TLDR: In this 2023 Boone Retreat satsang, Krishna Das leads extended kirtan sessions centered on sacred chants to Hanuman and Krishna. The teaching reveals how chanting functions as a direct pathway to grace—not through intellectual understanding but through surrender and repetition. By invoking the names of these deities, practitioners access the flow of divine love already present within the heart, releasing ego and returning again and again to shelter in that inner grace.
What Is Kirtan and Why Does It Matter?
Kirtan is a call-and-response devotional singing practice rooted in Hindu and Hindu-influenced spirituality. It is not performance; it is a practice of devotion conducted communally, where a leader sings a mantra or sacred phrase and participants echo it back. Krishna Das has spent decades establishing kirtan as a gateway for Western practitioners to access the traditional bhakti (devotion) path without requiring cultural immersion or years of study.
The video captures a live satsang—a gathering for spiritual instruction and practice—where chanting becomes the primary vehicle. Rather than lecturing about spirituality, Krishna Das invites the room into prolonged, rhythmic repetition of sacred names. This is the heart of his approach: the practice itself is the teaching.
The Prayer to Hanuman: Refuge and Grace
One of the central chants in this satsang is directed to Hanuman, the monkey deity who serves Ram in the Hindu epic the Ramayana. According to Krishna Das, the prayer being sung translates to: "I go for shelter to the one who brings Ram to me, to the one who connects me to the flow of grace."
Hanuman is not understood here as an external god demanding worship, but as a principle—a representation of the flow of grace (divine love) that is already present. Krishna Das emphasizes that "the love that lives within us is who we truly are." The prayer, then, is not supplication to a distant deity but a turning inward, an acknowledgment that grace is the fundamental nature of consciousness itself.
The practice involves "letting go and coming back again and again," as Krishna Das says. Each repetition of the chant is a small act of surrender—releasing the ego's grip and returning to the heart where grace naturally dwells. This pattern mirrors meditation: the mind wanders, you notice, you return. In kirtan, the wandering mind returns through the sound of the sacred name.
Why Repetition Opens the Heart
Western spirituality often privileges insight, sudden enlightenment, or intellectual breakthrough. Kirtan works differently. It relies on repetition not as mindless ritual but as a technology for dissolving the barriers between the small ego-self and the vast inner presence. Each time the name is sung—whether it is Hanuman, Ram, or Krishna—the practitioner is reinforcing a groove in consciousness, a pathway back home to the heart.
Krishna Das speaks of his own guru, Maharaji (also known as Neem Karoli Baba), in this light. When Maharaji heard the chant "Gopala's baby Krishna," he would "roll around on the tucket like a baby" in "absolute bliss." This anecdote is not sentimental nostalgia; it illustrates what happens when devotion reaches saturation—the individual self liquefies in the presence of divine love, and the body responds not with control but with surrender and ecstatic movement.
The repetition works because it quiets the thinking mind. In Western culture, practitioners are often trying to understand spirituality, to grasp it conceptually. Kirtan sidesteps the intellect. By singing the same phrase for minutes or hours, the rational mind fatigues and a deeper consciousness naturally surfaces. What emerges is not new knowledge but direct perception of what already is.
Sacred Names as Doorways to Consciousness
Krishna Das returns throughout the satsang to different sacred names: Hanuman, Ram, Krishna, and others drawn from Hindu tradition. Each name carries specific associations and energetic resonances. Krishna, for instance, represents divine love and playfulness; Ram represents the principle of order and dharma (righteous duty); Hanuman represents unwavering devotion and the grace that flows to the humble and sincere heart.
Yet the specific mythology is less important than the sonic and emotional impact of the name itself. When practitioners chant "Krishna Krishna Krishna," they are not merely pronouncing a syllable—they are anchoring themselves in the principle that the name embodies. Over time, the name becomes an living thing in the body and consciousness. It becomes a refuge, as the prayer to Hanuman suggests.
This is why kirtan is not confined to Hindus. The names are entry points, bridges from the personal ego into the impersonal divine. A Western practitioner with no background in Hindu cosmology can still access the transformative power of chanting because the power lies not in intellectual belief but in the practice itself.
The Role of Community in Chanting Practice
This satsang takes place in a room full of people. The collective voice, the shared breath, the synchronization of hundreds of hearts beating in time—all of this amplifies the individual experience. Kirtan is not meant to be done alone, though it can be. Communal practice creates a field of devotion that carries individuals beyond what they might achieve in isolation.
When one person's voice wavers or doubt creeps in, the voices around them provide continuity. The group holds the practice. This is also why satsang—literally, "congregation of truth"—has been valued across spiritual traditions for millennia. The presence of genuine seekers, of sincere practice, creates an atmosphere that supports transformation.
From Practice to Direct Experience
Krishna Das does not teach kirtan as a belief system or a set of doctrines. He teaches it as a direct method: if you practice, you will experience. The heart will open. Grace will be felt. The love within you will be recognized as your true nature. The proof is in the practice itself, not in theory.
This is why a 2-hour-plus video of prolonged chanting is not considered excessive or boring in the context of spiritual practice. Each repetition is a small opening, a small releasing of resistance. Cumulatively, over an evening of satsang, something shifts. The boundary between the singer and the song, between the practitioner and the divine name, begins to thin.
Where to Go From Here
For those interested in exploring kirtan, Krishna Das offers several entry points. His website (krishnadas.com) lists upcoming events and retreats where practitioners can experience live satsang and receive direct instruction. The Heart Space Digital Library provides recorded music, webinars, and workshops accessible online. His reading list, curated over decades of practice, points toward the philosophical and devotional roots of kirtan in Hindu and yoga philosophy.
