Bhajan is an Indian word for a devotional song that expresses religious or spiritual ideas. It is used in Dharmic religions, such as Hinduism and Jainism, and can be sung in any language. The word "bhajanam" comes from Sanskrit and means "reverence." It is based on the root word "bhaj," which means "to revere" or "to worship," as seen in the phrase "Bhaja Govindam," meaning "Revere Govinda." The word "bhajana" also means "sharing."

Bhajan is often performed in group settings, with one or more singers leading, accompanied by music and sometimes dance. Common instruments include the tabla, dholak, tambourine, and small hand-held cymbals called kartals, which help keep the rhythm. Bhajans can be sung in temples, homes, open spaces like under trees or near rivers, or at places with historical importance. A group of performers may be called a "maṇḍalī."

Bhajans do not follow strict rules and are usually lyrical, using melodies from traditional musical styles called ragas. They are part of a music and art tradition that began during the Bhakti movement. Bhajans are found in Hinduism and Jainism, especially in the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism.

Themes in bhajans often include stories from religious texts, legendary tales, teachings from spiritual leaders, and devotion to a god or goddess. Many bhajans are created anonymously and passed down as part of a shared musical tradition. Different styles, such as Nirguni, Gorakhanathi, Vallabhapanthi, Ashtachhap, Madhura-bhakti, and the South Indian Sampradya Bhajan, each have their own unique songs and ways of singing.

Etymology

The word "bhajan" in Sanskrit comes from the root word "bhaj," which means "to divide, share, take part in, or belong to." The word also suggests "attachment, devotion, respect, worship, or faith in something that is spiritual or religious."

Hinduism

In Hinduism, Bhajan and Kirtan are types of devotional songs that come from the musical traditions of the Vedic era, especially the Samaveda. The Samaveda is not meant to be read but sung, like a musical score that is meant to be heard.

Other texts from the later Vedic period mention two scholars, Shilalin and Krishashva, who are believed to have studied ancient drama, singing, and dance. Their art schools may have been connected to Vedic rituals that included storytelling with moral lessons. Vedic traditions combined rituals with performance arts, such as dramatic plays, where praises to gods were sung or spoken, and spiritual themes were discussed through dialogue.

A lyric from a Hindu Bhajan:
"This body is only a guest for four days, a house made of dirt. On this earth, your mark is made, a symbol of your good work."

The Vedas and Upanishads describe Nada-Brahman, the idea that certain sounds can create emotional feelings without needing literal meaning. These sounds are seen as sacred and connected to the ultimate reality and truth in Hindu thought. Melodic sounds are considered part of spiritual experiences, and devotional music like Bhajan comes from these traditions.

During the Bhakti and Sant movements in medieval India (from the 6th to 17th centuries), Bhajans became a way to express deep devotion to the divine, helping to break down social and caste barriers. Saints and poets such as Kabir, Mirabai, Tulsidas, and Surdas wrote verses in regional languages, making Bhajans easier for more people to understand. Their lyrics focused on the universal love for the divine and the close relationship between believers and gods.

A Bhajan is an informal, loosely structured devotional song in a regional language. They are common in India and Nepal, especially among Vaishnav traditions that honor avatars of Vishnu, such as Krishna, Rama, Vitthal, and Narayana. In southern India, a tradition called the Dakshina Bharatha Sampradaya Bhajanai includes songs and lyrics from composers across India in many languages.

Bhajans are often sung together in groups, with lyrics in local languages that include religious or spiritual themes. They may describe devotion to a deity, stories from Hindu epics or Puranas, or spiritual ideas from scriptures. Bhajans are a form of group singing that helps individuals and communities connect spiritually and share a sense of identity, often during festivals, pilgrimages, or gatherings. In the 19th and 20th centuries, Bhajans helped organize Indian communities in places like Trinidad, Fiji, and South Africa, where Indian workers lived.

Some Bhajans are very old and passed down through generations, while others are newly written. Anyone in the Hindu tradition can create a Bhajan, but they usually follow the musical rules of classical Indian music, including specific scales (raga) and rhythms (tala). Bhajans are sung in open spaces, temples, monasteries, and during festivals.

