they are indeed open &
activated.
The chakras spin, much like the disc of a hard-drive, & in the general popula
(non-initiates) they are spinning in the counter-clockwise direction. Once
empowered through certain Initiatic methods, they spin in the clockwise
direction.
What we are concerned with is the direction of which they are spinning.
Each chakra has its seed (Bija) Syllable & also its corresponding Mantra/Vow
Sound:
Muladhara: Lam; SSSSSS Swadistana: Vam; MMMMM Manipura: Ram; UUUU
Anahata: Yam; OOOHHH Vissudha: Ham; EEEHHH Ajna: Om: IIIIIIIiiii
Sahasara: Aum; IIIIIiiiii
Its commonly misunderstood that if you chant the seed syllables of the chakr
that this how theyre activated; this takes place upon chanting their vowels.
The seed syllables are their vibratory signature that are related to their
corresponding deities, & once activated & spinning in the proper direction, t
resound with their particular bija-syllables.
Hari Om Ki-Jai!!!
John ~Yochanan~ Russell is the founder,
Editor in Chief & Head Columnist of
Pranava Magazine,; he is a longtime
student & practitioner of Universal
Gnostic Dharma, Ayurveda, Cha Dao,
Raja-Yoga, Bhakti-Yoga, Vajrayana Tantra,
Mahamudra & Dzogchen. As a lover &
player of Sacred Music, John participates
in the cultivation of Mantric Music/Kirtan
for the healing, spiritual development,
upliftment & empowerment of humanity.
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Music as Wisdom
Music is ultimately a path of inner
transformation. When the ego of
self-importance is transcended by
the performer- then pure creative
expression can be realized as a type
of divine revelation.
Consciousness and sound coupledwith intention and attention can
produce marvelous effects. Sound
can heal or harm, and as Dr. Emoto
has recently demonstrated, the
molecular structure of matter is
altered by sound vibration and
intention. If you pray over your food
it alters the molecular structure of
your meal.Sound imbued with conscious
substance becomes Mantra
empowered sound. Sound colors the
mind and emotions and this subtle
science deals with Raga, or that
which colors the mind and Rasa,
spiritual emotional experiences.
The science of Raga and Rasa was
originally revealed through the
ancient yogic Rishis of India and has
come down to us through the
disciple successions of yogic and
musical lineages.
Raga in Sanskrit literally means
"color" or "mood" and refers to
melodic modes used in Indian
classical music. It is a series of five
or more musical notes upon which a
melody is made. In the Indian
musical tradition, ragas are
associated with different times of
the day, or with changing seasons.
Indian classical music is always set in
a raga. Non-classical music such as
popular Indian film songs or ghazals
sometimes use ragas in their
compositions.
The first recorded description of
raga appears in the Brihaddeshi of
Matanga in the 7th century where
it is described as "a combination
of tones which, with beautiful
illuminating graces, pleases the
people in general.
Many Hindustani North Indian ragas
are prescribed for the particular
time of a day or a season, and when
performed at the suggested time,
the raga produces an emotional
effect in the receptive listener.
During the monsoon, for example,
many of the Malhar group of ragas,
which are associated with the
monsoon and are ascribed the
magical power to bring rain are
performed. There are legends of
mystic musicians who could evoke
fire, rain, thunder and other effects
through the power of their ragas.
North Indian music has its remote
origin in the Sama Veda, a literature
of great antiquity, and the Vedas are
rife with stories of Brahmin priests
invoking the sacrificial fires with
mantric sound vibration alone.
Masters of the Dhanur Veda
employed mantric armor as well as
weapons anointed with potent
sound, which could produce water,
fire and nuclear combustion.
The Samaveda means s!man
"melody" and veda "knowledge" and
is second of the four Vedas, the
ancient core Hindu scriptures and
ranks next in sanctity and liturgical
importance to the Rigveda, which
has been accurately dated at over
10,000 years old.
The Sama Veda consists of a
collection of hymns called samhitas
and various verses, most of which
have their origin in the Rigveda. The
original Sanskrit verses were sung,
using specifically indicated melodies
called Samagana, by the Brahmin
priests at sacrifices in which thejuice of the Soma plant, clarified
and mixed with milk and other
ingredients, is offered in libation to
the various deities whos qualities
and natures also reflect archetypal
universal powers.
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Socrates said that all knowledge is but a
remembrance and if he was right, then wisdom is
eternal and is drawn down from the eternal reality of
consciousness into this plane through the power of
austerity and purity, with sound vibration as its medium.
This is also the opinion of the Vedic Rishis.
Prior to 5,000 years ago, there existed in India, anadvanced civilization of conscious spiritual culture that
placed more emphasis upon inner character
development and the individual raising of consciousness
towards a state of intuitive and ecstatic harmony with
universal principles. This is, of course, the Indian Yogic
culture. Yoga means "Union", so it was an advanced
society of inner development meant to foster a
conscious integration of the individual consciousness
with Universal Truth, producing a state of dynamic,graceful living. The world is still in awe of the Indian
contribution to all branches of knowledge, medicine and
the arts, and all cultures throughout the world have
drawn from this original font of Vedic wisdom.