The simplest beginning is to listen to kirtan recordings and, if called, to sing along. Allow the repetition to work. Do not try to understand it first; let understanding emerge from practice. Like any genuine spiritual practice, kirtan reveals itself through committed engagement, not through conceptual study.
Transcript
[7:35] [music]
[7:40] [clears throat]
[7:42] Hello. Let's come sit down. Krishna is
[7:46] ready in a couple of minutes. [music]
[7:47] Okay.
[7:49] Where are you? Oh, over there.
[7:55] Heat. [music]
[8:04] Heat.
[8:14] A
[8:16] [music]
[8:34] heat. [music]
[8:38] [music]
[8:42] Heat.
[8:52] [music]
[8:53] Heat.
[8:56] [music]
[9:06] >> [music]
[9:11] >> One of them
[9:18] Fore
[9:23] [music]
[9:29] [music]
[9:36] [music]
[9:43] [music]
[9:46] suck.
[9:49] >> [music]
[9:56] >> P
[9:59] [music] the Jarnish
[10:05] [music and singing]
[10:10] [music]
[10:14] [singing]
[10:16] [music]
[10:23] >> [singing]
[10:25] [music]
[10:28] >> National
[10:32] [singing]
[10:37] [music]
[10:46] [music]
[10:48] foreign
[10:52] [music]
[10:57] [music]
[11:03] [music]
[11:09] [music]
[11:14] march.
[11:16] [music]
[11:21] with him.
[11:24] [music]
[11:25] I thought my
[11:29] [singing]
[11:32] [music]
[11:35] [singing]
[11:36] >> [music]
[11:43] [music]
[11:48] >> I take refuge. I go for shelter. [music]
[11:52] To the one who brings Ram to me
[11:57] [music]
[11:58] to the one who connects me to the flow
[12:01] of grace. [music]
[12:04] The love that lives within us is who we
[12:06] truly are.
[12:08] So this prayer is [music] to Hanuman who
[12:10] is considered to be
[12:12] that flow of grace which is always
[12:15] flowing.
[12:17] So all we have to do is [music] let go
[12:20] and come back again and again
[12:25] and we
[12:27] [music]
[12:28] find shelter
[12:30] from the external world. [music]
[12:33] and the love in our own hearts.
[12:41] [music]
[12:48] I'm do [music]
[12:57] [singing]
[13:00] shad
[13:09] [music]
[13:10] [singing]
[13:12] of Abraham [music]
[13:16] [singing]
[13:22] [music]
[13:31] [music] must
[13:41] raas. Santa come [music]
[13:46] over
[13:49] key. [music]
[13:58] [music]
[14:06] >> [music]
[14:11] [music]
[14:19] [music]
[14:24] >> around
[14:27] You are
[14:32] [music]
[14:43] here.
[14:51] [music]
[14:52] Heat.
[14:56] [music]
[15:05] Heat.
[15:09] [music]
[15:16] >> [music]
[15:21] >> Heat. [music]
[15:28] Heat. [singing]
[15:29] [music]
[15:35] Heat.
[15:41] [music]
[15:47] [music]
[15:51] Heat. [singing]
[15:56] [music]
[15:58] Heat.
[16:04] [music]
[16:12] [music]
[16:14] Heat.
[16:18] [music]
[16:21] Heat.
[16:23] [music]
[16:27] [music]
[16:32] [music]
[16:36] Heat. [music]
[16:43] Heat.
[16:47] [music]
[16:55] [music]
[17:04] [music] Heat.
[17:08] Heat.
[17:10] [music]
[17:19] [music]
[17:21] Heat.
[17:26] [music]
[17:30] Heat.
[17:33] [music]
[17:37] [music]
[17:44] Heat.
[17:48] [music]
[17:57] >> [music]
[18:01] >> Heat.
[18:05] [music]
[18:06] Heat.
[18:14] Heat.
[18:16] [music]
[18:20] [music]
[18:27] [music]
[18:28] Heat.
[18:34] [music]
[18:35] [singing] Heat.
[18:41] [music]
[18:45] [music]
[18:51] [music] Heat.
[18:56] [music]
[18:58] [singing]
[18:58] Yeah. Heat.
[19:03] [music]
[19:10] Yeah.
[19:12] [music]
[19:13] Heat. [singing]
[19:19] [music]
[19:25] >> [music]
[19:27] >> Heat.
[19:33] [music]
[19:40] [music]
[19:40] Heat.
[19:45] [music]
[19:47] Heat.
[19:54] [music]
[19:58] Heat.
[20:03] [music]
[20:09] >> [music]
[20:14] [music]
[20:21] >> See, [singing]
[20:25] [music]
[20:26] Yeah.
[20:29] Heat. [music]
[20:39] Heat. [music]
[20:42] Heat.
[20:45] [music]
[20:52] Heat. [music]
[21:00] [music]
[21:04] Heat.
[21:13] Yeah. [music]
[21:18] Heat.
[21:21] [music]
[21:29] [music]
[21:36] >> [music]
[21:40] [music]
[21:42] >> Heat.
[21:47] Heat.
[21:53] [music and singing]
[21:55] Heat.
[21:59] [music]
[22:08] Heat.
