bhaja govindaM verse 2

[Guest guest]

At the request of the moderator, I am cross-posting

this series both on advaita list and advaitin.

 

Verse 2:

 

mUDha jahiihi dhanaagamatR^ishhNaaM

kuru sadbuddhiM manasi vitR^ishhNaam.h .

yallabhase nijakarmopaattaM

vittaM tena vinodaya chittam.h .. 2..

 

##mUDha## \ = Oh fool!;

##jahiihi## \ = jahi+iha, leave/give up+here(in this world);

##dhana## \ = wealth;

##agama## \ = arrival;

##tR^ishhNaaM## \ = desire;

##kuru## \ = act;

##sadbuddhiM## \ = sat.h+buddhiM, good+intelligence

##manasi## \ = in the mind;

##vitR^ishhNaaM## \ = desirelessness;

##yallabhase## \ = yat.h+labhase, whatever+(you)obtain;

##nijakarma## \ = nija+karma, one's+duty(normal work);

##upaatta## \ = obtained;

##vittaM## \ = wealth;

##tena## \ = with that;

##vinodaya## \ = being content;

##chittaM## \ = mind;

 

Oh fool ! Give up your thrist to amass wealth,

devote your mind to thoughts to the Real.

Be content with what comes through actions already

performed in the past.

 

 

[Word-by-word meanings were provided by Mr. Ganesan]

 

**

 

It is well known that two dangers in the sadhana

are kanchana and kamini (gold and women, but more

correctly, greed and lust).

 

To every "normal" individual, happiness seems to

be closely connected with wealth and a rich

man gives one to enter the world of sense-delights.

Craving for wealth occupies the mind foremost and

produces a three fold problem : gaining the wealth

is the first problem, hoarding it is the next and

spending it is the third. By this three fold

process, raga and dvesha develop and both the

body and mind are drained of strength being

constantly engaged in the pursuit of wealth.

 

However, wealth never seem to bring happiness,or

even satisfaction. Desire begets more desire and

gratification of senses. More the indulgence of

senses, the brighter is the glow of passion.

 

A rich man may not even be able to enjoy the

pleasures which the wealth may provide. He

may diseases which prevent him from eating

and sleeping properly. He envies a poor man

who can eat and sleep without any problems,

but the poor man wants to become rich ! This

is verily maya. [Example by Bhagavan Ramana

Maharshi].

 

(A recent study mentioned the level of happiness

in various countries and found most of the people

in poor countries were

more happier than people in the rich countries.

The study with rankings for various countries

can be found in the internet).

 

Money and wealth, by itself, is insentient. It

is only our thrist of wealth that Shankara asks

us to renounce. What is desired is that our

relationship with wealth (and all other objects)

is that of the banker, who understands that the

money he is transcating does not belong to him.

 

We have to give up our feelings and thoughts of

greed and covetness. The mental renunciation

brings peace of mind and leads us to a state of

bliss. That renunciation is the way to bliss is

mentioned in the taittraya upanishad.

 

AUM shaantiH