What Songs Can We Sing at the Bhajan?

We should be careful about what we sing at the bajans. The majority of the songs in our Sunday-Satsang bajans are divine-inspired or songs that have been composed by archaryas, etc. But, of course, there is a handful of which are not: Saranam Vithithaal, Enth-tha-nai Piravi Pettru, etc. (All the same, we sing them occasionally when we have new-comers in the bajan whose consciousness we do not want to disturb by our regular highbrow, difficult and philosophical songs).

Bajans that are written by archaryas have their deep spiritual signature and characteristic bhakti 'dhoby mark'. Their highly-charged divine vibes, divine-infected aura and devotional aroma have been rubbed off onto the songs. They are dripping-soaked with their unexampled love for their Ishta(s). And, therefore, when we come into contact with them, or when we sing them, the authors' devotional finish, fervor, elation, mood, touch, feelings, passion sear into our minds and hearts. The same, however, cannot be said of those that have been written by common witers, poets and songsters, whose goal, objective and object of rolling out songs is to earn their keep. Of course, their songs too have their imprints, etc---but they are of the worldly, materialictic, negative types, which we should stay away from.

For this vital reason, therefore, we are exceedingly careful as to the choice of bajan songs. Bajan songs transcend melody, diction, lyrics, quality of voice, pronunciation, tempo, music, metres, rhyme and rhythm. They have their own grammar. When you listen to Swami Sivananda, Satya Sai, Swami Chidananda and Kribananda Variyar, you will know what I mean. Because their songs have the archaryas' blessings, they percolate down through our impenetrable crusts of karma and indelible stains of ugly ego, cauterising our psyches.