[22:14] [music]
[22:17] Heat. [music]
[22:25] [music]
[22:29] Heat. [singing]
[22:31] [music]
[22:38] Heat. [music]
[22:46] [music and singing]
[22:52] [music]
[23:01] [music]
[23:02] Heat. [singing]
[23:05] Heat. Heat. [music]
[23:15] [music]
[23:16] Yeah.
[23:18] Heat. [music]
[23:20] [singing]
[23:26] [music]
[23:32] >> [music]
[23:34] >> Heat.
[23:35] Heat. [singing]
[23:37] [music]
[23:42] [music]
[23:51] Heat. Heat. [music]
[24:00] [music]
[24:01] Oh,
[24:06] [singing]
[24:10] [music]
[24:11] [singing]
[24:15] [music]
[24:21] heat, heat. [music and singing]
[24:27] >> [music]
[24:33] >> Heat [music]
[24:38] up
[24:40] [music and singing] here.
[24:46] [music]
[24:49] Yeah.
[24:51] [music]
[24:53] Heat. [singing]
[25:00] [music]
[25:03] Yeah.
[25:07] Heat.
[25:11] [music]
[25:16] [music]
[25:17] Heat.
[25:21] [music]
[25:24] Heat.
[25:30] [music]
[25:35] [music]
[25:37] Oh, [singing]
[25:41] [music]
[25:44] [singing]
[25:48] [music]
[25:57] heat, [music and singing]
[25:58] heat.
[26:03] >> [music]
[26:08] >> Heat. Heat. [music]
[26:16] [music]
[26:18] Heat.
[26:22] [music]
[26:23] Heat.
[26:26] [singing]
[26:28] [music]
[26:33] A [music]
[26:40] [music]
[26:45] [singing]
[26:47] [music]
[26:54] Yeah.
[26:55] Heat. [singing]
[26:57] [music]
[27:02] [music]
[27:09] [music]
[27:13] >> [singing]
[27:15] [music]
[27:17] >> Heat [singing]
[27:19] [music] up
[27:27] [music and singing]
[27:33] here. [music and singing]
[27:37] Heat.
[27:39] [singing]
[27:44] [music and singing]
[27:47] Heat.
[27:56] Heat.
[27:59] [music]
[28:00] Heat. [singing]
[28:07] [music]
[28:08] [singing]
[28:11] Oh,
[28:16] [music]
[28:25] [music]
[28:30] [music] heat, heat.
[28:35] >> [singing]
[28:36] >> Oh,
[28:39] [music]
[28:49] [music]
[28:55] [music]
[28:58] [singing]
[29:02] heat, [music and singing]
[29:04] heat. Oh,
[29:10] [music]
[29:16] [music]
[29:19] [singing]
[29:24] heat, [music and singing]
[29:26] heat.
[29:29] [music]
[29:30] Heat.
[29:32] [singing]
[29:38] [music]
[29:40] [singing]
[29:43] [music]
[29:45] Heat.
[29:47] [singing]
[29:48] [music]
[29:52] Heat. [music]
[29:59] [music]
[30:05] [music]
[30:11] Heat. [music]
[30:14] [singing]
[30:16] >> [music]
[30:22] [music]
[30:27] >> Heat.
[30:29] [music]
[30:31] Heat.
[30:38] [singing] Heat.
[30:44] Heat. [music]
[30:50] [music]
[30:56] [music]
[31:01] [music]
[31:02] Heat. [singing]
[31:04] Heat.
[31:07] [music]
[31:12] [music]
[31:14] Yeah. Heat.
[31:21] [music]
[31:26] Yeah.
[31:31] [singing]
[31:33] [music] Heat.
[31:40] [music]
[31:43] Yeah.
[31:47] [music]
[31:48] Heat.
[31:52] [music]
[31:57] [singing]
[31:58] Yeah. [music]
[32:01] Heat.
[32:03] [music]
[32:06] [singing]
[32:08] [music]
[32:11] Heat.
[32:14] [music] Heat.
[32:19] [singing]
[32:21] [music]
[32:24] Heat.
[32:26] [music]
[32:31] Heat.
[32:33] [music]
[32:40] [music]
[32:42] Yeah.
[32:44] Heat.
[32:46] [music]
[32:52] [music]
[32:54] Heat. Heat.
[32:57] [singing]
[32:59] [music]
[33:05] [music]
[33:07] See
[33:10] down [music]
[33:14] [singing]
[33:28] the
[33:30] [music] sid.
[33:33] Satales.
[33:35] [music]
[33:41] [music]
[33:48] [music]
[33:52] [music]
[34:19] >> [music]
[34:19] >> Heat.
[34:25] [music]
[34:34] [music]
[34:39] Heat. [music]
[34:46] >> [music]
[34:53] >> Oh,
[34:56] [music]
[34:58] power.
[35:02] [music]
[35:10] [music]
[35:18] >> [music]
[35:25] [music]
[35:31] >> Oh
[35:33] my heart.
[35:36] Oh
[35:40] [music]
[35:44] in
[35:48] party. [music]
[35:55] [music]
[35:56] [singing]
[36:02] [music]
[36:11] Oh [music]
[36:13] my
[36:16] god.
[36:20] [music]
[36:24] [singing]
[36:36] [music]
[36:43] >> [music]
[36:43] >> Heat.
[36:49] [music]
[36:55] Heat. [music]
[37:07] >> [music]
[37:08] >> improve. [singing]
[37:18] [music]
[37:25] [music]
[37:30] [music] Heat.
[37:35] >> [music]
[37:46] >> Oh my god.
