My husband and I gave a seminar on kirtan at the Pune Temple last year. We felt that we were "preaching to the choir" so to speak, because the audience was made up of seasoned devotees, but based on the fact that Srila Prabhupada often spoke about basics to everyone--even the senior devotees--we proceeded to share our realizations for the purpose of our own purification.
We spoke about how kirtan is part of our sadhana and that Srila Prabhupada started this movement with kirtan. We reminded everyone that Srila Prabhupada set the example of using simple musical instruments like kartals, mrdanga, and gong, and that he also allowed harmonium and jha-jhas (popularly known as "whompers"). In the beginning, Srila Prabhupada tolerated all kinds of musical instruments, but gradually over the years, he began to insist on simplifying down to kartals and mrdanga.
Other musical instruments such as djembes, violins, saxophones, and flutes can be played for the pleasure of the Deities, but are not customarily used in kirtan, because they can be a distraction to the devotees' ability to focus on the sound of the Holy Names. Devotees may have brought all kinds of talents with them to the movement, but during kirtan, they should simply sing the Holy Names and not be tempted to show off their talents to the other devotees. Various musical instruments are fine as long as the person playing them is able to offer his heart and soul, voice and ears to the Lord and not lose touch with the Holy Names, but he or she should also be sensitive to the needs of the other devotees and not allow his or her instrument to become a distraction to others. In conclusion, this pretty much means that no musical instruments should be played during kirtan other than kartals, mrdanga, whompers and harmonium, and everyone should chant, even those who play instruments.
We touched on the point that the purpose of kirtan is not to impress everyone present with one's beautiful, melodious voice, although having a nice voice can be an advantage because when a devotee can carry a tune, it is less distracting to the other devotees than when a person sings off-key. The purpose of kirtan is rather to meditate on the Holy Names of Krishna--Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare--and to encourage other souls to meditate on the Holy Names. On this note, we told the story of how our Godbrother Sudama Maharaja once asked Srila Prabhupada if he should stop leading kirtan. When Srila Prabhupada asked why, Sudama said that after he led kirtan, devotees were always complimenting him on his beautiful voice and that he would feel uncomfortably proud after receiving such compliments. He was concerned that the anartha in his heart of desire for name and fame would increase by such compliments. So he thought that if he would stop leading kirtans, he would not have such a tendency to feel desire for name and fame due to his melodious voice. Srila Prabhupada's advice was that he should continue leading kirtan, and that the Holy Names of Krishna would gradually clean such false pride from his heart.
We shared that when we were new devotees, we were not allowed to learn to play musical instruments in front of the Deities, but rather, we were expected to learn how to play outside of the temple room, and then when we were adept at playing the instrument, we were allowed to play in front of the Deities. I was personally present when Srila Prabhupada stopped a kirtan to tell someone to put down the kartals because he did not know how to play properly. Prabhupada obviously placed importance on minimizing distractions during kirtan so that the participants could concentrate on the Holy Names instead of being distracted by poorly played instruments.
Another distraction that my husband and I find intolerable during kirtan is when people play mrdanga too loudly. Srila Prabhupada taught us that the instruments should never be so loud that the congregation of devotees cannot hear the lead singer. Speaking of mrdanga, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur also did not like people playing fancy mrdanga beats during kirtan without singing. He insisted that they join in the kirtan and sing along with the other devotees while playing mrdanga. It is an art to learn how to do this, but it must be followed.
Mrdanga players should also learn how to play slowly for slow, soft kirtans as well as at medium speed and fast speed, following carefully the lead of the kirtaniya. They should learn to follow the leader and keep in pace with his rhythm instead of speeding up the kirtan on their own volition. Mrdanga is meant to accompany the kirtan according to the rhythm that the leader sets, not to overpower the kirtan or disturb it by taking the lead and running off with it a million miles per hour. Mrdanga players need to learn how to be good followers before they can be good leaders. One humble suggestion would be that they should practice playing along with recordings of kirtans, both slow and fast, so that they can become adept at adjusting to the speed of the kirtaniya.
