Page:Bengal Vaishnavism - Bipin Chandra Pal.djvu/102

 BENGAL VAI8HNAVA LYRICS 87 while repeating the name of the Lord the devotee has to concentrate his mind upon what may be called the attributes of the Lord. This is the real meaning and purpose of what is called nama-heertana'^m. the literature of Bengal Vaishnavism. In nama-keertana the name of the Lord is joined to the psycho- ph^’-sical exercise called pranayama, which may be generally explained as regulation of the breath. This regulation of the breath or pranayama is a common Hindu discipline. Its object is to quicken our nerve-centres and thereby help the concentration of the mind on the object of worship at the same time awakening that religious imagination through which all devotional feelings flow. Our Yaish- navic nama-keertana-^ have their meaning and purpose in this ; they help to concentrate the mind upon the Lord through repetition of His name, and through the psycho-physical exer- cise called pranchyama or regulation of the breath, which is an essential element in all vocal music. These keertana-s help to quicken the devotional feelings which naturally flow from the contemplation of the Lord. These nama-keertana-s help the devotee to completely lose himself in the consciousness of the Lord, which is in the first stages a subjective ex-