Mantra Choir Latvia

Mantra Choir Latvia happily singing Shyam Shyamasundar

The Mantra Choir CD: You are the Music is being pressed today

My new album "You Are The Music" featuring 50 friends which make up the Mantra Choir Experience is being pressed today after 9 long months work. Jayadeva

Please enjoy some previews from the album:

Poem: Nityananda

APPEARING LIKE THE AUTUMN MOON

THE ROOT OF BHAKTI VRKSHA

FAULTLESS AVADHUTA BRAHMIN

SHARING PRICELESS SHIKSHA

EYES THAT ROLL IN ECSTACY

WITH LIMBS THAT MOVE IN GRACE

THIS MADDENED ELEPHANT OF LOVE

THE JACKALS' HE'LL DISPLACE.

DANDA IN HIS HANDS SO STRONG

HIS SMILE BEAMS CLEAR AND BRIGHT

KALI RUNS. DESERTS HIS GUNS.

WHEN NITAI COMES IN SIGHT.

BHAKTI IS HIS SECOND NAME

BHAKTI IS HIS FIRST

IF ONE SHOULD BE COMPARED TO HIM

HE FINDS HIMSELF THE WORST.

BHAKTI'S MELLOWS FIND THEIR ESSENCE

DEEP WITHIN HIS HEART

ALL THE BHAKTAS LONG TO BE THERE

NEVER TO DEPART.

MATA JAHNAVA, FORTUNES GODDESS

LOVES HIM TO PERFECTION.

WHILE THOSE DECRYING, OR DENYING 

PLAINLY LOSE CONNECTION.

EVER CHANTING KRSNA'S NAMES

WITH CHEERFUL COUNTENANCE

DISENGAGING EGOTISTS

FROM KALI'S SONG AND DANCE

OUR UNIVERSE BOWS DOWN IN AWE

THE ROOT OF ALL THAT'S TRUE.

SRI SACI'S SON IN TURN ADORES

THE ONE WHO'SE DRESSED IN BLUE.

HE BEGS CHAITANYA ,"BROTHER DEAR,

PLEASE SAVE ALL HUMANKIND

FOR KALI YUGAS' POISONED DART

INFECTS EACH HEART AND MIND".

"HOW WILL THEY ALL ATONE FOR ALL

THEY'VE SAID AND ALL THEY'VE DONE

PLEASE OFFER SOME SOLUTION

MAKE KALI'S KNOT UNDONE"

GAURA DID INSTRUCT HIS BROTHER

"WITH ALL HUMILITY.

GO TO EACH AND EVERY HOME

AND TRY TO SET THEM FREE"

AND SO WITH ARMS RAISED SKYWARD

HE CAME TO EVERY DOOR

AND BEGGED THEM "CHANT LORD HARI'S NAME

FOR HE'S WHAT LIFE IS FOR"

HE CRIED "I BEG YOU ONE MORE THING

BEFORE I WILL DEPART

THE PEARL OF LIBERATION

HID WITHIN YOUR DEEPEST HEART

PRAY GIVE IT GLADLY TO ME

AND THEN I'LL GO AWAY

LIKE THIS, WITH THAKUR HARIDAS

THEY PASSED THE NIGHT AND DAY.

LIKE TOO, AGASTYA MUNI

WHO DRANK A DEMON'S OCEAN.

YOU DRINK THE DARKNESS OF THIS AGE

WHILE THIRSTING FOR DEVOTION

YOU ARE THE SAINTLY'S WELFARE.

THE DEMON'S HOPE AS WELL.

YOUR SUN-LIKE HEART DESTROYS THE DARK

WHERE DEMON'S CARE TO DWELL.

ON EVERY PATH. 'PON EVERY STREET

HE SWEETLY CHANTS AND DANCES

WITHOUT ASSESSING GOOD OR BAD

HE CASTS HIS SIDELONG GLANCES.

DEVOID OF SELFISH INTEREST

HIS ARDOUR NEVER SLOWS.

WITH HARI'S NAME UPON HIS LIPS.

HIS KINDNESS OVER-FLOWS.

I WORSHIP LORD NITYANANDA

WHO'SE GREAT TREE OF DEVOTION

HAVE ROOTS THAT ARE UNLIMITED

BEYOND OUR MUNDANE NOTION

SOMETIMES THOSE PERFECT BROTHERS

WOULD WANDER THROUGH BENGAL

ALL ALL THE FOLK WHO SAW THEM

WERE THRILLED DOWN TO THE SOUL

TO SEE THEIR HANDS UNITED.

TO SEE THEIR LOOKS SUBLIME

WOULD SOFTEN THE STONEHEARTED

THEN WHY NOT THIS HEART OF MINE?

