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Global Akhanda Bhajan

Prasanthi Nilayam

Popular Sai Bhajan “Narayana Bhaja Narayan… Narayana Bhaja Narayan…” sung by Sri Sathya Sai HimSelf has a beautiful line of insertion, wherein He sings, “Sai Bhajana Sey Bhavasagara Ko Paarana Bhi Sikhaladiya...”. This line speaks in unlimited volumes of the supreme importance of bhajans in the modern Kali-inflicted age. It is this Sai Bhajana Sadhana in the form of 24-hour marathon Global Akhanda Bhajan that Bhagawan has presented to this world full of temporal proportions, to alleviate the suffering by reinstating peace.

Today marked the commencement of the Global Akhanda Bhajan 2019 here, in Prasanthi Nilayam. Simultaneously, Sai Centres around the world will be engaged in this 24-hour Bhajan Sadhana based on respective time zones. Bhajans that commenced at 1800 hrs this evening will continue for the next 24-hours to culminate with Maha Mangala Arathi at 1800 hrs tomorrow evening.

This timeless spiritual exercise, known as “Intonation For Universal Peace” had its commencement in the mid-forties and ever since, every second week-end of November has been the fixed schedule for Global Akhanda Bhajan.

This practice precisely had its beginning in 1944, in the home of the late Dr. R.S. Padmanabhan of Bengaluru, where Eight other families met in the presence of Bhagawan to conduct bhajans.

From that humble beginning attended by over 150 devotees, today it has grown into global scale, conducting bhajans every year simultaneously (at the scheduled hour based on various time zones) at Sai Centres in India and around the world.

Let’s join singing in devotion, “Akhanda Jyoti Jalaao Sai Mana Mandir Mein...”

10th November, 2019 | Global Akhanda Bhajan
The Voice Of Eternity, that of The Lord Supreme Sri Sathya Sai resounded Prasanthi Nilayam this evening at the stroke of 6 marking the grand-finale of the Global Akhanda Bhajan 2019 in His Divine OmniPresence.
Commenced at 1800 hrs on Saturday, the bhajans continued nonstop for twenty-four hours with men and women leading by turns, filling and fulfilling Prasanthi with unmatched spiritual vibrations. Marking the grand culmination, the Divine Voice echoed, singing “Narayana Bhaja Narayan… Narayana Bhaja Narayan Narayan…” the bhajan that sums up the saga of Divine shower of grace that flows through perennially, aiding the ‘jeeva’, the individual, in his ascending journey, transcending into Divine.
Maha Mangala Arathi marked the culmination of the bhajan saga.
Customary food prayer, ‘Brahmarpanam…’followed next prior to the serving of customary prasadam, tamarind rice and sweet pudding.
The Global Akhanda Bhajan, an annual exercise initiated by Bhagawan a quarter century ago, is aimed at Universal Peace and Harmony.
 

The Origin of Akhanda Bhajan

It was a dark time in the world - World War II raged, and the British still ruled India. But in a small corner of the country - the village of Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh - the Divine light of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, the Lord of the Universe born in human form, shone increasingly effulgent. Ever since my grand-uncle Sri Seshagiri Rao and his family had made their initial trip to see Him in 1944, the bonds of love between the young Avatar and these early devotees grew quickly, and He very soon became the centre of their lives. My parents, Dr. R.S. Padmanabhan and Kamalamma, and the extended family would make the difficult 3-day journey from Bangalore to Puttaparthi whenever they could, to enjoy the proximity of Divinity. Once there, all their activities revolved around Swami; He would talk with them, play with the children, lead them all to the Chitravathi river bed for late afternoon satsangs, and constantly teach spiritual truths through everyday events. Bhajans quickly became a part of the evening routine in the Patha Mandiram, and the devotees would lose themselves in the melodious namasmarana.

It was always difficult to leave their beloved Swami at the end of each visit, so in 1945, my parents, my aunt’s family and six other devotee families from Bangalore decided to hold their own bhajans on Thursday evenings, at each of their houses, in turn. Those were the days of curfews and rationing, they had no phones with which to communicate, and lacked easy access to vehicles. Nonetheless, they held their Thursday bhajan sessions without fail for a whole year, often walking miles to each other’s houses in the dark. Towards the end of that year, someone had the idea of conducting a 24-hour bhajan to celebrate that milestone, with simple prasadam to be served after arathi. The idea quickly caught on, and they excitedly sent a postcard to Sri Seshagiri Rao in Puttaparthi, asking him to convey their plan to Swami and seek His permission and blessings.

