SP did not like harmonium at Mangala Arati

[Guest guest]

> Another time, in Vrindavan also, devotees had started singing kirtan

> during aroti with harmonium. This did not please Srila Prabhupada. Once,

> Srila Prabhupada could hear a devotee singing with harmonium, and so he

> asked me to go tell the devotee to stop singing with harmonium. I went to

> the temple and saw that it was Baradvaja Prabhu singing. I approached him

> and told him that Srila Prabhupada did not want him to sing with

> harmonium. I then went back to Srila Prabhupada's quarters, and Srila

> Prabhupada asked me, "Who was the devotee singing?"

> I replied, "It was Baradvaja Prabhu, Srila Prabhupada."

> Then Srila Prabhupada replied, "Oh, it was Baradvaja? He can sing with

> harmonium."

 

In RDTSKP at Maya-ami, Florida, February 1974, I heard Riksaraja dasa

arguing with Suhotra about harmonium.

 

Riksaraja quoted, Srila bhaktivinode Thakura saying that' Harmonium was for

sentimental women', but Suhotra said "but our guru, plays it while singing

bhajanas, so we follow our guru's example".

 

but I never remember hearing it played when Srila Prabhupada was visiting a

temple.

 

... in 1975 in L.A. & Chicago, and in 1976 NV, WV I never saw it played for

arati, and especially Mangala arati..

 

When I joined Radha Damodara TSKP in MAY 1973 it was called (VJ's raiders

then). IN North American temples then, Visnujana Swami was famous for

leading Mangala arati with Harmonium.

 

After TKG joined June 7th 1974, after a few months being with him and VJ in

Berserkly, Calif, TKG had me go out with the van parties the other side of

the USA from him and VJ Swami, so I had very little association with VJ'

swami's harmonium style mangala arati.

 

I recalled it fondly, But in early 1976 at NY 55th st temple, VJ swami and I

were waiting to catch a rdtskp bus going to JFK airport, I remember sitting

inside the temple, with VJ Swami on a seat.

 

I asked Him, Maharaja, you used to play harmonium at Mangala Arati and all

the devotees where captivated by the sound, but I don't hear you doing that

anymore, why? He replied-visibly depressed", Yes I liked to play it very

much, but I was told that Srila Prabhupada didn't like Harmonium to be

played during Mangala Arati, so I stopped."

 

In 1977 September I saw paramananda dasa in Gita nagari play it during M.A.

and I was perturbed, knowing that VJ swami had said Prabhupada didn't like

it.

 

But still some people remembered VJ Swami doing it at one time or another,

so they tried to do it, (and still do, this year in KB mandir, vrndavana I

caught some indian boy kirtanier try to use harmonium at Nrsimhadev

prayers after M.A. and I stopped Him.

 

aspiring for eternal service of PrabhupAda's Krishna-BalarAma in VrajadhAma.

 

Vaishnava daasaanundaasaha,

 

TridaNDi BhikSu, Bhakti Visrambha MAdhava

[Murali_Mohan_das 0]

Thank you for this illuminating post, Maharaj.

 

Underlying all of this, isn't the point that we are singing for the pleasure of the Deities? I've heard it said that it is our sincerity and not the pretty melody that the Deities are pleased by.

 

Also, from a practical standpoint, unless one is very proficient at playing the harmonium, trying to do so will certainly distract from what is hoped to be a devotional mood.

[Kulapavana 0]

perhaps there are two issues here:

 

1. the use of harmonium during aratik in general

2. the playing of harmonium by the leading singer

 

perhaps most devotees are like sentimental women because they do seem to like the harmonium being used in aratik... and btw. the guests like it too...

[Guest guest]

 

Then Srila Prabhupada replied, "Oh, it was Baradvaja? He can sing with harmonium."

 

Srila Prabhupada also said the same about Vishnujana Swami while he was in Detroit, summer of 1975.

 

Shortly before that time, there was a local, long-time devotee who liked to play harmonium at arotiks, and was quite good, having been an accordian player before he joined the Movement. Then Premarnava prabhu came to Detroit for some time, and introduced those wild Bengali kirtans which became popular for several years, (which he had learned from Dinnanatha prabhu.) He wanted to lead most kirtans and did not like it when the harmonium player led. So, when Srila Prabhupada came to Detroit, Permarnava prabhu asked Srila Prabhupada about this, (privately), and was told that only Vishnujana Swami could play harmonium. Premarnava told everyone in the Temple about this, and was happy that the Bengali kirtans would now replace the slower, more melodious kirtans. Not sure if Vishnujana was informed of this, otherwise, he may have continued to use the harmonium.

 

Personally, I liked harmonium kirtans. Call me sentimental or whatever. But those Bengali kirtans required everyone to form circles and push someone into the middle to perform (whether you could dance or not), turn their backs on the Deities, run back and forth, up and down the Temple room, and it seemed more like a dancing and mrdanga-playing contest than a meditative kirtana. It was really hard for me to focus upon the Deities during these types of kirtans. But others seemed to really enjoy those kirtans, so I guess it was a subjective experience.