[37:52] [music]
[37:57] [music]
[38:01] Yeah. Heat. [music]
[38:09] [music]
[38:09] [singing]
[38:17] >> [music]
[38:22] [music]
[38:25] >> Heat. Heat.
[38:39] improve
[38:40] in
[38:48] [music]
[38:56] [music]
[39:03] [music]
[39:08] >> [music]
[39:10] >> Oh
[39:12] my heart.
[39:15] Oh my
[39:18] heart
[39:23] [singing]
[39:25] in
[39:30] it.
[39:34] [music]
[39:41] >> [music]
[39:54] >> Oh
[39:56] my might
[40:00] [music]
[40:03] [singing]
[40:08] prove in
[40:11] [music]
[40:14] [singing]
[40:22] [music]
[40:27] >> [music]
[40:35] [music]
[40:36] >> Oh power.
[40:38] [singing] Power.
[40:41] [music]
[40:46] [music]
[40:52] I go by
[40:56] [music]
[41:01] [music]
[41:07] >> [music]
[41:08] >> My
[41:09] [singing]
[41:11] god.
[41:13] [music]
[41:16] [singing]
[41:19] [music]
[41:21] [singing]
[41:26] [music]
[41:30] [music]
[41:35] Oh my. Oh my. [music]
[41:41] [singing]
[41:45] [music]
[41:50] Heat. [music]
[41:52] Heat.
[42:02] Heat. Heat. Heat.
[42:04] [music]
[42:12] Heat. Heat. [music]
[42:19] [singing]
[42:22] [music]
[42:28] Heat. [music]
[42:32] Heat.
[42:37] [music]
[42:46] >> [music]
[42:46] >> Heat. Heat.
[42:53] [music]
[42:56] Heat. Heat.
[43:02] [music]
[43:03] [singing]
[43:11] Heat. Heat.
[43:15] [music]
[43:20] [singing]
[43:25] >> [music]
[43:29] >> Heat. Heat.
[43:35] [music]
[43:41] >> [music]
[43:43] >> Heat. Heat.
[43:46] [music]
[43:53] Heat. Heat.
[43:58] [music]
[44:06] [music]
[44:07] Heat. Heat.
[44:13] [music]
[44:16] [singing]
[44:21] >> [music and singing]
[44:25] >> Heat. Heat.
[44:28] [music]
[44:28] [singing]
[44:35] Heat. [music]
[44:40] [singing]
[44:44] [music]
[44:54] Heat.
[44:55] [music]
[45:00] Heat. Heat.
[45:03] [music]
[45:11] [music]
[45:13] Yeah.
[45:16] Heat.
[45:18] [music]
[45:25] [music]
[45:26] Yeah.
[45:28] Heat.
[45:33] [music]
[45:41] Yeah. Heat.
[45:45] [music]
[45:53] Heat.
[45:55] [music]
[46:01] [music]
[46:06] Heat.
[46:07] [music]
[46:14] Heat. Heat. [music]
[46:17] [bell]
[46:23] [music]
[46:30] >> [music]
[46:32] [cheering]
[46:34] [applause]
[46:48] >> We used to sing that to Maharaji.
[46:52] He would literally roll around on the
[46:54] tucket like a like a baby.
[46:57] Gopala's baby Krishna you know Mahar it
[47:00] was like he was in absolute bliss he was
[47:03] just rolling around like a baby like
[47:04] this it was amazing see
[47:15] [music]
[47:25] >> [music]
[47:33] [music]
[47:38] [music]
[47:45] >> Krishna [music]
[47:48] [singing] Krishna
[47:50] Krishna Krishna My heart
[48:09] [music]
[48:14] is
[48:15] [music]
[48:23] >> [music]
[48:29] [music]
[48:30] >> I shine
[48:34] Christishna
[48:37] Christy
[48:41] [music]
[48:48] [music]
[48:51] Oh yeah.
[48:53] [music]
[48:58] Heat. [music]
[49:06] [music and singing]
[49:16] >> [music]
[49:16] >> Christ
[49:23] mighty [singing]
[49:26] [music]
[49:30] [singing]
[49:31] [music]
[49:36] hearty [music]
[49:38] hearty. Yeah.
[49:41] Heat.
[49:44] [music]
[49:52] >> [music]
[50:01] [singing]
[50:01] >> Christmas
[50:05] [music]
[50:08] mighty
[50:09] [singing]
[50:10] [music]
[50:17] [music]
[50:21] Heat.
[50:23] Heat. [music]
[50:30] [music]
[50:37] >> [music]
[50:44] >> I
[50:46] might
[50:50] Christmas.
[51:03] [singing]
[51:06] [music]
[51:14] [music] Heat.
[51:20] [music]
[51:26] [music]
[51:27] Hey, Heat.
[51:33] [music]
[51:39] I [music]
[51:41] might
[51:48] high
[51:52] [music]
[51:59] [music]
[52:00] Heat.
[52:07] [music]
[52:10] Heat.
[52:15] [music]
[52:20] I
[52:29] a
[52:32] hearty.
[52:36] [music]
[52:44] [music]
[52:51] >> [music]
[52:54] >> Heart [singing]
[52:58] Christian
[53:04] [music]
[53:08] [singing]
[53:09] [music]
[53:14] hearty. Yeah. Heat.
[53:17] [music]
[53:18] [singing]
[53:23] [music]
[53:29] >> [music]
[53:37] >> Heart
[53:39] Christian
[53:42] [singing and music]
[53:44] heart
[53:50] I'm
[54:01] [music]
[54:09] >> [music]
[54:13] >> Christian.
