Om Bhagavan
Shri Bhagavan
Ananda Bhagavan
Shivananda-Bhagavan

Spiritual translation

O Swami Sivananda, you are great joy, you have my deep admiration.

“Om Bhagavan” is one of the most popular kirtans at Yoga Vidya. “Om Bhagavan” is a kirtan with simple lyrics and a simple melody, it is a rhythmic kirtan that you start very slowly and can speed up more and more. “Om Bhagavan” is a kirtan for worship of the Guru, the spiritual teacher, a kirtan that can be repeated especially to invoke Swami Sivananda's blessings, Swami Sivananda's presence. It is also a kirtan to thank Swami Sivananda. Bhagavad means “worthy of worship”, Bhagavad means “the one who should be worshiped”.

And so Swami Sivananda is Bhagavan, someone to worship. “Oh Swami Sivananda, you are worthy of worship.” Swami Sivananda is Ananda, Ananda means “full of joy”. Swami Sivananda is present everywhere and so one says, “O Swami Sivananda, I worship you. O Swami Sivananda, you give me bliss. O Swami Sivananda, you manifest yourself in me as bliss. Oh Swami Sivananda, help me to give joy to others too.” You can of course combine this kirtan with any other guru name and we are happy to repeat the name of Swami Vishnudevananda, who is also worthy of worship and through his teachings leads us to great joy.