Let your whole life be a spiritual song. Believe that God is everywhere at all times, and derive strength, comfort, and joy by singing His glory in His presence.

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba (‘Swami’ to many of us) emphasized that bhajans (devotional singing) are not merely musical performances but a sacred communion with God. He said that when sung or performed with love and sincerity, bhajans purify the mind, awaken devotion, and invite Divine grace.

Today there are perhaps a few thousand Sai Bhajans that are sung in different languages throughout the world. These bhajans when sung with emotion and devotion, enable a devotee to connect with Swami and experience pure bliss. Various instrumental artists have tried to play these bhajans on instruments. While some are soulful renditions, many of them fail to capture the essence of the bhajan as it is sung, because a certain note may miss being played or emphasized where it ought to be.

With Swami’s blessings, this project is an humble attempt to document the notation for a few selected bhajans and songs, particularly for playing them on the Sitar. While the notation is based on symbols and constructs that are widely accepted in Hindustani music, we introduce new ways of capturing some of the nuances associated with the singing style. This is generally known as the ‘gayaki’ style of rendering a piece of music.

While the notations provided on this site are meant for the Sitar, they can serve as a guide for other instruments as well, showing where a note is played or embellished, or where a glide occurs from one note to another. These notations by no means should be considered as the only way to play a bhajan. They only offer a suggested approach to render a bhajan in the most authentic gayaki style.

The collection of bhajans chosen for this endeavor range from simple to advanced bhajans. They are in praise of various dieties and are based on an assortment of ragas. We thank Swami for guiding us through this work and with great humility, offer this initial collection of 100 songs as a tribue to Swami for His 100th birthday. We pray that through these bhajans, devotees can connect with the Divine and experience bliss.