Srila Prabhupada usually sang simple melodies. In this way, he taught us that the Holy Name is more important than complicated melodies that are too difficult for devotees to follow. Kirtan is meant to be sung in a call-response fashion so that the leader and the followers benefit equally by hearing and chanting the Holy Names. Kirtan leaders should stick to simple melodies that are easy for devotees to respond to, rather than indulging in complicated melodies that show off their melodious voices for the pleasure of their own egos, holding notes for many seconds at a time or humming fancy tunes that no one else can follow. This kind of singing is fine for a performance on a stage, but for temple or street kirtan, it is simply a distraction.
Another new development that has come about since the disappearance of Srila Prabhupada is the unnecessary practice of calling out to the assembly of devotees during kirtan to "sing louder" or to "sing from the heart." This is an audacious addition to kirtan that has come about due to the furtive imaginations of a few kirtaniyas who seem to not understand that it is a distraction for the devotees to hear this kind of admonition called out during the kirtan. It is presumptuous and it must be stopped, as it was never the policy of Srila Prabhupada or any of our Gurus to prod the devotees during kirtan in this way.
Please don't be offended when I say that if you don't know how to carry a tune, don't lead kirtan. People who lead kirtan without being able to carry a tune can present a distraction to the other devotees. If you want to lead kirtan, learn how to carry a tune. If you want to learn how to carry a tune, learn to match your voice to the keys on a harmonium or piano, and after you have mastered the ability to carry a tune, then you can attempt to lead kirtan. Otherwise, you are doing the devotees a disservice by singing off-key.
In some places, devotees have a habit of grabbing a second microphone and leading the followers in the response part of the kirtan. This is greatly disturbing if the person behind the second mic cannot even carry a tune or cannot follow the leader's lead. Please don't pick up a second mic and attempt to lead the devotees in responding to the kirtaniya if you don't know how to sing or if you either don't know the tune or you can't follow it.
I shared a realization with the devotees that I had had several years ago. Krishna is present in both His deity form as well as in His Holy Name. He comes to this material world in such forms to give us opportunities to serve Him and thus become purified. Just as we dress and decorate the Deity in beautiful sringara--clothing and jewelry--for His pleasure, the musical instruments we play in kirtan are simply our humble offering to the Holy Name for His pleasure, and the pleasing sounds of those musical instruments are used to "decorate" the Holy Name. The sounds of the devotees' voices as well as the musical instruments are beautified by being used in the service of the Holy Names just as Deity clothing and jewelry become more beautiful when used to decorate the body of the Lord.
Kirtan, glorifying the Lord by singing His holy names, is meant for the purification and upliftment of ourselves and others. Kirtan is an essential part of our sadhana and must be taken very, very seriously. Too many changes have come about since Srila Prabhupada left, and we need to get back to focusing on the Holy Names for the purpose of cleaning our hearts.
Johar
During the seminar, while speaking about melodious voices, I had happened to mention that for the last 26 years, my voice has been hoarse and has gotten worse over the last decade or so. I explained that due to this affliction, I have not been able to lead kirtan for a long time, or at least not with the kind of voice I used to have when I was younger.
After the seminar, a very nice lady came up to me. She introduced herself as Aparna, and explained that she is an Indian classical singer and that she may be able to help me with my voice problem. She explained to me a procedure called "Johar" which I will share with you here.
We spoke about how kirtan is part of our sadhana and that Srila Prabhupada started this movement with kirtan. We reminded everyone that Srila Prabhupada set the example of using simple musical instruments like kartals, mrdanga, and gong, and that he also allowed harmonium and jha-jhas (popularly known as "whompers"). In the beginning, Srila Prabhupada tolerated all kinds of musical instruments, but gradually over the years, he began to insist on simplifying down to kartals and mrdanga.
Other musical instruments such as djembes, violins, saxophones, and flutes can be played for the pleasure of the Deities, but are not customarily used in kirtan, because they can be a distraction to the devotees' ability to focus on the sound of the Holy Names. Devotees may have brought all kinds of talents with them to the movement, but during kirtan, they should simply sing the Holy Names and not be tempted to show off their talents to the other devotees. Various musical instruments are fine as long as the person playing them is able to offer his heart and soul, voice and ears to the Lord and not lose touch with the Holy Names, but he or she should also be sensitive to the needs of the other devotees and not allow his or her instrument to become a distraction to others. In conclusion, this pretty much means that no musical instruments should be played during kirtan other than kartals, mrdanga, whompers and harmonium, and everyone should chant, even those who play instruments.