Tales of a lone tree hugger

I was invited to take part in a tree appreciation event Hampstead last week on Earth Day. I was told to meet with all the other appreciators of trees and nature at the Lilly Pond in Hampstead Heath at 12.00 pm. Arriving there a few minutes late I nervously dragged my heavy holdall up hill and down dale till I found the Lilly Pond (which has no lillies incidentally). Neither did it sport any members of the Earth Day revellers. I waited an hour. Then another. Then became convinced I must have had the wrong day so prepared to depart for the  2 hour long journey back home to Essex.

On the way out of the beautiful park which is perched high above the smoky grey metropolis of London's 12 millions I wondered how as it possible that no-one among their number had come to celebrate/support our beautiful friends the trees. I thought it a shame that I had taken so much time and effort to come here and that I was returning empty handed and hearted without singing a word in praise or in love for our brothers and sisters enclosed within wooded bodies, so I found a quiet area away from the tourists and footballing students on the slopes and unpacked my trusty accordion and newly purchased video camera to do my service amidst a wooded glade.

They, the tree huggers that is, were going to do some toning around the trees and in general express their gratitude for their selfless contributions our arboreal brethren make to the quality of life. I however had a slightly different agenda and that was inspired by Haridas Thakura's talks with Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu wherin it was disclosed that  that the souls within trees could not only be thanked for their contribution to life but also  be liberated by the loud chanting of Krsna's, Gods, Holy Names. That indeed the echo that comes from any inanimate entity when one chants is considered by the Lord Himself as their full and satisfactory contribution to the Sankirtan movementy and readily accepted by the Lord as such. So I thought on earth day at least I could chant for the trees as best as I could and so you see me here one- man banding my way through the Maha Mantra, happy to at least do something before I beat my retreat back to good ole Essex.

When there is a small kerfuffle and you might hear some rustling, it was when I fell over on some chopped wooden pieces which the trees kept hidden under some of last seasons browned leaves. They have to get a laugh whenever they can as a trees lot is not such a happy one, having to tolerate so many testing situations. Four hours later, after dragging my suitcase full of musical goodies over the testing hills of the woodland park I finally found my absent tree hugging compatriots who had just whimsically changed the rendezvous site to the Viaduct Pond and who were basically laying around on a hillock shooting the breeze.

Underwhelmed by their lack of compassion for my 6 hour plight and singularly unimpressed by their body language as the majority of them turned their backs toward me to delve into esoteric matters obviously beyond an Essex boy's measure, I humbly took their leave swearing to myself that this would be my last foray into the world of organised time wasters.

I did get on well with the trees though and here's the proof

Love Jayadev

Poem: Vamanadev

ON THE SHRAVAN DWADASHI IN THE YUGA NAMED TRETA
AT THE RISING IN THE HEAVENS OF THE ABHIJIT STAR.
PERFECT WIFE ADITI,WIFE OF MUNI KASHYAPA
GAVE BIRTH TO THE LORD VAMANADEV, VISHNU AVATAR.

THE THREE WORLDS AND THEIR SEASONS WERE FULL OF JUBILATION
THE DEVAS AND THE BRAHMANAS AND COWS WERE OVERJOYED.
THE LORD DID THEN ASSUME THE FORM OF VAMANA THE BRAHMAN
FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROTECTING DHARMA LEST IT BE DESTROYED.

DRESSED AS BEST ASCETIC HE APPEARED AT BALI'S YAGNA.
WITH BELT OF MUNJA DEERSKIN GARMENT, UMBERELLA COVER.
A SACRED THREAD ADORNED HIS CHEST, HIS HAND HELD HOLY DANDA
THE GREAT AND GOOD GOT UP AND STOOD AND HONOURED LIKE NO OTHER.

MISTAKENLY, BALI THE GREAT, THOUGHT VAMANA A BRAHMAN
AND HEREIN DID THE DEMON ENGENDER A MIGHTY ERROR.
AND VAMANA ,HE GREATLY PRAISED THE DEMON'S DYNASTY.
EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE ALL ENGAGED IN GHASTLY ACTS OF TERROR.

FOLLOWING THE LORDS FOOT BATH CEREMONY BALI MAHARAJA
HUMBLY TOOK THE PURIFYING WATERS ON HIS HEAD.
AND GLADLY ORDERED VAMANA TO ASK FOR WHAT HE WANTED
PREPARED TO MAKE A GIFT TO HIM OF ANYTHING HE SAID.

"THREE STEPS OF LAND IS ALL I WANT PLEASE GIVE IT ME I BEG
NOUGHT BUT THREE STEPS OF LAND AND NOTHING MORE"
BUT SHUKRACHARYA , BALI'S GURU SAW THE LORD'S DUPLICITY
AND ORDERED "DO NOT GIVE HIM SUCH A GIFT I MUST IMPLORE.

FOR SHUKRACHARYA UNDERSTOOD THAT VAMANA WAS VISHNU
DISGUISED AS A DWARF BRAHMAN, BUT YET A FEW YEARS OLD.
BUT VISHNU'S ALL ATTRACTIVE FORM BEGUILED THE MIGHTY DEMON
AND SHUKRA'S TIMELY WARNING DULY LEFT OUT IN THE COLD.

