What is JAI2?


What is JAI²? Well, when I first built this web site I wanted something short and easy to remember. JAI doesn't appear in the English dictionary, which is odd, since it is so short and seems so easy to pronounce. But it is a word that I happen to like the sound of and it fits my requirements. I first heard it, or thought I heard it, from Ram Dass, in the context of a chant he did around 1972 not too long after returning from India. The chant went something like Govinda jai jai...; but in retrospect, it may have been Govinda jaya jaya... You can hear a very cool souped up world-beat pop version of this chant on a cut titled "Light of Love" on the 1993 CD The Jungle Book by the apparently Krishna-inspired German group Dissidenten (except that in their version jai sounds more like jei). It's put out by Worldly Dance Music [#7202-2]. There's also another version of this chant on a CD titled "Monkey," by an American gentleman named --what else?-- Jai Uttal. The track is titled "Govinda" and the CD is issued by Triloka Records, 1992 [#7194-2]. This CD includes the words to the chant, which is described as a "traditional Hindu prayer," in the liner notes. Here they are: Govinda Jaya Jaya Gopala Jaya Jaya Radha Ramana Hari Govinda Jaya Jaya Radhe Radhe Radhe Shyam Radhe Bolo Sita Ram Radha Ramana Hari Govinda Jaya Jaya You'll notice here, that it isn't jai, but jaya. I've been told that this is a Sanskrit word, perhaps meaning victory; or praise, or hail or something honorific. To me, though, neither jaya nor jei are as important as JAI, which has a significance all of its own (oh, yes, and by the way, before going any further I should mention that I'm not a Krishna devotee, or even, as Swami X might have said, a "Harvey Kirshman."). Long ago, when I lived with a dear group of friends, JAI became a word that represented all good things, so that's the association that I like to maintain. It was also the name of a very special black cat of mine.... In fact, JAI can be almost anything you can imagine! If you'd prefer, JAI could also be an acronym, I suppose. It could be the Japanese American Institute or the Javanese Armadillo Inquiry, or my personal favorite: Just Anything Interesting. So why JAI(²)? you might ask. In chants and music jaya or jei are usually used in pairs; jai jai it has a nice ring to it when repeated. Besides, two JAIs must be better than one, and if so, JAI (squared), or an exponential increase, must be even better yet. Of course, many people ask how they can enter the exponential "2" in a web site address, but I'll leave that up to your imagination. So there you have it. Welcome to the World of JAI².

What is JAI²? Well, when I first built this web site I wanted something short and easy to remember. JAI doesn't appear in the English dictionary, which is odd, since it is so short and seems so easy to pronounce. But it is a word that I happen to like the sound of and it fits my requirements. I first heard it, or thought I heard it, from Ram Dass, in the context of a chant he did around 1972 not too long after returning from India. The chant went something like Govinda jai jai...; but in retrospect, it may have been Govinda jaya jaya... You can hear a very cool souped up world-beat pop version of this chant on a cut titled "Light of Love" on the 1993 CD The Jungle Book by the apparently Krishna-inspired German group Dissidenten (except that in their version jai sounds more like jei). It's put out by Worldly Dance Music [#7202-2]. There's also another version of this chant on a CD titled "Monkey," by an American gentleman named --what else?-- Jai Uttal. The track is titled "Govinda" and the CD is issued by Triloka Records, 1992 [#7194-2]. This CD includes the words to the chant, which is described as a "traditional Hindu prayer," in the liner notes. Here they are:

Govinda Jaya Jaya
Gopala Jaya Jaya
Radha Ramana Hari
Govinda Jaya Jaya
Radhe Radhe Radhe Shyam
Radhe Bolo Sita Ram
Radha Ramana Hari
Govinda Jaya Jaya

You'll notice here, that it isn't jai, but jaya. I've been told that this is a Sanskrit word, perhaps meaning victory; or praise, or hail or something honorific. To me, though, neither jaya nor jei are as important as JAI, which has a significance all of its own (oh, yes, and by the way, before going any further I should mention that I'm not a Krishna devotee, or even, as Swami X might have said, a "Harvey Kirshman."). Long ago, when I lived with a dear group of friends, JAI became a word that represented all good things, so that's the association that I like to maintain. It was also the name of a very special black cat of mine.... In fact, JAI can be almost anything you can imagine! If you'd prefer, JAI could also be an acronym, I suppose. It could be the Japanese American Institute or the Javanese Armadillo Inquiry, or my personal favorite: Just Anything Interesting.

So why JAI(²)? you might ask. In chants and music jaya or jei are usually used in pairs; jai jai it has a nice ring to it when repeated. Besides, two JAIs must be better than one, and if so, JAI (squared), or an exponential increase, must be even better yet. Of course, many people ask how they can enter the exponential "2" in a web site address, but I'll leave that up to your imagination.

So there you have it. Welcome to the World of JAI².