Adi Sankara's Bhaja Govindam

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Bhaja Govindam is one of the minor compositions of the spiritual gaint, Adi SHANKARA. It is classified as a Prakarana grantha, a primer to the major works. Though sung as a bhajan, it contains the essence of vedanta and awakens the man to think, "Why am I here in this life ? Why am I amassing wealth, family, but have no peace ? What is the Truth ? What is the purpose of life ?" Man is thus awakened and gets set on a path to the inner road back to God.In 31 (some cite 33) verses, he, like no other, explains our fallacies, our wrong outlook for life, and dispells our ignorance and delusions. Thus bhaja govindam was originally known as Moha Mudgara, the remover of delusions.Bhaja govindam is divided into dvaadasa manjarika stotram and chaturdasa manjarika stotram. At the end of composing the first stanza, it is said that Shankara burst forth with

the next 12 stanzas of bhaja govindam. Thus stanzas 1-12 are called dvaadas manjarikastotram. Inspired by the extempore recital by Shankara, each of his 14 disciples composed a verse and the 14 verse compendium is called chaturdasa manjarika stotram. Shankara added the finishing touches by adding five of his own stanzas at the last bring the total to 31.bhajagovindaM bhajagovindaMgovindaM bhajamuuDhamate .saMpraapte sannihite kaalenahi nahi rakshati DukR^iJNkaraNe .. 1..Worship Govinda, Worship Govinda, Worship Govinda. Oh fool ! Rules of Grammar will not save you at the time of your death.mUDha jahiihi dhanaagamatR^ishhNaaMkuru sadbuddhiM manasi vitR^ishhNaam.h .yallabhase nijakarmopaattaMvittaM tena vinodaya chittam.h .. 2..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.naariistanabhara naabhiideshaMdR^ishhTvaa maagaamohaavesham.h .etanmaaMsaavasaadi vikaaraMmanasi vichintaya vaaraM vaaram.h ... 3..Do not get drowned in delusion by going wild with passions and lust by seeing a woman's navel and chest. These are nothing but a modification of flesh. Do not fail to remember this again and again in your mind.naliniidalagata jalamatitaralaMtadvajjiivitamatishayachapalam.h ..viddhi vyaadhyabhimaanagrastaMlokaM shokahataM cha samastam.h .. 4...The life of a man is as uncertain as rain drops trembling on a lotus leaf. Know that the whole world remains a prey to disease, ego and grief.yaavadvittopaarjana saktaHstaavannija parivaaro raktaH .pashchaajjiivati jarjara dehevaartaaM ko.api na pR^ichchhati gehe .. 5..So long as a man is fit and able to support his family, see the affection all those around him show. But no one at home cares to even

have a word with him when his body totters due to old age.yaavatpavano nivasati dehetaavatpR^ichchhati kushalaM gehe .gatavati vaayau dehaapaayebhaaryaa bibhyati tasminkaaye .. 6..When one is alive, his family members enquire kindly about his welfare. But when the soul departs from the body, even his wife runs away in fear of the corpse.baalastaavatkriiDaasaktaHtaruNastaavattaruNiisaktaH .vR^iddhastaavachchintaasaktaHpare brahmaNi ko.api na saktaH .. 7..The childhood is lost by attachment to playfulness. Youth is lost by attachment to woman. Old age passes away by thinking over many past things. But there is hardly anyone who wants to be lost in parabrahman.kaate kaantaa kaste putraHsaMsaaro.ayamatiiva vichitraH .kasya tvaM kaH kuta aayaataHtattvaM chintaya tadiha bhraataH .. 8..Who is your wife ? Who is your son ? Strange is this samsara. Of whom are you ? From where

