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INTERISSUE2014


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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:

[email protected]

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]


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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/


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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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Image Courtesy of Ankush Vimawala www.vimawala.com

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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.


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.


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

pranav
http://www.shantishivani.com/http://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.

pranava


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26/30

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

pranav
http://www.abundantlives.org/http://www.abundantlives.org/


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