Persons of inner purity, insight and spiritual depth were
honored above all others in the society of Varn Ashrama
Dharma. They lived without concern for material
objects as all levels of society contributed to their
maintenance and received the benefit of their purity
and insight. They were known as the Tattva-
Rishis....Seers of the Truth, and many were master
musicians and yogis. They were advanced psychic and
spiritual research scientists, potent with deep
experience.
Civilizations rise and fall...flourish and produce cultural
fruits in the form of insights, philosophies, material
technologies and arts...passing them forward to other
flourishing societies while they themselves pass away
from prominence. The Vedic literatures describe many
fascinating technological advancements such as air
ships, the measurements of cosmic and atomic time, the
categorizing of all the subtle and gross material
elements, medical scientific procedures, advanced
psychology and spirituality, sexuality, astronomy, martial
arts, dramatic, musical and visual arts and sculpture
that is unprecedented in the history of the world.
All of these have existed before....will pass away....
again be manifest in the future. Everything moves in
circle, even the manifestation of knowledge and
technology.
Much of the wisdom and artistic ideals we have toda
were borrowed from the prior cultures of India, Egyp
Greece and China...India's deep spirituality,mathematics and wisdom came to the West via
Pythagoras, Plato and Socrates...for it is a document
fact that they had Indian Gurus. There is also a large
body of documented scientific and archeological
evidence that suggests Jesus Christ also traveled
throughout India and studied Her various schools of
philosophy.
The Rishi's advanced states of spiritual consciousnessendowed them with unusual insight and subtle powe
and as a result they revealed many universal truths a
gave us the largest and most profound body of wisdo
known to man...the Veda. Veda literally means "Kno
this". It is axiomatic and autocratic truth. It needs no
other support than its own self -illuminating nature f
it is not experienced through experimental or empiri
methods. Nor is its wisdom the fruit of experience
gathered from this world but rather it is self-
illuminating wisdom that is manifest upon the fertile
plane of the conscious heart of the purely realized. I
descends from the higher planes of eternal conscious
substance to this plane via these intuitive saints or
Rishis. The Rishis are not searching dull material
objective manifestations for answers, but rather are
shining a higher super-conscious subjective light upo
the material objective plane. Their clean hearts, like
open windows to the infinite, allowed the entrance o
higher knowledge. This is superior science of a consc
nature. Matter is a product of consciousness. The wo
is in the mind. So, to understand consciousness is to
understand matter by default. By standing in the ligh
darkness is also understood. The Veda, in it's purity,
the ever existing conscious reality that exists prior to
material creation. It's truths are independent of
mundane material reference and transformation and
rays of conscious light reveal, illumine and explain a
manifestations both mundane and divine.
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Dharmasya tattvam nihitam guhayam...the Vedic
wisdom is made manifest through the dharmic hearts
of the saintly-in every age- as necessity dictates.
Wisdom is not the provincial property of this world
culture or that.
The plurality of religious conceptions and attendant
traditions in this world is indicative of this conception
of renewing truth. According to the particular
necessity of the time, place and circumstance and the
deep inner necessity of the people....a corresponding
conscious revelation takes place suited to the
development of those peoples at that time.
Necessity and revelation are dynamic relational
forces. When necessity is united with purity of purpose
and self-sacrifice...then revelation of Divineknowledge is drawn down to this plane of material
existence...illuminating first an individual, often
giving rise to a system, which then grows, expands
within society, becomes burdened and eventually
decayed by ecclesiastic hierarchy...loses vitality of the
original revelation...which then gives rise to
conditions that enable the necessity of a fresh
revelation. Music is of this self-renewing quality as
well. Thesis-antithesis-synthesis....Progress meanselimination and new acceptance.
Music is ultimately a path of inner transformation.
When the ego of self importance is transcended by the
performer- then pure creative expression can be
realized as a type of divine revelation.
The first step on this path is professional courtesy
towards other musicians and acute sensitivity
tempered with humility and respect. Despite technical
abilities, without this humility, one remains doomed to
the labyrinth of articulate noise.
Much like music, reality renews itself dynamically
according to necessity and circumstances. Change is
opportunity in motion. Wisdom is revealed through
sound and music in its purest creative expression, & is
wisdom at play.PRANAVAMAGAZINEWINTERISSUE2014
As a gifted teacher of BhaktYoga, Author and a CertifiedAyurvedic Lifestyle CounselMatura has conducted hundof classes, and lead upliftingkirtans in America, EnglandAustralia & India, inspiringothers to seek and serve theConscious Spiritual Reality tis the basis of all world faith
preview of Matura's forthcobook "Absolute Abundance" be previewed here:www.abundantlives.org
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