Deva's parents are a mystic/artist father and a musically talented mother, she was taught violin, piano and received voice training. By the time she was five years old, she was already chanting the Gayatri Mantra daily, and since that time she continues to integrate meditation into her life.
She has studied Shiatsu, Reflexology, CranioSacral Therapy and Massage, but music remains her first love. The influence of Indian classical music is evident in her singing, although she has never attempted to copy or steal from the tradition. "It just comes naturally," she says, "as if I'd heard it all before, in another life."
Among the numerous letters of appreciation she has received since the release of her albums, many describe how her music has been used to accompany and enhance the sacred passages of birth and death. In fact, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, the world famous author of On Death And Dying, requested that Miten and Deva bring their music to accompany her passing. "We have played for many people," says Deva, "but to play personally for Elizabeth was something I will never forget.”
Chidananda
Deva Premal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Chidananda roopah shivoham shivoham
Manobuddhi ahamkara chita ni naham
Nachashotre jiv-hey nachaghrana netre
Nacha vioma bhoomir na tejoe na vayu
Chidananda roopah shivoham shivoham
Nachaprana saugno na vã puncha vayu
Navah sapto dhatoo navaa puncha koshah
Na waak pani paadam nachapasta paayu
Chidananda roopah shivoham shivoham
Chidananda roopah shivoham shivoham
Na me dvãsha rago na me lobha mo-hoe
Mado naiva me naiva matsarya bhava
Na dharmo na chartoe na kaamo na moksha
Chidananda roopah shivoham shivoham
Chidananda roopah shivoham shivoham
Na punyam na paapam na saukyum na dhukham
Na mantro na tirtham name daa na yug na ha
Aham bhoja namnaiva bhojyam na bhokta
Chidananda roopah shivoham shivoham
Chidananda roopah shivoham shivoham
Na mrootyur na shanka na me jaati bheda
Pita naiva me naiva maata na janma
Na bandhur na mitram gurunaiva shishya
Chidananda roopah shivoham shivoham
Chidananda roopah shivoham shivoham
Aham nirvekalpo nirakaara roopo
Vibureviapya sarvatra sarvendriyani
Sadame samatvah na muktir na bandha
Chidananda roopah shivoham shivoham
Chidananda roopah shivoham shivoham
The song Chidananda by Deva Premal is a devotional track that speaks about the unity of the individual self and the divine consciousness. The lyrics, written in Sanskrit, describe the oneness of the individual with the divine and the transcendence of the physical and material realm.
The opening lines, "Chidananda roopah shivoham shivoham," can be translated as "I am pure consciousness and bliss; I am Shiva, I am Shiva." The verse goes on to state that the individual self is not the mind, the intellect, the ego, or the senses. The physical elements such as earth, water, fire, air, and ether do not define the true nature of the self.
The song also declares that the self is free from desires, attachments, hatred, and jealousy. Neither good nor bad, pleasure nor pain, rituals nor pilgrimages have any impact on the self. The individual self is non-dual and infinite, and there is no separation between the self and the divine.
Overall, Chidananda is a beautiful and powerful affirmation of the true nature of the self, and an ode to the divine consciousness that resides within all of us.
Line by Line Meaning
Chidananda roopah shivoham shivoham
I am the embodiment of Pure Consciousness and Bliss, I am Shiva
Manobuddhi ahamkara chita ni naham
I am not the mind, intellect, ego or memories
Nachashotre jiv-hey nachaghrana netre
I am not the ears, tongue, nose or eyes
Nacha vioma bhoomir na tejoe na vayu
I am not the sky, earth, fire, water or air
Nachaprana saugno na vã puncha vayu
I am not the life force or the five elements
Navah sapto dhatoo navaa puncha koshah
I am not the seven bodily tissues or the five sheaths
Na waak pani paadam nachapasta paayu
I am not the organs of speech, grasping, movement or elimination
Na me dvãsha rago na me lobha mo-hoe
I have no hatred, attachment, greed, delusion or envy
Mado naiva me naiva matsarya bhava
I do not have pride, wrongdoing or jealousy
Na dharmo na chartoe na kaamo na moksha
I am beyond religion, duty, desire and liberation
Na punyam na paapam na saukyum na dhukham
I am not good, bad, pleasure or pain
Na mantro na tirtham name daa na yug na ha
I am not the mantra, pilgrimage, charity or ritual
Aham bhoja namnaiva bhojyam na bhokta
I am neither the enjoyer, the enjoyed nor the act of enjoying
Na mrootyur na shanka na me jaati bheda
I do not have death, doubt or caste differences
Pita naiva me naiva maata na janma
I have no father, mother, birth or relatives
Na bandhur na mitram gurunaiva shishya
I have no friend, companion, teacher or disciple
Aham nirvekalpo nirakaara roopo
I am formless and beyond imagination
Vibureviapya sarvatra sarvendriyani
I am omnipresent and beyond the senses
Sadame samatvah na muktir na bandha
I am always in a state of equanimity, neither liberated nor in bondage
Contributed by Emily A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.