Hariparimandal Gosthi – Ladies (HPMGL)
HPMGL strives for the spiritual upliftment of society through Kiirtana – the highest devotional expression. HPMG(L) –Hari Pari Mandala Gosthi (Ladies) is an international movement founded by the spiritual teacher and philosopher Shrii Shrii Anandamurti in India. The objectives are for women to gather, form small bands and propagate the way of devotional songs, music and dance for the service and upliftment of society.
What is Kiirtan? (Text from the writings of Shrii Shrii Anandamurti )
The origin of the word Kiirtan: In Sam’skrta (Sanskrit language), the root verb kiirt means to ‘utter something loudly in praise of someone.’ To proclaim the glories of Parama Purus’a , the Supreme Consciousness, in a loud voice is termed kiirtan. Devotees first invented Kiirtan to give joy to Parama Purus’a, and in the process of pleasing and delighting Parama Purus’a, the devotees lost themselves.
Baba Nam Kevalam kirtan
Baba Nam Kevalam. Baba in Sanskrit means “my most beloved one”, nam means “name” and kevalam means “only” – “Only the name of my most Beloved One”. The idea is that you feel for yourself the inner significance. So, the ideation of this mantra is: “Everywhere I look, in everything I feel, hear, taste, smell and see, I perceive that one Supreme Consciousness which pervades all things”. In general, we can say that Baba Nam Kevalam means “Infinite Love is all there is”. Ba’ba’ Na’m Kevalam is a Siddha mantra. When the first syllable ba’ is uttered, the feeling should be: ‘I am crossing the threshold and entering the new world’; and when the last syllable ma is uttered, the feeling should be ‘I have accomplished my duty.’ If the kiirtan is done with these feelings, the effect will come into play. A sense of bliss and perfection.
A Siddha mantra must necessarily have eight-syllable
The whole siddha mantra should be uttered fully in each tune phase – Ba’ba’ Na’m Kevalam and not a part of it while doing kiirtan. If this is not done, the kiirtan cannot be perfect. Everything must be done methodically. Then you will enjoy and get the (completion) of kiirtan properly. The kulakun’d’alinii (spiritual force at the base of the spine) rises slowly from the Muladhara Cakra to the Saha’sra’ra Cakra in eight steps; it passes through eight cakras, and the Saha’sra’ra is the nintth. The kulakun’d’alinii rises upwards in eight jumps or phases; that is why such a Siddha mantra has eight syllables, never seven or nine syllables.
Effect of Kiirtan on the Cakras
The physical body of those who practice sa’dhana’ (meditation) or do a lot of kiirtan secrets fluids from certain art of the Anahata Cakra, Vishuddha Cakra and Ajina Cakra. The smell of this secretion is somewhat, but not precisely, like a light smell of jasmine flower or ripe jackfruit. The body of those with a divine nature or who regularly practice yoga usually emits this kind of fragrance. The emission of a sweet aroma is one of the criteria for ascertaining the degree of one’s devotion to God.
Celestial beings and Kiirtan
Whenever there is an assemblage of singers or dancers, what happens? Gandharvas (luminous beings) with their mental bodies assemble. Wherever there is any musical programme, they gather there, but invisible. Sometimes though, they become visible. During a musical function, whenever the mind of a particular artist becomes concentrated, they will see the luminous bodies of Gandharvas. Similarly, during meditation, particularly during kiirtan or devotional chanting, when a spiritual aspirant’s mind becomes concentrated, they will feel the existence of those Siddhas.
Also, in Ananda Marga, it is believed that this mantra eliminates the negative thoughts from the mind and helps to create inner peace. It enables the practitioner to solve problems as the mind becomes less complicated. Singing and dancing with Baba Nam Kevalam is believed to help heal mental, spiritual, and physical disorders.
Kiirtan dispels calamities.
Now whatever might be the physical miseries – be they natural or man-made – if people collectively chant kiirtan, the calamities are dispelled then and there. In the case of natural disasters like flood, famine, drought, epidemic, or man-made disasters, miseries, and tortures – if kiirtan is chanted with maximum sincerity, it will be direct relief in no time. In addition, kiirtna removes the collective psychic afflictions as well those that already exist and those that have not yet arrived but about which we have premonitions of their impending arrival. If kiirtan is done in advance, those upcoming troubles disappear. Why do they disappear? They are dispelled not merely because of the collective mental force of so many people, but also due to the impact of so many minds moving with tremendous speed under the inspiration of Parama Purus’a.
Healing powers of Kiirtan
Kiirtan is helpful in the realm of spirituality and all spheres of life. It banishes physical troubles and tribulations as well. Kiirtan fights against all mundane difficulties and finally becomes victorious.
Whatever worldly difficulties might obstruct your path, the best position or auxiliary force is kiirtan. Kiirtan helps a devotee accelerate the speed towards the hub of the universe. If people do kiirtan with a distinct expression of the mantra, their mouth becomes pure, and their tongue becomes pure, their ears become pure, their whole bodies become purified, and when so many parts of the body become pure, the atman (self or soul) also becomes pure.
A person moving about puffed up with vanity and arrogance and constantly engaging in self-aggrandizement can improve only by utilizing the time in kiirtan. If one keeps oneself engaged in kiirtan, one will not get time to criticize and scandalize anyone to elevate oneself in comparison. So, it is a must for such a person to do kiirtan to the maximum so that one doesn’t get time to indulge in the nefarious activity of criticism.