Chanting is a popular form of expressing gratitude
towards the Almighty. It is more than just calling out the name of the
God and involves a spiritual dialogue with the divine power. Tuned into
the frequency of love and devotion, chanting involves music and sacred
mantras as a medium to recite the glory of the Supreme Being. The
singing and music with mantras are words and sounds that vibrate at the
highest level of awareness.
The vibration produced by the constant repetition of the holy name of
the God or chants from the Sanskrit text have a tangible effect on the
inner being of the person. The stimulating sound of the chants, stills
the mind, dissolves worries, and opens the heart. It is also regarded as
one of the easiest ways to get soaked in God's love and feel his
presence. Chanting gives direct access to the spiritual world and brings
an individual closer to the Almighty.
Chanting balances the energy system subtly, facilitating deeper
meditation. As a result, it is a common practice and forms an integral
part of the daily routine of the disciples, at Siddha Yoga ashrams and
centers. Vedic texts in Sanskrit are known as the revealed languages of
the sages and work wonders towards purifying the body, the mind, and the
atmosphere. The chanting is practiced on ancient melodic patterns of
Indian classical music called Ragas.
Moreover, there are two kinds of chanting prevalent in Siddha ashrams
namely Namasankirtana, chanting the names of God, and Swadhyaya, the
chanting or recitation of sacred texts. Namasankirtana is basically
reciting the name of the Almighty and his attributes. It is followed by
traditional Indian music generated via harmonium, drum, and cymbals. The
chanting initiates at a slow pace and gradually increases to a
crescendo. Besides, a name or phrase in relation with God is chanted
repeatedly, in a call-and-response fashion. This is done to bring the
chanter in communion with his deep inner self.
Swadhyaya, on the other hand is the study of the Self with the help of
chanting and recitation of sacred texts. The main aim behind this
exercise is to increase concentration, via maintaining focus on the
text. This makes the mind powerful, still and illuminated with the
spiritual energy, contained within the sacred itself. As a part of this
process, the sacred texts reveal their true meaning in an effective
manner, delivering the divine knowledge, which is the very essence of
the scripture.
