Natchintanai Propagation Project

To Enable Learning of the Songs of Siva Yogaswami

Satguru Siva Yogaswami

All my devotees revere as sacred scripture the songs and sayings of Satguru Siva Yogaswami, called Natchintanai, which embody the teachings of our lineage, commanding one and all to "Know thy Self by thy self." Aum.
--Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami

This project is dedicated to the next generation of Hindus of all nations, that they may be able to learn, sing and be transformed by the profound teachings of one of the 20th centuries greatest siddhas. If you absorb the teachings of the Natchintanai, you will know the essence of Sanatana Dharma. To sing these songs with understanding and devotion is a sadhana of the highest order. This is a work in progress.

Project Overview

This initiative to propagate the songs of Satguru Siva Yogaswami is a work in progress. Of the some 300 Natchintanai, we offer a selection of 73 of Yogaswami's songs in Tamil as PDF's with an easy-to-read, non-academic transliteration, English translation and samples audio files with traditional melodies. The focus for the digital archives has been to get recordings by living elders and devotees in Jaffna itself, who sang the songs during Sivayogaswami's time, using tunes that are traditionally used by Sivayogaswami's devotees, sung simply so that anyone can follow them. But we also include some recordings by professional Sri Lankan artists singing Carnatic style using their own unique melodies. Recently there has been some renewed interest in Natchintanai in Jaffna itself. Youth singing competitions have been held. This is a good sign and we may one day get recordings from Sri Lanka itself to include here.

Print Versions

All 73 Songs Now Available in a Printed Volume: "Good Thoughts"

Click, here to purchase the complete set of 73 in a spiral bound version.

Thirteen Songs—Small Booklet

We also offer a PDF of 13 of the most popular songs. This is just enough to copy on a photo copier and have stapled by your local printer or Kinkos shop. Since this page is publicly available on the internet, one easy way is just to go to your local printer with the URL "http://www.himalayanacademy.com/natchintanai/" and tell them to go online and download the PDF below. This small booklet is good for distribution to a larger group. It is black and white and you get get 50 or 100 copies printed at a very low price.

  • Thirteen Songs | Download PDF
    • Format: Half US letter sized (5 1/2" X 8 1/5"); only 6 sheets required printed front and back for a 24-page booklet; folded on center, collated and saddle stitched (stapled in the middle)
    • Usage: Thirteen popular Natchintani, including short easy ones for children. With only six pages you can get many printed without spending or charging a lot of money for the booklets. For some of the longer songs only the first verse is given.