BUT BALI WOULD HAVE NONE OF IT ENTRANCED BY THE LORD'S BEAUTY.
A KING MUST GIVE TO BRAHMANS NOT A JOT LESS WOULD SUFFICE.
HE KNEW HIS FAME WOULD LAST ETERNAL EVEN IF THE WORLD WAS LOST.
AND BRAVELY OPTED TO IGNORE HIS GURUDEV'S ADVICE.

IMMEDIATELY UPENDRA MANIFEST HIS UNIVERSAL BODY.
FILLING ALL DIRECTIONS WITH HIS IMPLAUSIBLE SIZE.
PRICELESS GEMS ADORNED HIS FORM OF BEAUTY BLUE AND CLOUDY
AS VAMANADEV MADE READY TO TAKE BACK THE DEVA'S PRIZE.

YELLOW GARMENTS SHRIVATSA MARK AND GOLDEN HELMET FLASHING.
JUST AS LIGHTNING PUNCTUATES A NEW BORNE MONSOON CLOUD.
AND BALI SAW HIS STEP GIGANTIC THEN A GIANT ANOTHER
AND KNEW THE THIRD MIGHT 'LIGHT UPON HIS HUMBLED HEAD A'BOWED.

THE FIRST STEP TOOK BACK ALL THE WORLD, THE SECOND TOOK THE HEAVENS.
AS HIGH AS LOFTY BRAHMALOKA HIS DARK LIMBS DID GO.
AND BROKE THE UNIVERSAL COVER WITH HIS SHINING TOENAIL.
SO MOTHER GANGAS HOLY WATERS TO THIS WORLD COULD FLOW.

THE DEMONS BECAME ANGRY WHEN THEY SAW THAT ALL WAS TAKEN
AND FURIOUSLY WIELDED WEAPONS GAINST VAMANA IN DISGUST.
BUT VAMANA'S ASSOCIATES CAME SWIFTLY THERE TO BEAT THEM.
GARUDA USED VARUNA'S ROPE AND BALI HE WAS TRUSSED.

IN TOTAL SELF-SURRENDER,BALI THEN IMPLORED LORD VISHNU.
PLEASE PLACE YOUR HOLY SANCTIFYING STEP UPON MY HEAD.
FOR DEATH IS MUCH TO BE PREFERRED TO WORDLY DEFAMATION
THEREFORE I SWEAR I MUST ADHERE TO ALL THAT I HAVE SAID.

GRANDFATHER PRAHLAD MAHARAJ APPEARED THERE IN A SECOND.
EXPLAINING TO HIS GRANDSON HE'D BEEN CHEATED AND YET BLESSED.
THE LORD'S SWEET TRICKS WERE FULL OF YET THE MOST STUPENDOUS FORTUNE
BALI'S WIFE, VINDHYAVALI AND BRAHMA WERE IMPRESSED.

BALI LEARNED THE HIGHEST GAIN IN LIFE IS FULL SURRENDER.
UNDER THE COOLEST SHELTER OF THE LORDS MERCIFUL FEET.
FIXED IN FIRM CONCLUSION,HEART, BRIM FULL OF PURE DEVOTION.
HE DEPARTED FOR SUTALA WHERE THE ATMOSPHERE IS SWEET.

IN SUBTERRANEAN SLENDOUR BALI LIVES THERE TO THIS MOMENT
WHILE INDRA'S HEAVEN ONCE AGAIN IS SURA POPULATED
POETS WRITE OF VAMANA'S DEEDS FOR AEONS EVER ONWARD
FOR VISHNU'S INTERVENTIONS, THEY SHOULD NOT BE UNDERRATED.

TRIVIKRAMA TAUGHT BALI THAT OUR ARROGANCE AND PRIDE
ARE OBSTACLES THAT MENACE THOSE UPON THE PATH OF BHAKTI.
WEALTH AND POWER TAKEN ALL FOR GRANTED SLIPS AWAY.
REGARDLESS OF POSITION OR OF INFLUENCE OR SHAKTI.

BALI KEPT HIS PROMISE DESPITE THE HEAVY LOSS INCURRED.
WHICH WAS MORE IMPORTANT TO HIM THAN HIS GURU'S RANT AND RAVING.
AND TRIVIKRAM TOOK EVERYTHING AWAY FROM HIM THAT DAY.
BUT GAVE HIMSELF TO BALI WHICH CURTAILED HIS MISBEHAVING.

TO THIS VERY DAY HE GUARDS THE SUBTERRANEAN PLANET
WHERE BALI MAHARAJ AND HIS DYNASTY RESIDE.
CONSIDERED BY THE LORD AS MAHAJAN OF GREAT ESTEEM
ETERNALLY HE GUARDS SUTALA AS HIS FRIEND AND GUIDE.