help

[Guest guest]

Dear advaitin

 

I would appreciate if you all can give me explanation on the Bhaja

Govindam which was sung by Shankaracharaya.

 

 

regards

-Raja-

[Guest guest]

Greetins Sri Ramalingam:

 

Shankara reveals that in Advaita, Bhakti plays an

integral part and he is quite subtle. He established

his great devotion and dedication to Govinda (much

more than Ramanuja) through Bhajagovindam.

 

The story behind Shankara's Bhaja Govindam: This well

known story describes the circumstances in which this

great poem, Bhajagovindham burst forth the lips of

Sankara. Once in Banaras when he was going along on

his daily rounds, he overheard a very

 

old Pundit cramming Panini's grammer rules. Sankara

was touched with pity at the ignorance and folly of

the man to be wasting away the most precious 'dusk

hours' of his life for a mere intellectual

 

accomplishment instead of spending them in

contemplation on the Lord, praying for spiritual

enlightenment and for release from the bondage of

Samsara.

 

Shankara knew that this was not the state of that

particular old man only, but was the general

state of most of us. We waste and while away our

lives in many (or most) futile ways, grovelling

in the mire of earthly attachments forgetting God who

is the only goal in life. In compassion for this

plight, Shankara burst forth into these stanzas,

famous as MOHA MUDGARA, now popularly known as

*BHAJAGOVINDAM*.

 

"Oh, Fool ! Oh, ignoramus ! Grammer rules (in fact

all your secular learning) will not come to your

rescue when death knocks to snatch you away. Instead

of wasting away the precious span of your life in a

futile manner, turn to and seek Govinda, who alone can

save you from the jaws of life and death".

 

Shankara stresses two important ingredients for

Self-realization: (1) Humility - Death of Ego (2)

Help of HIS Grace to go beyond the intellect.

 

Shankara's advaita stresses that intellect is an

important tool, but without humility and Grace

the tool can become an hindrance to spiritual

development.

 

Homepage of Shri Giri Madras ( a member of Advaitin

List) with the URL Address:

http://www.geocities.com/RodeoDrive/1415/bhaja.html)

has an excellent presentation of the entire

BhajaGovindham stanzas with meanings)

 

Sri Giri has also posted the verses with its meaning

in advaitin list and are available at the archives:

http://www.eScribe.com/culture/advaitin/ and use the

key word Bhaja Govindam to get the postings.