Our family songbook, one bhajan at a time

Meaning. A joyful call-and-response naming Vitthal, his consort Rakhumai, and the saint-poets Gyaneshwar and Tukaram who carried the tradition to every home.

Meaning. A pleading song — 'Come, Vitthala, my mother-friend, come.' Sung slowly by our aajis, one hand on the harmonium, one on the grandchild.

Meaning. Naming the many names of the Lord — Achyuta the imperishable, Keshava the beautifully-haired, Damodara the one bound by a mother's love. The couplet reminds us: the Lord comes when we call the way Meera called.

Meaning. A simple, buoyant chant — 'Say Govinda, say Gopal.' Perfect for teaching little ones their first bhajan on a Sunday morning.

Meaning. A Navaratri favourite — praising the Mother as Jagadambe (mother of the universe), Kali the fierce, and Bhavani the giver of prosperity and wisdom.

Meaning. 'To the Devi who dwells in every being as strength — I bow, I bow, I bow.' A shloka from the Devi Mahatmyam, often chanted before Navaratri aarti.

Meaning. The beloved Ganesh aarti composed by Sant Ramdas — 'Bringer of joy, remover of sorrow, banisher of obstacles.' The one bhajan every Konkani family knows by heart.

Meaning. 'O curved-trunk one, mighty-bodied, radiant as ten million suns — grant that all my undertakings be free of obstacles, always.' The shloka we say before anything begins.

Meaning. The five-syllable mantra — Na, Ma, Shi, Va, Ya — for the five elements. Sung as a slow, deep repetition; the room breathes with it.

Meaning. 'Who is more wondrous than my Bholenath — with the Ganga in his matted hair and the moon on his brow?' A tender, personal bhajan for Shivaratri jaagran.