The enthusiastic reply came by return post – Swami was thrilled with the idea and stated immediately that not only would He bless the event, but would attend in person! Well, this was more than they had bargained for! Alarmed, Sri Seshagiri Rao’s daughter, my aunt Sunderamma, tried to walk the fine line between appreciating Swami’s enthusiasm and saying “no, don’t come!” to the Lord of the Universe! She wrote back to her father saying, “We will not be able to look after Swami properly, the place is small, there is no vehicle to transport Him here…” Soon after the postcard was mailed, they received a telegram from Sri Seshagiri Rao saying, “We’re on our way!”

And so, Swami arrived a couple of weeks prior to the planned 24-hour bhajan in February 1946, and enthusiastically participated in every aspect of the preparations. The small group of devotees organised the altar and decorations, and pooled their rations of rice to make the prasadam that would mark the event’s completion. Swami was such an integral part of the preparations that it did not occur to any of the devotees that they would need His photograph for the stage until the day of the event – they had just assumed He would sit on His throne to receive their bhajans!

The day of the Akhanda (non-stop) bhajan dawned and preparations were nearing completion. Suddenly strangers started arriving at the venue, family after family, all asking, “Is this where the Akhanda bhajan is to be held?” “Yes”, my aunt replied, “but who are you and why have you come?” “Oh, Swami came to us in our dreams and told us to come and participate in this wonderful event!” As more and more people streamed in, some from as far afield as Chennai and Mysore, my aunts turned increasingly purple in the face! They stared at the growing crowd in disbelief and were anxious about their ability to feed everyone with the limited resources they had.

Lighting of the Lamp - Akhanda Bhajan 1965

Several of my relatives were older than Swami, and a couple of my aunts, despite their absolute devotion to Him, would speak to Him with familiarity and sometimes scold Him too! One in particular, Savithramma, marched up to Swami and started to berate Him, “Who asked you to bring all these people? How will we feed them? You better come to the kitchen and say “akshaya [always full]” to all the pots! Otherwise our manam [self-respect] will be lost!”

Swami tried to calm her down, saying softly, “Savithramma, don’t worry. These are all my devotees, and they have come because I asked them. You will have enough, don’t worry.”

But she was having none of His explanations, “No Swami, you have to come and say “akshaya!” And so saying, she dragged Him by the hand to the kitchen, and handed Him two coconuts to break! He did so, sprinkling the coconut water on the pots of pongal, and said “Akshayam, akshayam, akshayam”. He turned to Savithramma, “Happy, Savithramma?” “Yes Swami”, she said, beaming.

And so, the first Akhanda bhajan started at 10:30 am and proceeded blissfully for the next 24 hours. Swami Himself was present for many hours and the devotees enthralled everyone with their musical outpouring of love and devotion. At the end, the elders reverentially performed mahamangalarathi to the young Lord, and my aunts started distributing prasadam to the gathered throngs. The women served prasadam…and served some more…and yet more….and it went on and on! Although the bhajan had finished mid-morning, the prasadam distribution stretched into the afternoon, then the evening, and into the night. Hearing that free food was being distributed, the surrounding villagers started coming to partake of it, and my aunts and those who helped them serve, grew increasingly weary.

Finally, exhausted and chastened, one of my aunts arrived at our home, where my father had brought Swami, and entreated Him to stop the never-ending stream of pongal. Swami pretended to be astonished, “What? First you say you want me to make it akshayam, now you want me to stop it?!” “No please Swami, we are very tired, please make it stop.” After teasing them some more, Swami eventually agreed and the pot finally ran out of pongal! So Swami, in His inimitable and loving way, taught us clearly that it is important to ask God for the right things, and to trust that His plan is for the best!

Tired, but triumphant at the success of their Akhanda bhajan, the small band of devotees resolved to repeat the event every year. And for the next 28 years, with great devotion, they did exactly that. Swami, drawn especially by His love for my parents, attended and participated in all but three of them. Each year, at my father’s request, Swami would provide the date for Akhanda bhajan. At the appropriate time, my father, brother Prithvi, aunt Sunderamma, and in later years, I, would travel to Puttaparthi to formally bring Swami to Bangalore in our car, typically the day before the bhajan started. He would stay in our home - what great joy there would be on the day the Lord arrived! – and my father or brother would drive Swami to the bhajan venue in our car, and back home again at meal-times or whenever they wanted Him to rest. Although cooks were hired to prepare meals for the large crowd of family and friends who would gather in our house, and to make prasadam at the bhajan venue, my mother would herself cook separately for Swami and serve Him His meals with her own hands. During those precious days, which grew more frequent as Swami spent more time in Bangalore and established His ashram at Whitefield, Swami was our constant Divine companion, guide, guru, and friend, the most important member of the household. As I reflect on those wonderful times, and the many sublime truths and practical lessons Swami taught us both by example and precept, I realise again that His life truly was His message.

