Chanting & Devotional
Kirtan, bhajan, mantra, and sacred sound practices from Bhakti yoga and devotional traditions worldwide.
Terms in This Category
58 termsKirtan
Call-and-response devotional chanting from the Bhakti yoga tradition, often accompanied by harmonium, drums, and other instruments.
Bhajan
Devotional songs expressing love and longing for the divine, typically sung in Hindi or Sanskrit.
Mantra
Sacred words, sounds, or phrases repeated during meditation or chanting to focus the mind and invoke spiritual energy.
Japa
The meditative practice of repeating a mantra, often using mala beads to count repetitions.
Harmonium
A hand-pumped keyboard instrument commonly used to accompany kirtan and devotional singing.
Bhakti
The yoga of devotion—a spiritual path centered on love, surrender, and devotion to the divine.
Om (Aum)
The primordial sound of the universe, often chanted at the beginning and end of yoga practices.
Satsang
A gathering in the company of truth—often includes meditation, chanting, teachings, and community.
Mala Beads
A string of 108 beads used to count mantras during meditation and japa practice.
Tabla
A pair of Indian drums commonly used in kirtan and classical music.
Kartals
Small hand cymbals used in devotional singing and kirtan.
Shruti Box
A bellows-driven drone instrument providing a steady pitch for chanting.
Gayatri Mantra
One of the most sacred Vedic mantras—an invocation to the divine light of wisdom.
Om Namah Shivaya
A powerful mantra honoring Shiva—meaning "I bow to the inner self."
Hare Krishna Mantra
The Maha Mantra—a devotional chant calling on the names of God in the Vaishnava tradition.
Lokah Samastah
A prayer for the happiness of all beings—"May all beings everywhere be happy and free."
Sri Ram Jai Ram
A devotional chant honoring Lord Rama—invoking protection and blessings.
Guru Brahma Mantra
A mantra honoring the guru as the embodiment of the divine trinity.
Arati
A Hindu ritual of light—waving flames before a deity while singing devotional songs.
Chalisa
A forty-verse devotional hymn—most famous is the Hanuman Chalisa.
Stotra
A hymn of praise—Sanskrit verses extolling the qualities of a deity.
Dhikr
Sufi remembrance practice—repetition of divine names and phrases.
Qawwali
Sufi devotional music from South Asia—ecstatic singing of mystical poetry.
Niggun
A wordless Jewish melody—used in Hasidic tradition to elevate the soul.
Taizé Chanting
Simple, repetitive Christian chants from the ecumenical Taizé community.
Gospel Music
African American Christian music expressing faith through powerful vocals.
Arati
A Hindu ritual of worship using fire, typically performed with lamps and devotional songs.
Abhang
Devotional poetry set to music from the Maharashtrian Bhakti tradition.
Dhrupad
Ancient form of Indian classical music with spiritual origins in temple chanting.
Kirtankar
A trained performer and leader of kirtan gatherings.
Sankirtan
Congregational chanting of the divine names, often in public spaces.
Naam Japa
The practice of continuously repeating divine names as meditation.
Stotram
A hymn of praise composed in Sanskrit verse form.
Chalisa
A forty-verse devotional hymn, most famously the Hanuman Chalisa.
Aarti
Evening worship ceremony with lamps, incense, and devotional singing.
Shloka
A verse or stanza from sacred Sanskrit texts, often chanted.
Stotra
A devotional poem or hymn praising a deity.
Taan
Melodic vocal runs and improvisations in Indian classical and devotional music.
Shruti
The pitch or drone that forms the tonal foundation in Indian music.
Saptak
The seven-note scale in Indian music, fundamental to kirtan melodies.
Swara
Individual musical notes in the Indian scale system.
Pallavi
The refrain or main theme in Carnatic devotional music.
Charanam
The verse sections that alternate with the pallavi in devotional songs.
Sahaja Kirtan
Spontaneous, unstructured devotional chanting arising naturally.
Padavali
Collections of devotional songs from Bengali Vaishnava tradition.
Sufi Qawwali
Ecstatic Sufi devotional music invoking divine love and union.
Zikr
Sufi practice of remembrance through repetitive chanting of divine names.
Sama
Sufi listening ceremony combining music, poetry, and movement.
Gospel Music
Christian devotional music expressing faith through powerful vocals and harmonies.
Gregorian Chant
Medieval Christian monophonic chanting used in Catholic liturgy.
Nigun
Wordless Hasidic Jewish melodies used to elevate the soul.
Piyyut
Jewish liturgical poetry set to music for prayer services.
Icaro
Sacred healing songs used by Amazonian shamans during ceremonies.
Power Song
Personal medicine songs in shamanic traditions for calling spiritual power.
Medicine Song
Indigenous healing songs carrying spiritual medicine and intention.
Round Dance Song
Native American ceremonial songs accompanying circular group dances.
Sun Dance Song
Sacred songs from Plains tribes for the annual Sun Dance ceremony.
Peyote Song
Devotional songs of the Native American Church used in all-night ceremonies.
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