[54:15] [music]
[54:17] [singing]
[54:25] [music]
[54:32] [music]
[54:36] >> [music and singing]
[54:42] [music]
[54:47] >> Christian
[54:51] [music]
[54:53] [singing]
[55:02] hearty.
[55:04] [music] Heat.
[55:08] Heat.
[55:10] [music]
[55:15] [music]
[55:21] Christy
[55:29] [singing and music]
[55:33] I'm
[55:44] [music]
[55:50] >> [music]
[55:54] >> Christmasy
[56:00] [singing]
[56:07] [singing]
[56:09] hearty. [music]
[56:17] >> [music]
[56:26] [music]
[56:27] >> Christy
[56:30] [singing]
[56:32] [music]
[56:42] hearty.
[56:48] >> [music]
[56:56] [music]
[57:00] >> Christian [singing]
[57:11] I'm Heat. Heat.
[57:16] [music]
[57:21] >> [music]
[57:27] [music]
[57:32] >> Christy
[57:35] [music]
[57:39] mighty [music]
[57:42] [singing]
[57:44] I'm a
[57:52] >> [music]
[57:58] [music]
[58:04] >> Christian
[58:06] [music]
[58:12] [singing]
[58:14] a
[58:16] hearty hearty. Yeah.
[58:24] [music]
[58:33] I mighty
[58:37] [music]
[58:41] [singing]
[58:43] [music]
[58:47] hearty hearty.
[58:53] >> [music]
[59:04] >> I should [singing]
[59:08] [music]
[59:14] highy
[59:15] [singing]
[59:18] high.
[59:21] >> [music]
[59:27] [music]
[59:34] >> Heat. Heat.
[59:37] [music]
[59:40] [singing]
[59:42] Heat. Heat.
[59:46] [music]
[59:56] >> [music]
[1:00:05] >> Heat. Heat. [music and singing]
[1:00:13] [music] Heat. Heat.
[1:00:20] [music]
[1:00:22] [singing]
[1:00:29] [music] Heat. Heat.
[1:00:36] [music]
[1:00:42] [singing]
[1:00:45] Heat. Heat.
[1:00:47] [music]
[1:00:52] [music]
[1:00:53] [singing]
[1:00:58] [music and singing]
[1:01:00] Heat. Heat.
[1:01:05] [music]
[1:01:09] [singing]
[1:01:14] Heat. Heat.
[1:01:17] [music]
[1:01:20] [singing]
[1:01:24] [music]
[1:01:28] [music]
[1:01:29] Heat. Heat.
[1:01:36] [music]
[1:01:41] [singing]
[1:01:44] Heat.
[1:01:46] [music]
[1:01:49] Heat.
[1:01:52] [music]
[1:01:55] [singing]
[1:01:58] [music]
[1:01:59] Heat. Heat.
[1:02:08] [music]
[1:02:16] >> [music]
[1:02:17] >> Heat.
[1:02:22] [music]
[1:02:29] [music]
[1:02:29] Heat.
[1:02:36] Yeah. Heat. [music]
[1:02:42] [singing]
[1:02:47] [music]
[1:02:51] Heat. Heat.
[1:02:53] [music]
[1:03:00] [music]
[1:03:06] Heat. [music] Heat.
[1:03:13] [music]
[1:03:20] >> [music]
[1:03:28] [music]
[1:03:28] >> Heat. Heat.
[1:03:33] [music]
[1:03:43] >> [music]
[1:03:49] [music]
[1:03:50] >> Heat.
[1:03:53] Heat. [singing]
[1:04:01] >> [music]
[1:04:12] [music]
[1:04:14] >> Heat.
[1:04:19] Heat. [music]
[1:04:25] [singing] A
[1:04:27] [music]
[1:04:32] [music]
[1:04:37] [music]
[1:04:44] [music]
[1:04:47] Yeah. Heat. [music]
[1:04:56] [music]
[1:05:03] >> [music]
[1:05:07] [singing]
[1:05:07] >> Heat
[1:05:09] [music]
[1:05:14] up [music]
[1:05:15] here.
[1:05:20] [music]
[1:05:25] [music]
[1:05:31] >> [music]
[1:05:38] >> Heat. [singing]
[1:05:40] [music] Heat.
[1:05:47] [music]
[1:05:48] Heat.
[1:05:56] [music]
[1:06:00] Heat.
[1:06:09] >> [music]
[1:06:18] >> Heart
[1:06:22] Christian.
[1:06:32] [music]
[1:06:38] >> [music]
[1:06:41] >> Hallelujah.
[1:06:49] [music]
[1:07:21] So let's do some David Puja.
[1:07:26] Davy Puja's mantras to the goddess.
[1:07:30] I'll tell you a story that you've
[1:07:32] probably heard a thousand times.
[1:07:35] You can imagine how many times I've
[1:07:36] heard it.
[1:07:39] [snorts]
[1:07:40] So many years ago [clears throat]
[1:07:42] living in the temple with Maharaji
[1:07:45] on one side of the temple there were
[1:07:47] three
[1:07:49] three temples. one first one was Hanuman
[1:07:52] the second one was Lakshmi Narayan and
[1:07:55] the third one was Shiva.
[1:07:58] So in 1972 Maharaji built a new temple
[1:08:02] on the other side of the courtyard to
[1:08:04] the goddess Durga
[1:08:06] and um
[1:08:09] beautiful. Well there she is.
[1:08:12] That's the one. That's the temple.