In 1974, speaking in the Lalbagh Golden Jubilee Hall Bangalore, after the 25^th Akhanda bhajan that He Himself attended, Swami directed that this auspicious  function, should become a global event. He lovingly told the faithful devotees that began it, “the lamp that you have lit and fostered, will now spread to the whole world!”

Geetha Mohan Ram, USA

source: http://www.sathyasai.org/events/festival/akhanda-bhajan-2017
 

Akhanda Bhajan involves constant contemplation on God in the morning, evening or even during the night time. It is constant contemplation on God during all the three states – the waking, dream and deep sleep. It is “Sarvada Sarvakaleshu Sarvathra Harichintanam, said Bhagawan long ago, explaining the significance of the marathon spiritually elevating saga.

Serving as a precursor to the birthday celebrations of Bhagawan, as a practice over the years, Akhanda Bhajans have been scheduled for the second Saturday and Sunday of the birthday month, November. It represents a unique attempt at making people in every part of the world conscious of their Divine essence and to experience the sense of oneness spiritually.

“Of all the Sai programmes for pro­moting harmony and unity among the peoples of the world nothing is so signi­ficant and far‑reaching as the observance of “Akhanda Bhajan “on a global scale, initiated by Bhagawan. It represents a unique attempt at making people in every part of the world conscious of their Divine essence and to experience the sense of oneness spiri­tually”, commented veteran Journalist of repute and Former Editor of Sanathana Sarathi, Late Sri V.K. Narasimhan writing on the event in the late eighties.

The Akhanda Bhajan, which is ob­served by Sathya Sai Centres in all coun­tries, from Tokyo in Japan to Vancouver in Canada, from Fiji in the Pacific to Trinidad in the Caribbean, has become over the years one of the most looked‑for events in the Prasanthi calendar.

A simple exercise started over a quarter century ago by a great devotee of Bhagawan, Dr. R.S. Padmanabhan at his Bangalore residence, enthused by His greater inner prompting, has become a global phenomenon, when devotees from the fraternity opt to sing bhajans for a marathon 24-hour, invoking Universal Peace.

…And Akhanda Bhajans of yester years used to have Bhagawan’s greater participation. Reminiscing the beauty and subtlety of the marathon Bhajan Saga, one of the old students of Bhagawan’s University, who has been blessed by Bhagawan to sing in His presence writes:

“Akhanda Bhajan was about to begin in a few minutes. Bhagawan entered the bhajan hall from the rear side and was slowly walking on the carpet towards the altar where He had to light the “Akhanda Jyothi” to mark the commencement of the Bhajans. As He reached the altar, He noticed a glittering artificial garland placed around the neck of the Hanuman Idol by the side of His chair. One could see a frown on His face as He went close to the Idol, bent over the lamp placed by its side, removed the garland and dropped the same saying ARTIFICIAL. We all know that every act of Bhagawan has an inner meaning. We felt that Bhagawan was indirectly teaching us to sing Bhajans from the Heart and not as an Art. He says, whatever we do should be “Heartificial” and not Artificial.”

II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

|| Samastha Lokaaha Sukhino Bhavanthu ||  

Global Akhanda Bhajan - a poetic expression

A simple exercise started over a quarter century ago by a great devotee of Bhagawan, Dr. R.S. Padmanabhan at his Bangalore residence, enthused by His greater inner prompting, has become a global phenomenon, when devotees from the fraternity opt to sing bhajans for a marathon 24-hour, invoking Universal Peace. Global Akhanda Bhajan 2010 commences this evening in this Valley of Peace in Prasanthi Nilayam at 1800 hrs., that set the stage for a girdle of Akhand Jyotis lighting around the world, following different time zones. With this grand exercise for world peace is in the offing, Ms. Jullie Chaudhary pens about the glory of the same. Read on....

Hari Naam Gaate Chalo,
Sai Naam Gaate Chalo…
Tera Naam Ek Sahara…
Ek Prem Ki Dhara,   Priya Sai Tum Ho Jeevan Hamara...

