A Poem: Morning Call – The Long Chant

A poem by Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa

Ek must be powerful, from the navel point strong,
Then (at the back of the throat—out through the nose—and not too long),
Powerfully vibrate Ong.
Slide directly into the Kar, no pause, no break so far,
Then inhale deeply and from your navel point chant Sat
Followed by Naam—for that is what
To do before you reach for S’ree,
Then take in just a half breath and you will see
How easily you chant Wa—then insert a tiny Hay,
Ending with “G’roo.” To open all chakras, chant this mantra every day.

Please don’t drop the tone between Ek and Ong,
They have a relationship on the scale, where each belongs:
Ong should not be lower than Ek, please take care–
Keep the pitch level—or higher—so the energy’s there!
Remember, to make the Kundalini flow,
Ong must not be too long, must not be too low!
From the back of the throat, out through the nose
Vibrate Ong properly, no one will doze!

Ek from the Navel Point, also Sat and S’ree
When chanted correctly, Ashtang Mantra can set you free!
“Mantram siddhyam, siddhyam parmesharam,”—are you a doubting Thomas?
(“He who masters Mantra, becomes master of God,” the scriptures promise.)

Long Ek Ong Kar’s are designed to bring
Maximum power to those who can sing,
Vibrate, and chant with conscious control—
(In a group, this is the responsibility, the leader’s role:
He or she has to chant powerfully, loud and clear,
Keep the tempo “upbeat,” and make sure everyone can hear.)

[*Artwork by Sewa Singh and Sewa Kaur www.sikhphotos.com]