[1:08:16] And uh
[1:08:19] so they brought in a a pujari, a priest
[1:08:22] to officiate and do the daily worship
[1:08:24] and stuff. [snorts] But um after a few
[1:08:28] days, they caught him stealing the money
[1:08:30] out of the donation box in front of the
[1:08:32] temple. It's a big wooden box chained to
[1:08:36] the ground so nobody will run away with
[1:08:39] it.
[1:08:41] And uh so they gave him a few rupees and
[1:08:44] sent him home. They brought in a second
[1:08:47] priest
[1:08:49] [clears throat]
[1:08:51] and everything was okay for a few days
[1:08:53] until they caught him stealing the
[1:08:55] money.
[1:08:57] Uh you actually have to have a special
[1:09:00] tool manufacturer that goes down at this
[1:09:03] tiny slit in the top of this big wooden
[1:09:06] box and can flip out these rupee notes.
[1:09:09] takes a lot of practice, you know,
[1:09:12] must be part of the priestly training.
[1:09:15] [laughter]
[1:09:17] [clears throat] So anyhow, they sent him
[1:09:18] home and they brought in the third
[1:09:19] priest and sure enough they caught him
[1:09:22] stealing. So the temple trust, the guys
[1:09:25] that ran the temple, they came to
[1:09:28] Maharaji and they said, "Baba, we can't
[1:09:30] find a priest that won't steal. What are
[1:09:32] we going to do?" So Maharaji goes, "My
[1:09:35] priest won't steal."
[1:09:38] your priest. Who's that?
[1:09:42] Guess
[1:09:44] Krishnadas.
[1:09:46] So I was summoned from the back of the
[1:09:48] temple where the westerners
[1:09:50] spent most of their time banished to
[1:09:52] inner darkness
[1:09:55] and I was asked to sit out in front of
[1:09:57] this beautiful mandur and distribute
[1:10:00] prasad after the worship.
[1:10:03] So I would sit there all day and you
[1:10:05] know I thought well I should learn some
[1:10:07] mantras right that's what priests do
[1:10:10] when they're not stealing.
[1:10:13] [laughter]
[1:10:15] So I learned some mantras and was I'm
[1:10:17] going to sing a few now but like I
[1:10:19] always say I tell you this story for a
[1:10:21] very good reason. I want you to
[1:10:24] understand I am qualified for this.
[1:10:29] [music]
[1:10:37] >> [music]
[1:10:41] [music]
[1:10:50] [music]
[1:10:57] [music]
[1:10:58] >> in Mother God.
[1:11:06] [singing]
[1:11:11] [singing]
[1:11:14] [music]
[1:11:17] Mother God.
[1:11:20] [music]
[1:11:25] Hallelujah.
[1:11:29] Heat. [music]
[1:11:39] [music]
[1:11:45] >> [music]
[1:11:50] >> Mother
[1:11:52] God.
[1:11:54] [music]
[1:11:56] Im
[1:11:58] God.
[1:12:01] [music]
[1:12:03] Imm
[1:12:04] God.
[1:12:07] [music]
[1:12:09] Mother God.
[1:12:13] [music]
[1:12:23] [music]
[1:12:31] >> [music]
[1:12:37] >> Hallelujah.
[1:12:46] Chandai.
[1:12:52] Kai
[1:12:56] [singing] must chai.
[1:12:59] [music]
[1:13:04] Oh n chai
[1:13:10] n chai. [music]
[1:13:15] on the [music] chai
[1:13:25] ganty
[1:13:27] hunger
[1:13:30] [music]
[1:13:35] [music]
[1:13:37] kap. H
[1:13:46] she
[1:13:49] [music]
[1:13:50] Aha.
[1:13:53] Father
[1:13:56] most
[1:14:02] [music]
[1:14:06] [singing]
[1:14:13] today.
[1:14:17] [music]
[1:14:22] Heat. Heat.
[1:14:26] [music]
[1:14:27] [singing]
[1:14:31] [music]
[1:14:32] Yeah.
[1:14:37] [music]
[1:14:39] Heat.
[1:14:45] [music]
[1:14:51] [music]
[1:14:56] >> [music]
[1:15:04] [music]
[1:15:12] [music]
[1:15:13] >> Sing
[1:15:18] they
[1:15:21] [music]
[1:15:22] looked
[1:15:23] >> [singing]
[1:15:29] [music]
[1:15:31] >> Ma
[1:15:39] [music]
[1:15:45] sto
[1:15:48] I
[1:15:51] [music]
[1:15:53] must [singing]
[1:16:00] [music]
[1:16:07] [music]
[1:16:17] [music]
[1:16:24] >> [music]
[1:16:30] [music]
[1:16:34] >> Heat. Heat.
[1:16:37] [music]
[1:16:43] >> [music]
[1:16:50] [music]
[1:16:56] [music]
[1:17:01] >> Son of a
[1:17:06] Oh,
[1:17:10] [music]
[1:17:14] [singing]
[1:17:15] [music]
[1:17:25] [music]
[1:17:28] this city,
[1:17:31] [music] the sunshine,
[1:17:35] I [screaming]
[1:17:39] [music]
[1:17:41] most [singing]
[1:17:49] today.
[1:17:55] [music]
[1:18:02] >> [music]
[1:18:07] [music]
[1:18:11] >> Oh,
[1:18:13] not I
[1:18:17] not I
[1:18:23] not I anyone.
[1:18:27] [music]
[1:18:33] >> [music]
[1:18:46] >> Heat. Heat.
[1:18:53] Heat. Heat. Heat.
