Bhagavane

“There are many ways to reach God, I have chosen the path of dance and music”-- Rumi

Before they were Gurus so many cosmic beings were singers. I thought of this while reading Amma's Biography: “The Biography of Mata Amritanandamayi Devi”.

It is no coincidence that Amma is always surrounded by song; She is introduced as a humanitarian and a saint but it makes just as much sense to define her job title as what she has been for the longest time: a singer.

Since she was a little girl she spontaneously wanted to sing to God with the name of Krishna. She composed songs then and still writes them now. Song is a direct expression of her bliss. “Love is my religion”, She says, and Her singing is the direct expression of that love. So it goes for so many divine voices-- love, god and song all go together. Even the essential vedic text is called “The SONG of GOD” -- .

There is a beautiful song by Amma “Bhagavane” (Oh Lord), and Amma's biography recounts the circumstances that inspired the song.

In her teenage years, after already meditating deeply throughout her early life, Amma started to go into deep spiritual experiences and would be able to interact with people from a deep level of meditation. People were healed, people felt the divine energy, and word began to spread. People were travelling to see her, witness the Krisha Bhava and be showered by Blessings.When she had started going into Krishna Samadhis-- where she would dissolve in to the presence of Krishna, embody Krishna- representing him in human form.

When Amma sang out to God what would become the song “Bhagavane, Bhagavane”, things had never been so good and so and so bad for Amma and Her family. Their quirky daughter who preferred to sleep under the sky and had sabotaged multiple wedding arrangements was now in touch with God and making quite a stir. Amma had come in touch with her cosmic love to spread in the world, but there were skeptics.

People came from all over Kerala to see Her in the early days. Some just wanted to see what the fuss was about. Others were against Her. Amma learned from an early age that there is always going to be someone raining on your soul's parade. But she just wiped the dew drops off her shoulder and kept bringing her bliss, trusting Love conquers All.

The song “Bhagavane, Bhagavane” is lulling and melancholy. Like a funeral hymn of deceased false beliefs, it is sung with a triumphant heart but a bruised body. It reminds me of the songs Bob Marley wrote when going to prison or when Tupac would get serious.

In life there are times when something cuts to the heart and then there is this wide open call: this song sings from all all that is there:
The lyrics say: “Are there only unrighteous people in the world?!
O Lord, O Lord! (Bhagavane, Bhagavane!)
Who is there to instruct us in the righteous path?
The essential principles of the Vedas are only found printed on the pages of books...
O Lord, O Bhagavan! What one sees is just
False costume and trumpery.
O Kanna, please protect and
Restore righteousness!

It's often echoed that the bliss of resting in the Heart cannot be put into words; it's also agreed that song comes closest to the experience. For this reason so many pilgrims have broken out into song to express the feelings that want to rush in to the world.
Those souls who have tended to the gardens of their hearts pour forth with words like nectar. My our hearts follow the path of blossoming in their right time, too.