Kirtan – When Every Chant Becomes a Bridge to the Divine

If bhajan is the song of the soul, kirtan is the dance of bhakti. With taal clashing each other, mridangam beating, voices rising and falling together in rhythm — kirtan isn’t just heard; it’s felt. It is not a performance by one person but a shared prayer, where the boundary between singer and listener disappears, and only bhakti remains.

Kirtan means “to praise” or “to glorify. The joyful chanting of God’s name. Unlike silent meditation, kirtan is active devotion — your whole body, breath, and being participate. From Vrindavan to Maharashtra, from ISKCON temples to village mandirs — kirtan is the heartbeat of the bhakti movement.

Why Kirtan Feels So Powerful

During the Kirtan there’s a reason people cry, dance, and even enter trance-like states during kirtan. It is because:

Repetition of divine names (Naam Japa) purifies the mind.

Music bypasses the intellect, logic and touches the heart.

Group chanting creates collective spiritual energy — it lifts everyone together.

Even if you don’t understand every word, the vibration of the naam — "Hare Krishna Hare Rama", "Vitthala Vitthala", "Govind Bolo Hari Gopal Bolo" — is enough to awaken something deep within you.

The Saints Who Sang the World Awake
Our land has been blessed with saints who used kirtan as their only language:

Sant Tukaram and Namdev in Maharashtra,

Mirabai in Rajasthan,

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Bengal,

and the Varkari tradition of Maharashtra — all kept the flame of devotion alive through kirtan.

They taught us that you don’t need philosophy to know God — just a pure voice calling His name is enough.

Kirtan Today

In our modern, stressful lives, kirtan is more than tradition — it's therapy. It calms the overthinking mind, melts the hardened heart, and helps us to reconnect what’s real.

You can sit in a temple or even play a kirtan recording while doing chores — it will still uplift you.

Don’t worry about the tune. Just sing with love. That’s all the Divine wants.

Final Thoughts
Kirtan is not a ritual. It’s a reminder: you are not alone. You are held by something greater, something eternal.

So next time life gets heavy, pick up the kartal, close your eyes, and chant:
"Hari Bol… Hari Bol…"

Because in that chant lives a path to peace, to purpose, and to God.

Kirtan - शान्ताकारं भुजंगशयनं

शान्ताकारं भुजंगशयनं पद्मनाभं सुरेशं
विश्वाधारं गगन सदृशं मेघवर्ण शुभांगम् ।
लक्ष्मीकांत कमलनयनं योगिभिर्ध्यानगम्यं
वन्दे विष्णु भवभयहरं सर्व लौकेक नाथम् ॥
यं ब्रह्मा वरुणैन्द्रु रुद्रमरुत: स्तुन्वानि दिव्यै स्तवैवेदे: ।
सांग पदक्रमोपनिषदै गार्यन्ति यं सामगा: ।
ध्यानावस्थित तद्गतेन मनसा पश्यति यं योगिनो
यस्यातं न विदु: सुरासुरगणा दैवाय तस्मै नम: ॥

Shantakaram Bhujagashayanam Padmanaabham Suresham
 Vishwadharam Gaganasadrisham Megha Varnam Shubhaangam ।
 Lakshmikantham Kamalanayanam Yogibhirdhyaanagamyam
 Vande Vishnum Bhavabhayaharam Sarva Lokaika Naatham ॥
Yam Brahma Varuna Indra Rudra Marutah Gunvanti Divya Stavairvedaih ।
 Saanga Padakramopanishadair Gaayanti Yam Saamagaah ।
 Dhyan Avastha Tadgatena Manasaa Pashyanti Yam Yogino
 Yasyaantam Na Viduh Suraasuraganaah Daivaaya Tasmai Namah ॥