We touched on the point that the purpose of kirtan is not to impress everyone present with one's beautiful, melodious voice, although having a nice voice can be an advantage because when a devotee can carry a tune, it is less distracting to the other devotees than when a person sings off-key. The purpose of kirtan is rather to meditate on the Holy Names of Krishna--Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare--and to encourage other souls to meditate on the Holy Names. On this note, we told the story of how our Godbrother Sudama Maharaja once asked Srila Prabhupada if he should stop leading kirtan. When Srila Prabhupada asked why, Sudama said that after he led kirtan, devotees were always complimenting him on his beautiful voice and that he would feel uncomfortably proud after receiving such compliments. He was concerned that the anartha in his heart of desire for name and fame would increase by such compliments. So he thought that if he would stop leading kirtans, he would not have such a tendency to feel desire for name and fame due to his melodious voice. Srila Prabhupada's advice was that he should continue leading kirtan, and that the Holy Names of Krishna would gradually clean such false pride from his heart.
We shared that when we were new devotees, we were not allowed to learn to play musical instruments in front of the Deities, but rather, we were expected to learn how to play outside of the temple room, and then when we were adept at playing the instrument, we were allowed to play in front of the Deities. I was personally present when Srila Prabhupada stopped a kirtan to tell someone to put down the kartals because he did not know how to play properly. Prabhupada obviously placed importance on minimizing distractions during kirtan so that the participants could concentrate on the Holy Names instead of being distracted by poorly played instruments.
Another distraction that my husband and I find intolerable during kirtan is when people play mrdanga too loudly. Srila Prabhupada taught us that the instruments should never be so loud that the congregation of devotees cannot hear the lead singer. Speaking of mrdanga, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur also did not like people playing fancy mrdanga beats during kirtan without singing. He insisted that they join in the kirtan and sing along with the other devotees while playing mrdanga. It is an art to learn how to do this, but it must be followed.
Mrdanga players should also learn how to play slowly for slow, soft kirtans as well as at medium speed and fast speed, following carefully the lead of the kirtaniya. They should learn to follow the leader and keep in pace with his rhythm instead of speeding up the kirtan on their own volition. Mrdanga is meant to accompany the kirtan according to the rhythm that the leader sets, not to overpower the kirtan or disturb it by taking the lead and running off with it a million miles per hour. Mrdanga players need to learn how to be good followers before they can be good leaders. One humble suggestion would be that they should practice playing along with recordings of kirtans, both slow and fast, so that they can become adept at adjusting to the speed of the kirtaniya.
Srila Prabhupada usually sang simple melodies. In this way, he taught us that the Holy Name is more important than complicated melodies that are too difficult for devotees to follow. Kirtan is meant to be sung in a call-response fashion so that the leader and the followers benefit equally by hearing and chanting the Holy Names. Kirtan leaders should stick to simple melodies that are easy for devotees to respond to, rather than indulging in complicated melodies that show off their melodious voices for the pleasure of their own egos, holding notes for many seconds at a time or humming fancy tunes that no one else can follow. This kind of singing is fine for a performance on a stage, but for temple or street kirtan, it is simply a distraction.
Another new development that has come about since the disappearance of Srila Prabhupada is the unnecessary practice of calling out to the assembly of devotees during kirtan to "sing louder" or to "sing from the heart." This is an audacious addition to kirtan that has come about due to the furtive imaginations of a few kirtaniyas who seem to not understand that it is a distraction for the devotees to hear this kind of admonition called out during the kirtan. It is presumptuous and it must be stopped, as it was never the policy of Srila Prabhupada or any of our Gurus to prod the devotees during kirtan in this way.