[1:18:54] [music]
[1:19:03] Heat.
[1:19:08] [music]
[1:19:15] [music]
[1:19:21] [music]
[1:19:22] Heat.
[1:19:26] [music]
[1:19:27] Ah,
[1:19:39] [music]
[1:19:51] [music]
[1:19:57] Heat. Heat. Heat.
[1:20:07] Oh,
[1:20:18] [music]
[1:20:27] [music] heat, heat.
[1:20:32] Oh,
[1:20:36] [music]
[1:20:46] [music] heat,
[1:20:50] heat.
[1:20:56] >> [music]
[1:21:07] >> Heat. Heat.
[1:21:14] [music]
[1:21:16] Heat
[1:21:23] [music]
[1:21:28] up [music]
[1:21:34] [music]
[1:21:39] here.
[1:21:56] >> [singing]
[1:21:57] >> Sh my trail
[1:22:02] [music]
[1:22:07] my
[1:22:10] >> [music]
[1:22:14] >> Jim big [singing]
[1:22:17] [music]
[1:22:19] sh
[1:22:25] [music]
[1:22:31] My [music]
[1:22:40] she my
[1:22:44] [music]
[1:22:50] she [music]
[1:22:57] [music]
[1:23:00] Heat. [singing]
[1:23:04] Heat.
[1:23:14] >> [music]
[1:23:14] >> Oh
[1:23:17] my
[1:23:21] [music]
[1:23:28] My friend.
[1:23:37] [music and singing]
[1:23:43] [music]
[1:23:48] [music]
[1:23:57] Heat. Heat.
[1:24:01] [music]
[1:24:09] [music]
[1:24:15] >> [music]
[1:24:21] [music]
[1:24:26] [music]
[1:24:33] >> J got them there.
[1:24:37] [music]
[1:24:42] Is it
[1:24:49] my
[1:24:54] God?
[1:25:03] [music]
[1:25:04] >> [screaming]
[1:25:11] >> J.
[1:25:12] [music and singing]
[1:25:18] [music]
[1:25:28] [music]
[1:25:34] Heat. Heat. Heat.
[1:25:40] [music]
[1:25:44] Heat. Heat.
[1:25:49] [music]
[1:25:56] [music]
[1:25:59] [singing] Yeah.
[1:26:03] [music]
[1:26:06] Heat. [singing]
[1:26:11] [music]
[1:26:16] Yeah.
[1:26:19] [music]
[1:26:21] Heat.
[1:26:28] [music]
[1:26:37] Heat. Heat. [music]
[1:26:45] [music]
[1:26:47] Heat.
[1:26:53] [music]
[1:26:53] Heat.
[1:26:59] [music]
[1:27:03] Heat.
[1:27:06] Heat. [music]
[1:27:15] [singing and music] Yeah.
[1:27:21] Heat.
[1:27:25] [music]
[1:27:30] [music]
[1:27:31] Heat.
[1:27:40] [music]
[1:27:42] Heat.
[1:27:50] [music]
[1:27:51] Yeah. [singing]
[1:27:57] Heat. [music]
[1:28:07] Yeah. [music] Heat.
[1:28:18] Yeah. [music]
[1:28:25] [music]
[1:28:26] Heat.
[1:28:30] [music]
[1:28:37] Heat. [music]
[1:28:42] [music]
[1:28:47] Heat.
[1:28:54] [music]
[1:28:57] Yeah.
[1:28:58] Heat.
[1:29:00] [music]
[1:29:08] Oh,
[1:29:11] [music]
[1:29:23] [music]
[1:29:29] heat, heat.
[1:29:31] [music]
[1:29:34] Yeah.
[1:29:37] Heat.
[1:29:40] [music]
[1:29:45] [music]
[1:29:47] [singing]
[1:29:52] Heat. Heat.
[1:29:57] [music]
[1:30:03] Oh,
[1:30:06] [music]
[1:30:14] [music]
[1:30:21] heat.
[1:30:52] Hold
[1:31:01] on.
[1:31:11] [music]
[1:31:27] The God of you.
[1:31:32] The God of you.
[1:31:37] [music]
[1:31:40] God
[1:31:42] turn
[1:31:44] your hand.
[1:31:50] SH
[1:32:00] [music]
[1:32:01] through
[1:32:05] your heart.
[1:32:08] [music]
[1:32:14] >> [music]
[1:32:21] [music]
[1:32:29] [music]
[1:32:31] >> Oh mama
[1:32:34] sh
[1:32:37] away [music]
[1:32:40] such
[1:32:44] >> [music]
[1:32:45] >> Mortai
[1:32:50] M
[1:32:55] I'm down.
[1:32:58] You're on
[1:33:00] [singing] fire.
[1:33:03] [music]
[1:33:04] You just say
[1:33:14] [music]
[1:33:20] [music] she
[1:33:29] [music]
[1:33:30] Oh,
[1:33:39] Yeah.
[1:33:42] [music]
[1:33:44] Heat.
[1:33:51] [music]
[1:34:00] [music]
[1:34:01] Ah,
[1:34:06] [music]
[1:34:18] [music]
[1:34:24] [music]
[1:34:26] oh nama
[1:34:28] Sh.
[1:34:30] [music]
[1:34:32] Oh mama shama
[1:34:39] [music]
[1:34:44] [music]
[1:34:50] sh
[1:34:52] [music]
[1:34:53] Oh
[1:34:55] divine.
[1:34:59] [music]
[1:35:01] [singing]
[1:35:05] [music]
[1:35:09] Here I am.
