Harikatha

by I.P. Meera Grimes

Harikatha (lit. stories of the Lord) is the exposition of a religious theme, usually the life of a saint or a story from one of India's scriptural texts. Its purpose is to spread devotion to the Divine. Harikatha is a composite art containing story-telling, poetry, music, drama, dance, and philosophy. Any story about God, or scriptural incidents, or about saints, who are the living exemplars from the existence of God, is an appropriate subject matter for Harikatha.

Table of Contents:

• Scheme of Transliteration
• Foreword
• Preface
• I - Harikatha
  1. Art and Spirituality
  2. Samartha - a Unique Saint
  3. Origin and Growth of Harikatha
  4. The two Branches of kirtana
  5. Lord Panduranga
  6. Significance of the Name Harikatha
• II - Harikatha in Dasabodha
  • The Prelude
    1. A Rare Art form
    2. Haridasas are Rare
    3. Advice to Performers
  • Teaching Regarding two Aspects of God
    1. Foster Devotion
    2. Right Frame of Mind
    3. Chants and Dance
    4. Focus on the Chosen Deity
    5. Types of Audience
    6. Devotion
  • Advice from Chapter Two
    1. Music and Harikatha
    2. The Blessed Performers
    3. To the Listeners/Devotees
    4. From Various Chapters - to the Listeners
       • Phalasruti
       • Concluding Verse
       • Desirable Qualities
       • Undesirable Qualities
• III - Format of Harikatha
  1. Nirupana
  2. Akyana
  3. Musical forms in Harikatha
  4. Talas in Harikatha
  5. Traditional Harikatha group
  6. Harikatha is an Excellent Satsang
  7. Source Books for Harikatha
  8. Is Harikatha a Diminishing Art?
• IV - Santkatha
  1. Introduction
  2. Jnanadev and Namdev
  3. Eknath
  4. Tukaram
  5. Samartha Ramdas.

About the Author:

Meera Grimes (also known as Balameera Chandra) is well known in India for her Harikatha performances. She is one of the leading artists in this field, an artist of the Music Academy, Air India Radio, and Television. The title 'Balameera' (little Meera), awarded by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the late Prime Minister of India, is just one of several titles she has been bestowed for her outstanding talent.

Meera is also a Bharata Natyam dancer and teacher. She began her Classical South Indian Dance (Bharata Natyam) training at the age of three under her mother, Smt. Neela Balasubramaniam, who founded the Nataraja Natya Niketan dance institute in Madras in 1940. By the age of five Meera gave her first public dance performance in Bharata Natyam. As well, she holds advanced degrees (she is a Sangita Vidwan) in Classical South Indian music.

Meera is the spiritual disciple of Swami Vaidyanatha (Remaji). Recently Meera edited and published a book of Remaji's teachings titled: Offspring of God and Play of God or IP-IL Philosophy. It is a new presentation of Higher Wisdom with regard to the human soul, and it is in the form of a systematic exposition.