Nimbarka Sampradaya Samaj Gaayan - Mangalacharan

This impromptu recording was made of the commencement of the Samaaj Gaayan held in Shri Golok Dham Ashram, Vrindavan, in July 2010, on the 6th Tirobhava anniversary of Parama Gurudeva Swami Shri Lalita Sharan Devacharya Ji Maharaj, who is the Gurudeva of our Sadgurudeva Swami Shri Gopal Sharan Devacharya Ji Maharaj.

Samaaj Gaayan is the traditional music of Vraja based Vaishnava traditions which spans back thousands of years to the founder of this style of devotional singing, Shri Narada Muni, the Guru of Shri Nimbarka Bhagavan.

In this recording, the Mangala Padas are sung to praise the Lord, Their abode, and the Vaishnavas before continuing with the Padas of the season and specific leela of that period.

Firstly, God Almighty, Thakur Shri Shri Radha Sarveshwara are praised, together with the Highest Devotees, the Ashta Sakhis. Next, Their incarnation as Shri Hamsa Bhagavan is praised as He was the founding deity of the Nimbarka Sampradaya. His disciples, the four mind-born sons of Brahmaji - Sanak, Sanandan, Sanatan and Sanatkumar Bhagavan are praised, as they began spreading the teachings of the Devotional Love (Para Bhakti) of God. Their disciple, Shri Narada Muni is then praised, as he systematised the entire spiritual system of Para-Bhakti as exemplified by the Vraja Gopis. His worthy disciple, and the combined incarnation of Bhagavan Shri Radha Krishna, is Shri Nimbarka Bhagavan, who is then praised. The rest of the Acharyas are praised and then the Holy Abode of Shridham Vrindavan is praised.

Only after humbly beseeching the blessings of these Divine Personalities is it customary to begin singing the seasonal Padas for the pleasure of the Lord.
Samaaj Gaayan consists of a Leader (Mukhiya Ji) who will sing a line of the text, and the Samaajis who will repeat it. This singing is in the Dhrupada genre of Indian Classical Music and is extremely technical. The Samaajis are all renounced Nimbarka Vaishnava Babajis, whose lives are devoted to the preservation of this devotional art form for the pleasure of God and Their devotees. This singing is accompanied by a Pakhawaj (Mridangam in Sanskrit), Jhaanjh (hand cymbals) and nowadays the Harmonium in place of the traditional Taanpura.

The textual hymns (Padas) that are sung come from the Yugala Shataka of Swami Shri Shribhatta and the Mahavani of Swami Shri Harivyasa Devacharya Ji Maharaj - 14-15th Century successive Jagadgurus (leaders) of the entire tradition. These God-Realised saints would repeat whatever they heard the Ashtasakhis singing to God in the Nityalila, and this was written down and became the books in question. Swami Shri Shribhatta is praised especially amongst all Vaishnavas, as he was the first Acharya to sing of the Highest Philosophy of Gopi Bhava or Maadhurya Bhakti in a language that the common folk could understand - Braj Bhasha.

Other famous saints to popularise this style of singing include Swami Shri Haridas Ji Maharaj, who was the Sangeet Guru of Tansen & Baiju Bawra, but more importantly, he caused the Lord to incarnate in a physical form which is still worshipped today in Vrindavan as Shri Banke Bihari Ji.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Mangalacharan
• Radhe
• Krishna
• Shyam
• Nimbark
• Nimbarka
• Sampradaya
• Vaishnava
• Vaisnava
• Vaishnav
• Vrindavan
• Samaj
• Gaayan
• Golok
• Dham
• Ashram
• Swami
• Shri
• Gopal
• Sharan
• Devacharya
• Shribhatta
• Harivyasa
• Haridasa
• Dhrupad
• Dhrupada
• Pakhawaj
• Jhaanjh

[spiritulafritterer]

jai shri niyamananda