Bhajan and Kirtan are both devotional performance arts with similar goals and themes. Bhajan is more flexible in form and can be performed by a single singer with or without instruments. Kirtan, however, is more structured and often involves a call-and-response format, where a singer leads and the audience responds. Kirtan has roots in the rhythmic and poetic traditions of the Vedic era and typically uses two or more instruments.

Many Kirtans are designed for audience participation, with the singer introducing a chant, hymn, or theme, and the audience repeating it or responding with their own beliefs. Bhajans, in contrast, are usually either performed in silence or with the audience singing along.

Jainism

Stavan is a type of devotional music that is popular and has been widely practiced in Jainism for a long time. The topics of Stavan can vary, including praise for Jina, Jain religious beliefs, and philosophy, similar to Bhakti Bhajans. Jainism does not believe in a Creator god but accepts protector deities and the idea that souls can be reborn in heavenly places. These beliefs are reflected in Jain devotional singing traditions, which may include dancing and worship rituals. In northern and western parts of India, Stavan is called Bhajan. It is usually sung as folk songs by groups of Jain women and is part of important ceremonies and celebrations in Jainism.

Buddhism

Many Buddhist traditions use singing with musical instruments as part of their religious ceremonies and worship activities. This type of music is often included in Buddhist rituals and festivals, where it may be considered a gift to the Buddha.

In South Asia, several traditions of Buddhist singing still exist. One example is the Newari Buddhist Gunlā Bājan tradition, which has been practiced for a long time.

Bengali Barua Buddhists also have a tradition of singing songs in their local language. They refer to this practice as Buddha-samkirtan or Buddha kirtan.

Sikhism

The Sikh tradition focuses on worship that shows love and respect for a God without a physical form. Songs called Bhajans are part of this worship. A more common way for communities to sing together is called Shabad Kirtan in Sikhism. During a Shabad Kirtan, trained religious singers perform hymns from the Sikh holy book. These hymns are sung using specific musical styles and rhythms known as raga and tala.

Modern composers and singers of Bhajans

A modern Bhajan does not have a fixed form. It can be as simple as a mantra or kirtan, or as complex as dhrupad, thumri, or kriti, which use music from classical ragas and talas.

V. D. Paluskar and V. N. Bhatkhande blended Indian classical music with bhajan. Pandit Kumar Gandharva popularized the Nirguni Bhajans of Sant Kabir and the Malwa Region. The dancer Mallika Sarabhai created performances based on bhajans. Abhinaya Chakravathi Sri JS Eswara Prasad Rao of Hyderabad, a student of AL Krishnamurthy Bhagavathar from the Pudukkottai system, produced performances based on Sampradaya bhajans under the title "Nitrya Sankeerthnam."

Bhajans from Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism traditions, Vedic mantras, and Yoga chants have been written, published in Western musical notation, or recorded by Western singers such as Krishna Das, Deva Premal, Miten, and by West Indies singers influenced by East Indian heritage.

The Stavan compositions and literature of the Jainism tradition are extensive. A historic overview is provided by Sri Sudhara Stavan Sangrah, traditionally kept in "puja box" by Jain families. It is a type of text with Jain lyrics and is based on religious teachings.

Kripalu Maharaj is a modern bhakti leader and bhajan-kirtan composer. He created 11,111 doha (couplets) about the stories of Radha and Krishna, and the devotional philosophy called Radha Govind Geet; 1,008 pad (songs) called Prem Ras Madira; hundreds of kirtan in the forms of Yugal Shatak and Yugal Ras; and twelve pad describing Krishna's beauty and decorations, and thirteen pad describing Radha's beauty and decorations, titled Shree Krishn Dwadashi and Shree Radha Trayodashi. Recordings of these songs have been made by well-known Indian singers such as Manna Dey, Ajnish, Anuradha Paudwal, and Anup Jalota.

In the past, Sants such as Mirabai, Surdas, and Narsinh Mehta composed bhajans that are still sung today.