NOTES Jai Gurudev! A Garland of Bhajans to H. H. Sri Swami Satchidanandaji Maharaj Jai means “victory,” “Guru,” the remover of darkness,” and “dev,” the Divine. So, Jai Gurudev! is an invocation for the greatest victory that can be won—the triumph of the light of knowledge over the darkness of ignorance by the grace of the True Guru or God. The simplest, easiest, and safest spiritual practice we can do is to be in the Presence of the Satguru. By listening to and chanting along with Jai Gurudev! with one-pointed devotion, the devotee is effortlessly transported to the Holy Feet of the Satguru. And in that Presence, the Love, Grace and Blessings that flow from communion with a Perfected One, will quicken our spiritual progress. From time immemorial Satgurus have been founts of love and wisdom quenching the thirst of sincere seekers. The ancient Hindu scriptures say that invoking the blessings of one’s Guru draws His or Her grace through a mystical and divine alchemy that quickens one’s progress on the path to enlightenment. One of the leading Carnatic (the classical music of South India) vocalists, Sri O. S. Arun, leads the responsive chanting with his celestial voice and palpable devotion making this CD a truly transcendental experience for all who wish to invoke the Satguru’s blessings. This garland of bhajans was epecially composed for Satguru His Holiness Sri Swami Satchidanandaji Maharaj. ABOUT H. H. SRI SWAMI SATCHIDANANDA, founder of Integral Yoga ® For his thousands of disciples and devotees worldwide, Sri Gurudev, H. H. Sri Swami Satchidanandaji Maharaj, is the fount of wisdom eternal and his grace continues to freely flow to all who attune themselves to him. While in physical form he walked among us with the greatest humility. Yet to conceal his greatness would be like trying to hide the sun within the palm of one’s hand. His infinite love and compassion drew the hearts of those around him like iron filings to a magnet. His life and every breath were completely devoted to serving his disciples and humanity. He was the embodiment of, and continues to be the example of pure universal love, renunciation, equal vision, equanimity, selflessness and dedication. A moment in his presence was life-changing, awakening us from our worldly slumber of ignorance and misidentification with the body-mind. His teachings so simply and powerfully calling out to the soul to arise and awake to the peace and joy of our true nature. The ancient scriptures teach us that the Satguru does not depend on the physical body to continue that transmission, and that the relationship established with one’s Guru is eternal. When he dropped the body, he instructed his disciples, “Remember you will never be without me, never! The body may go, but I am always with you. Always!” (www.swamisatchidananda.org) ABOUT THE ARTIST: Sri O. S. Vaidyanathan (Arunji) Sri O. S. Arun is one of India’s most gifted Carnatic musicians. Known for his mellifluous voice and the devotional quality that infuses his singing, Sri Arunji inherited the mantle of singing from his father, Sri Vidwan O.V. Subramaniam. In addition to the rigorous training in classical music he underwent in his early youth, he also earned a diploma in Carnatic music from Delhi University. Sri Arunji performs in India and abroad. He has participated in numerous music festivals and tours in London, Singapore, Mauritius, Afghanistan and the United States, among other places. His annual trip to Canada provides him with new directions in collaborative works with jazz musicians. In addition to his twenty CDs, Sri Arunji has also recorded for world music, East-West fusion projects and film soundtracks. REVIEWS I just listened to the “Jai Gurudev!” CD. It touched me soooo deeply. I want to buy hundreds of copies and give to all my students and friends. One of my favorite chants “Nataraja” is there. O. S. Arun sings so beautifully and it’s so helpful to hear the correct pronunciation for these chants. I'm thrilled that when we want to offer arati to Sri Gurudev that we now have a beautiful arati chant to Him! I also love the insert with all the words to the chants--everything is in the notes so we can easily learn the chants and their meanings. ---Sivakami Sonia Sumar Founder, Yoga for the Special Child Congratulations for the amazing and inspiring CD “Jai Gurudev !” The booklet inside the CD is no nicely produced, designed and edited. Sri O. S. Arun's voice and singing talent are obvious and inspiring. This CD will be a great success indeed... ---Sri Swami Yogananda Kaivalya Ashrama, France I love the CD! The first time I listened, I thought it was Sri Gurudev chanting. It sounds so much like Him or maybe it’s the vibration!” --Santoshi Sommers Manager, Lotus Gift Shop What a blessing to sing the Guru’s Name along with such divine music that opens the heart and brings so much joy! --Saraswati Rosenberg Church Music Director, Buckingham, Virginia The new “Jai Gurudev!” is a winner! The lead singer's voice and the compelling percussion tune the listener to the ecstasy channel. --Jnanam MacIsaac Charlottesville, Virginia I feel like I am on a pilgrimage trip with Gurudev. I just love “Jai Gurudev!” --Lalita Surrey, Owner, Surrey International Foods The Jai Gurudev! CD is incredible. The entire presentation is extremely well-done, especially the composition and heavenly voice of Sri Arun which is really out of this world! --Harry Wadhwani Swami Shanti Prakash Ashram, California