Please don't be offended when I say that if you don't know how to carry a tune, don't lead kirtan. People who lead kirtan without being able to carry a tune can present a distraction to the other devotees. If you want to lead kirtan, learn how to carry a tune. If you want to learn how to carry a tune, learn to match your voice to the keys on a harmonium or piano, and after you have mastered the ability to carry a tune, then you can attempt to lead kirtan. Otherwise, you are doing the devotees a disservice by singing off-key.
In some places, devotees have a habit of grabbing a second microphone and leading the followers in the response part of the kirtan. This is greatly disturbing if the person behind the second mic cannot even carry a tune or cannot follow the leader's lead. Please don't pick up a second mic and attempt to lead the devotees in responding to the kirtaniya if you don't know how to sing or if you either don't know the tune or you can't follow it.
I shared a realization with the devotees that I had had several years ago. Krishna is present in both His deity form as well as in His Holy Name. He comes to this material world in such forms to give us opportunities to serve Him and thus become purified. Just as we dress and decorate the Deity in beautiful sringara--clothing and jewelry--for His pleasure, the musical instruments we play in kirtan are simply our humble offering to the Holy Name for His pleasure, and the pleasing sounds of those musical instruments are used to "decorate" the Holy Name. The sounds of the devotees' voices as well as the musical instruments are beautified by being used in the service of the Holy Names just as Deity clothing and jewelry become more beautiful when used to decorate the body of the Lord.
Kirtan, glorifying the Lord by singing His holy names, is meant for the purification and upliftment of ourselves and others. Kirtan is an essential part of our sadhana and must be taken very, very seriously. Too many changes have come about since Srila Prabhupada left, and we need to get back to focusing on the Holy Names for the purpose of cleaning our hearts.
Johar
During the seminar, while speaking about melodious voices, I had happened to mention that for the last 26 years, my voice has been hoarse and has gotten worse over the last decade or so. I explained that due to this affliction, I have not been able to lead kirtan for a long time, or at least not with the kind of voice I used to have when I was younger.
After the seminar, a very nice lady came up to me. She introduced herself as Aparna, and explained that she is an Indian classical singer and that she may be able to help me with my voice problem. She explained to me a procedure called "Johar" which I will share with you here.
Johar is the ayurvedic tuning of the throat. These vocal exercises should be done between 4:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. During Daylight Saving Time, one should adjust the time and do them between 5:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m.
Stand or sit with spine straight. Plug ears with thumbs, turning outstretched fingers upward toward the sky. Breathe in, pulling air into lungs through constricted vocal cords. You should hear your voice make a high squeaking sound as you pull the air in. Do this repeatedly, breathing deeply to catch your breath between inhalations, for at least 7 1/2 minutes.
Next, sing kharaj (the lowest note you can comfortably sing) while pronouncing the syllable "Sa" (pronounced with a Sanskrit short "a" just like a schwa or a short "u"--like "uh" in English) for as long as your breath will allow. As you sing, you should try to see the note as a straight line.
Next, sing at the same pitch the syllable "Ma" (again with the short "uh" sound, or like the u in "mutt") and see it as a straight line, emitting the sound for as long as your breath lasts.
Next, sing "Pa" (it sounds like the "pu" in "putt") and follow the same procedure.
After "Pa," repeat "Ma" and then "Sa." Go back again through "Ma" and "Pa" then "Ma" then "Sa," always keeping your voice at the same low pitch and seeing each note as a straight line. So the syllables should be Sa, Ma, Pa, Ma, Sa, Ma, Pa, Ma, Sa, etc. Do this for at least 7 1/2 minutes.
Afterward, while sitting, sip a small amount of hot tea made from one cup water, 1/2 t whole cloves, 1/2 cinnamon stick, 2 T finely sliced fresh ginger root, and a 1/2" to1" chunk of misri (also called "sakar" or hardened sugar cane juice--available at Indian groceries). Boil this decoction for about 15 minutes until it reduces to about 2/3 cup of tea. Strain it into a cup and slowly sip half or more of it in the morning after you finish your vocal exercises. Reheat and sip the remainder before going to bed at night.
These exercises should be done for at least 15 minutes per day for at least 15 days in a row.