Kirtan - विष्णु स्तुति

ओम जय जगदीश हरे, स्वामी जय जगदीश हरे,
भक्त जनों के संजीवनी, जय जगदीश हरे।
ओम जय जगदीश हरे, स्वामी जय जगदीश हरे,
भक्त जनों के संजीवनी, जय जगदीश हरे।
तुम्हारे भजन से, सुखpaat हो,
दुख हरो, संतान को,
सुख दान हो,
ओम जय जगदीश हरे, स्वामी जय जगदीश हरे,
भक्त जनों के संजीवनी, जय जगदीश हरे।
जय जगदीश हरे, जय जगदीश हरे,
जय जगदीश हरे, जय जगदीश हरे।
Om Jai Jagadish Hare,
 Swami Jai Jagadish Hare,
 Bhakta janon ke Sanjeevani,
 Jai Jagadish Hare।
 Om Jai Jagadish Hare,
 Swami Jai Jagadish Hare,
 Bhakta janon ke Sanjeevani,
 Jai Jagadish Hare।
 Tumhaare bhajan se,
 Sukhpal ho,
 Dukh haro, santan ko,
 Sukh daan ho,
 Om Jai Jagadish Hare,
 Swami Jai Jagadish Hare,
 Bhakta janon ke Sanjeevani,
 Jai Jagadish Hare।
 Jai Jagadish Hare, Jai Jagadish Hare,
 Jai Jagadish Hare, Jai Jagadish Hare।

Kirtan - ॐ नमः शिवाय

ॐ नमः शिवाय हर हर भोले नमः शिवाय ॐ
ॐ नमः शिवाय हर हर भोले नमः शिवाय ॐ
रामेश्वराय शिव रामेश्वराय
हर हर भोले नमः शिवाय
गंगा धाराय शिव गंगा धाराय शिव
हर हर भोले नमः शिवाय
ॐ नमः शिवाय हर हर भोले नमः शिवाय ॐ
ॐ नमः शिवाय हर हर भोले नमः शिवाय ॐ
जटा धाराय शिव जटा धाराय
हर हर भोले नमः शिवाय
सोमेश्वराय शिव सोमेश्वराय
हर हर भोले नमः शिवाय
ॐ नमः शिवाय हर हर भोले नमः शिवाय ॐ
ॐ नमः शिवाय हर हर भोले नमः शिवाय ॐ
विश्वेश्वराय शिव विश्वेश्वराय
हर हर भोले नमः शिवाय
कोटेशवराय शिव कोटेशवराय
हर हर भोले नमः शिवाय
ॐ नमः शिवाय हर हर भोले नमः शिवाय ॐ
ॐ नमः शिवाय हर हर भोले नमः शिवाय ॐ
महाकालेश्वराय महाकालेश्वराय
हर हर भोले नमः शिवाय
त्रियम्बकेश्वराय त्रियम्बकेश्वराय
हर हर भोले नमः शिवाय
ॐ नमः शिवाय हर हर भोले नमः शिवाय ॐ
ॐ नमः शिवाय हर हर भोले नमः शिवाय ॐ
ॐ नमः शिवाय
ॐ नमः शिवाय
ॐ नमः शिवाय
ॐ नमः शिवाय हर हर भोले नमः शिवाय ॐ
ॐ नमः शिवाय हर हर भोले नमः शिवाय ॐ

Om Namah Shivaya Har Har Bhole Namah Shivaya Om
Om Namah Shivaya Har Har Bhole Namah Shivaya Om
Rameshwaraya Shiva Rameshwaraya
Har Har Bhole Namah Shivaya
Ganga Dharaya Shiva Ganga Dharaya Shiva
Har Har Bhole Namah Shivaya
Om Namah Shivaya Har Har Bhole Namah Shivaya Om
Om Namah Shivaya Har Har Bhole Namah Shivaya Om
Jata Dharaya Shiva Jata Dharaya
Har Har Bhole Namah Shivaya
Someshwaraya Shiva Someshwaraya
Har Har Bhole Namah Shivaya
Om Namah Shivaya Har Har Bhole Namah Shivaya Om
Om Namah Shivaya Har Har Bhole Namah Shivaya Om
Vishweshwaraya Shiva Vishweshwaraya
Har Har Bhole Namah Shivaya
Koteswaraya Shiva Koteswaraya
Har Har Bhole Namah Shivaya
Om Namah Shivaya Har Har Bhole Namah Shivaya Om
Om Namah Shivaya Har Har Bhole Namah Shivaya Om
Mahakaleshwaraya Mahakaleshwaraya
Har Har Bhole Namah Shivaya
Tryambakeshwaraya Tryambakeshwaraya
Har Har Bhole Namah Shivaya
Om Namah Shivaya Har Har Bhole Namah Shivaya Om
Om Namah Shivaya Har Har Bhole Namah Shivaya Om
Om Namah Shivaya
Om Namah Shivaya
Om Namah Shivaya
Om Namah Shivaya Har Har Bhole Namah Shivaya Om
Om Namah Shivaya Har Har Bhole Namah Shivaya Om