Harer Nama Harer Nama Harer Namaiva Kevalam
Kalau  Nastyeva Nastyeva Nastyeva  Gatir Anyatha…
In this age of Kali, there is no alternative, for spiritual progress, other than the chanting of the holy name.  (Brihan Naradiya Puran)

The most easiest and sublime process is this,
Cleansing and granting absolute bliss,
So many a path, both difficult and true,
Jnana, Karma, Raja and Bhakti Yoga too,
Simplified is the path for you and me,
Just chant the name of the Lord in this age of Kali…

Bhajan is very necessary to melt the heart of God,
These precious words have been uttered by our Lord,
Constantly remember the name, never forget it,
For this path is noble and well lit,
True spiritual practice is this clearly,
If you practice it you will be blessed immensely…

We face problems as we lack in Naamasmaran,
From Bhagawan’s words this is what we learn,
Let each and every street,
Reverberate with the singing of divine glory,
Let the divine name fill each and every cell of your body,
Courage, strength and peace from this you will derive,
It will add meaning to a mundane life…

Do not be shy or afraid of anyone,
Sing out loud even if some make fun,
Make this the basis of your life,
Through smooth times and those of strife,
Much comfort, strength and solace you can derive,
It will help you reach, make you arrive,
Achieve a state of consciousness,
Untouched, oblivious and bereft of any kind of stress…

Sing out loud, let it resound,
With love for the Lord, let all hearts abound,
The scriptures recommend it,
To follow suit let us do our bit,
Bring together the palms,
And joyfully sing the psalms,
As did Narada and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu,
And many a Sikh guru,
Alwars, Andal, Mirabai and Tukaram,
Believed in the glory of the Naam,
Thyagraj, Tulsidas, Kanakadas, Surdas, Ravidas,
Naamdev, Jnaneshwar and Samarth Ramdas,
Folklores became the stories of the Puranas,
Expressive songs of mystical heights sang Kabira,
Soulful rhythms of many a Sufi star,
None can compete with the music of Hanuman,
The love and devotion with which he sang for Sri Ram…

Chant with complete absorption,
Derive the benefits of meditation,
A process Bhagawan does recommend,
Let it resonate through the environment,
Uplifting spirits, helping one ascend,
To be picked up by the breeze,
As it rustles through the leaves,
Space, Air, Fire, Water, Earth,
A purification of tremendous worth…

As our Lord does say, 
When collectively people do sing and pray,
 ‘Akhanda Bhajan’ has its own goal,
The benefit of humanity as a whole,
Bhajans permeate the ether remaining there as sound waves,
Spreading the fragrance of the Lord’s grace,
Reverberating in the atmosphere,
Dissolving distress and fear,
Creating an ambience sacred and holy,
What bliss, what unity,
The name uttered by the tongue,
Is meditated upon by the mind while it is being sung,
And then, when it’s hailed by clapping of the hands,
Devotion and purification it does enhance,
Joy for those who sing as well as those that hear,
Vibrations of love that envelope and endear,
Music is beyond the mind effortless and free,
Chanting the name of the Lord brings divine ecstasy…

Nine families started - Akhanda Bhajan Mandali in 1944,
Fortunate indeed was this garden city of Bangalore
In 1946 Swami attended,
This 24 hours melodious bhajan flow,
In 1974, Swami blessed and did declare,
An event ever so special and rare,
The whole world should conduct bhajan on the same day,
At the same time, is what He did say,
And so, on a special Saturday in the month of November,
Before the day that puts all other days in to a blur,
The day the Lord did on Earth descend,
To help humanity ascend,
For a full twenty four hours bhajans do continue,
With the lighting of the Divine Jyoti, implying inner view,
The time sequence varies from country to country,
Lamps are lit accordingly,
By the time lamps are lit in the extreme West,
Bhajans have seen completion in the East,
A girdle of Akhand Jyotis lit around the globe,
Celebrating the advent of the Supreme,
Come with a dark halo of hair,
Clad in a flaming orange robe,
But as the name does suggest and the Lord says so too,
Akhand means continuos and this is our clue,
It should begin in childhood remaining nonstop enroute,
The Lord’s words none can refute…

So let us sing with feeling and fervor the Lord’s glory,
Let us sing for Universal peace and harmony,
Let us celebrate this unity,
Let us overcome and become free,
Beyond I, me and mine,
To Thine, Thine, Thine,
A simple eternal route shown by the Lord for me and you,
Samastha Lokaah Sukhino Bhavantu…

                                        

Text & photo source: sssbpt.org -  Sri Sathya Sai Media Foundation - Radiosai.org Prasanthi Diary, h2hsai.org .  - web layout - photo design : saibabaofindia.com & SBOI group.