[1:35:13] [music]
[1:35:14] Yeah. [singing] I am.
[1:35:20] [music]
[1:35:21] [singing]
[1:35:25] [music]
[1:35:30] Here I am. [music]
[1:35:41] [music]
[1:35:43] [singing]
[1:35:47] >> [music]
[1:35:51] >> Sh.
[1:35:53] [music]
[1:35:54] [singing]
[1:35:58] [music]
[1:36:04] >> [music]
[1:36:11] >> Sh. [music]
[1:36:23] >> [music]
[1:36:31] >> Arun.
[1:36:32] [singing]
[1:36:37] [music]
[1:36:37] [singing]
[1:36:41] [music]
[1:36:43] [singing]
[1:36:47] [music]
[1:36:52] >> [singing]
[1:36:52] >> She
[1:36:56] Oh
[1:36:56] >> [music]
[1:36:57] >> She
[1:37:07] [music]
[1:37:15] Oh my
[1:37:22] [music]
[1:37:29] Sh.
[1:37:31] [music and singing]
[1:37:38] [music]
[1:37:40] Heat. Heat.
[1:37:44] [music]
[1:37:58] >> [music]
[1:37:59] >> Heat.
[1:38:05] [music and singing]
[1:38:12] [music]
[1:38:15] Heat.
[1:38:16] [singing]
[1:38:19] Oh
[1:38:26] [music] Heat.
[1:38:33] [music]
[1:38:37] [singing]
[1:38:40] Heat. Heat.
[1:38:43] [music]
[1:38:51] [music]
[1:39:00] Heat. Heat.
[1:39:06] [music]
[1:39:13] >> [music]
[1:39:15] >> Heat. Heat.
[1:39:20] [singing]
[1:39:25] Heat. Heat.
[1:39:30] [music]
[1:39:40] Heat. Heat.
[1:39:45] [music]
[1:39:51] [music]
[1:39:55] Heat.
[1:39:58] [music]
[1:40:00] Heat.
[1:40:02] [singing]
[1:40:04] [music]
[1:40:08] [singing]
[1:40:10] >> [music]
[1:40:18] [singing]
[1:40:19] [music]
[1:40:19] >> Heat. Heat.
[1:40:27] [music]
[1:40:30] Heat. Heat.
[1:40:33] [music and singing]
[1:40:39] [music]
[1:40:40] Heat. Heat.
[1:40:45] [music]
[1:40:51] [singing]
[1:40:55] Yeah.
[1:40:58] [music]
[1:40:59] Heat.
[1:41:04] [singing and music]
[1:41:09] Yeah. [music and singing]
[1:41:13] Heat.
[1:41:16] [music]
[1:41:20] [music]
[1:41:23] Heat.
[1:41:26] [music]
[1:41:26] Heat.
[1:41:28] [singing]
[1:41:31] [music]
[1:41:36] [music] Heat. Heat.
[1:41:43] [singing and music]
[1:41:49] [music]
[1:41:50] Heat. Heat.
[1:41:56] [music and singing]
[1:42:01] [music]
[1:42:02] Heat.
[1:42:04] [singing]
[1:42:08] Heat.
[1:42:15] [music]
[1:42:18] Heat. Heat.
[1:42:20] [singing]
[1:42:23] [music]
[1:42:29] Heat. Heat.
[1:42:31] [music]
[1:42:38] [music]
[1:42:42] Yeah. [music]
[1:42:45] Heat.
[1:42:47] [singing]
[1:42:48] [music]
[1:42:55] Heat. Heat. [music]
[1:42:58] [singing]
[1:43:02] [music]
[1:43:08] Heat. [music]
[1:43:11] Heat.
[1:43:16] [music and singing]
[1:43:21] >> [music]
[1:43:26] >> Sh.
[1:43:30] [music]
[1:43:34] I'm
[1:43:37] [music] sh
[1:43:40] I'm
[1:43:44] [music and singing]
[1:44:05] >> [clears throat]
[1:44:25] >> Repeat after [music] me. Brahma
[1:44:29] lakshani
[1:44:34] jolo.
[1:44:43] [music]
[1:44:51] >> Keep that in your pocket. You'll need
American kirtan singer, devotee of Neem Karoli Baba, often called "Yoga's rock star." His chanting of the Name has filled rooms, stadiums, and concert halls for over forty years. A…
Kirtan is a call-and-response devotional chanting practice that uses sacred names and mantras to access deeper states of consciousness. Unlike performance singing, kirtan is a spiritual practice designed to quiet the thinking mind and open the heart to grace through repetition and surrender.
Repetition works because it fatigues the rational mind, allowing a deeper consciousness to emerge. Each time a sacred name is chanted, practitioners reinforce a pathway back to the heart where grace and divine love naturally reside.
Taking refuge means turning inward and acknowledging that grace (divine love) is the fundamental nature of consciousness itself. The sacred name becomes an anchor and doorway back to that inner presence whenever the ego or doubt arises.
Yes. Kirtan is not about intellectual belief in deities but about using sacred names as bridges from the personal ego into impersonal divine consciousness. The transformative power lies in the practice itself, not in doctrinal acceptance.
Communal practice creates a shared field of devotion where the collective voice and synchronized breath amplify individual experience. When one person's focus wavers, the group's presence provides continuity and support for deeper practice.
Benefits can be felt immediately—a sense of openness or peace during a single session. Deeper transformation comes through consistent practice over weeks and months as the practice gradually dissolves resistance and opens the heart more fully.
