Bhaja Govindam

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!! Sri Rama Jayam !!

 

Adi Sankaracharya's Bhaja Govindam - Translated by P. R. Ramachander

 

Charpata Panjarika Stotra

(The eighteen gems of wisdom)

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Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam,

Govindam Bhaja Mooda Mathe,

Samprapthe sannihithe kale,

Nahi nahi rakshathi dookrunj karane.

 

Pray Govinda, Pray Govinda,

Pray Govinda, You fool,

For all the ken with you,

Will not be there,

When your end is near.

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Dhinamapi rajani, sayam pratha,

Sisira vasanthou punarayatha,

Kala kreedathi gachat yayu,

Sthadapi na munjathyasa vayu

 

Daily comes the night, eve and morn.

The autumn and spring,

Comes again and again every year.

Time forever plays with life,

But desire does not desert this body forever.

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Agre Vahni , prashte bhanu,

Rathrou chibuka samirpitha janu,

Karathala biksha taru thala vasa

Sthadhapi na munjathyasapasa.

 

The sun in the back,

And the fire behind,

Prevents biting cold during the day,

Knees meet the chin during the night,

To keep one warm.

And food comes by the daily begging,

Life is spent below a tree,

But desire does not desert this body forever.

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Yavadvitho parjana saktha,

Sthavannija parivaro raktha

Paschat jeevathi jarajjara dehe,

Varthaam prucchathi ko apina gehe.

 

Till you are able to earn,

The wealth that everybody yearns,

All the family you love,

Will love and care.

But when the cage of your body gets old,

They would not even ask you,

" How are you? "

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Jatilo mundee lunchitha kesa,

Kaashayambara bahu krutha vesha,

Pasyannapi cha na pasyathi lokaa

Hyudhara nimittam bahu krutha soka.

 

Men with hairs overgrown,

Men with a shaved head,

Men with a well-cut hair,

Men with ochre robes,

See the world,

But pretend they don't,

And suffer all the way,

To fill their belly forever.

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Bagavat geetha kinchid adheetha,

Gangaajalalava kanikaa peetha,

Sukrudhapi yasya murari samarcha,

Tasya yama kim kuruthe charchaam.

 

Read and imbibe Bhagavat Gita,

Drink a drop of the holy Ganga,

At least once salute the Lord,

Then the God of death,

Will not bother you forever.

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Angam galitham palitham mundam,

Dasanaviheenam jatham thundam,

Vruddho yathi gruheetha dhandam,

Tadapi na munjathyaasa pindam.

 

The limbs have become weak,

The head has become fully bald,

There are no teeth in the mouth,

And the old man totters with an aid of a stick,

But desire does not desert this body ever.

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Balasthavat kreedasaktha,

Stharunasthavath tharunee saktha,

Vrudha staavath chintha magna,

Parame brahmani kopi na lagna.

 

The child's mind is engaged in play,

The youths mind is engaged in his lasses charms,

The old man's mind is full of worries,

But no one thinks of the Ultimate Truth.

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Punarapi jananam punarapi maranam,

Punarapi janani jatare sayanam,

Iha samsaare khalu dusthare,

Krupayaa pare pahi murare.

 

Again and again one is born,

And again and again one dies,

And again and again one sleeps in the mother's womb,

Help me to cross,

This limitless sea of Life,

Which is uncrossable, my Lord

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Punarapi Rajani, punarai divasa,

Punaraip paksha, punarapi maasa,

Punarapyayanam, punarapi varsham,

Tadapi na munjityasaamarsham.

 

Again and again this dark nights,

Again and again this luster full days,

Again and again these months and years,

But pride and desire never leaves you forever

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Vayasi gathe ka kama vikara,

Shushke neere ka kaasaara,

Nashte dravye ka parivaara,

Gnathe tathwe ka samasaara.

 

Why this passion, when one totters with age,

Why the search for water in the dried up lake,

Why search for relations, when wealth dries,

There is no desire for life,

When you get real knowledge. Of truth

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Naree sthana bhara nabhi nivesam,

Mithyaa mayaa mohaavesam,

Ethan mamsavasaadhi vikaram,

Manasi vichinthaya vaaram vaaram.

 

A lady's busts divine,

Her bellies shapely,

They are but gates of deceit,

And the joy that is given out,

Is by flesh and fat alone..

Think of this,

Day in and day out

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Kasthwam Ko aham kutha ayatha?

Kaa me janani ko me thatha.

Ithi paribhavaaya sarvamasaaram,

Viswam tyakthwa swapna vichaaram.

 

Who am I?

Where from did I come?

Who is my mother ?

Who is my father?

Think of these,

Realize that this world,

Is but a meaningless mirage,

And Leave this dream like world

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Geyam Githa , Nama sahasram,

Dhyeyam sri pathi roopamajasram,

Neyam sajjana sange chittam,

Dheyam deenajanaaya cha vitham.

 

Sing the Geetha,

And His thousand names,

Meditate on the Lord of Lakshmi,

Spend time with good souls,

Give all the wealth to the poor.

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Yavajjevo nivasathi dehe,

Kusalam thaavath prucchathi gehe,

Gathavathi vaayou dehaapaaye,

Baryaa bhibyasthi tasmin kaye.

 

Till the breath is in the body,

All friends ask your welfare,

When it leaves your frame,

Even your darling wife,

Is full of fear of you , Hey fool

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Sukhadha kriyathe ramaa bhoga,

Paschatdandha sarere roga,

Yadyapi loke maranam saranam,

Tadapi na munchathi papacharanam.

 

It is but for pleasure,

That a lady is sought,

Slowly the body gets sick,

The only path leads you,

To your death for sure,

Still no one leaves the sinful ways.

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Radhyaa charpata virachita kkandha,

Punyaapunya vivarjitha padha.

Naaham nathwa naayam loka,

Stadhapi kimartham kriyathe soka.

 

Like collecting strewn rags all the way,

In life one collects sin and good deeds.

Realize that me or you,

Is not the truth.

In your newly chartered path

Still why are you sad?

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Kuruthe Gangaa sagara gamanam,

Vrutha paripaalana madhava dhaanam,

Gnana viheena sarvamathena,

Mukthin na bhavathi janma sathena.

 

Take bath in Ganga,

Take a dip in the ocean,

Observe penance,

Give money to charity.

All faiths tell you without fail,

And if you do not realize this truth,

Even in hundred lives,

You will not attain the Lord.

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Yoga ratho vaa bhogaratho vaa,

Sanga ratho vaa sanga viheena,

Yasya brahmani ramathe chittam,

Nandathi nandathi nandathyeva.

 

You get joy,

Of meditation or passion,

Or you get joy,

In solitude or in company,

But All these are but impermanent.

Try to make your mind one,

With Para Brahmam,

That is the only permanent joy.

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Hare Krishna

Hare Rama