have you come ? Brother, ponder over these truths here.satsaN^gatve nissN^gatvaMnissaN^gatve nirmohatvam.h .nirmohatve nishchalatattvaMnishcalatattve jiivanmuktiH .. 9..From Satsangh comes non-attachment, from non-attachment comes freedom from delusion, which leads to self-settledness. From self-settledness comes Jeevan Mukti.vayasigate kaH kaamavikaaraHshushhke niire kaH kaasaaraH .kshiiNevitte kaH parivaaraHGYaate tattve kaH saMsaaraH .. 10..What good is lust when youth has fled ? What use is a lake which has no water ? Where are the relatives when wealth is gone ? Where is samsara when the Truth is known ?maa kuru dhana jana yauvana garvaMharati nimeshhaatkaalaH sarvam.h .maayaamayamidamakhilaM hitvaabrahmapadaM tvaM pravisha viditvaa ... 11..Do not boast of wealth, friends, and youth. Each one of these are destroyed within a minute. Free yourself from the illusion of

the world of Maya and attain the timeless Truth.dinayaaminyau saayaM praataHshishiravasantau punaraayaataH .kaalaH kriiDati gachchhatyaayuHtadapi na muJNcatyaashaavaayuH .. 12..Daylight and darkness, dusk and dawn, winter and springtime come and go. Time plays and life ebbs away. But the storm of desire never leaves.dvaadashamaJNjarikaabhirasheshhaHkathito vaiyaakaraNasyaishhaH .upadesho bhuudvidyaanipuNaiHshriimachchhankarabhagavachchharaNariH .. 12a..This bouquet of twelve verses was imparted to a grammarian by the all- knowing Shankara, adored as the bhagavadpada.kaate kaantaa dhana gatachintaavaatula kiM tava naasti niyantaa .trijagati sajjanasaM gatiraikaabhavati bhavaarNavataraNe naukaa .. 13..Oh mad man ! Why this engrossment in thoughts of wealth ? Is there no one to guide you ? There is only one thing in three worlds that can save you from the ocean from

samsara. Get into that boat of satsangha quickly. Stanza attributed to Padmapada.jaTilo muNDii luJNchhitakeshaHkaashhaayaambarabahukR^itaveshhaH .pashyannapi cana pashyati muuDhaHudaranimittaM bahukR^itaveshhaH .. 14..There are many who go with matted locks, many who have clean shaven heads, many whose hairs have been plucked out; some are clothed in saffron, yet others in various colors --- all just for a livelihood. Seeing truth revealed before them, still the foolish ones see it not.Stanza attributed to Totakacharya.aN^gaM galitaM palitaM muNDaMdashanavihiinaM jataM tuNDam.h .vR^iddho yaati gR^ihiitvaa daNDaMtadapi na muJNcatyaashaapiNDam.h .. 15..Strength has left the old man's body; his head has become bald, his gums toothless and leaning on crutches. Even then the attachment is strong and he clings firmly to fruitless desires. Stanza attributed to Hastamalaka.agre vahniH

pR^ishhThebhaanuHraatrau chubukasamarpitajaanuH .karatalabhikshastarutalavaasaHtadapi na muJNcatyaashaapaashaH .. 16..Behold there lies the man who sits warming up his body with the fire in fromt and the sun at the back; at night he curls up the body to keep out of the cold; he eats his beggar's food from the bowl of his hand and sleeps beneath the tree. Still in his heart, he is a wretched puppet at the hands of passions. Stanza attributed to Subodha.kurute gaN^gaasaagaragamanaMvrataparipaalanamathavaa daanam.h .GYaanavihinaH sarvamatenamuktiM na bhajati janmashatena .. 17..One may go to gangasagar, observe fasts, and give away riches in charity ! Yet, devoid of jnana, nothing can give mukthi even at the end of a hundred births. Stanza attributed to Sureshwaracharya.sura ma.ndira taru muula nivaasaHshayyaa bhuutala majinaM vaasaH .sarva parigraha bhoga tyaagaHkasya sukhaM na karoti

viraagaH .. 18..Take your residence in a temple or below a tree, wear the deerskin for the dress, and sleep with mother earth as your bed. Give up all attachments and renounce all comforts. Blessed with such vairagya, could any fail to be content ? Stanza attributed to Nityananda.yogarato vaabhogaratovaasaN^garato vaa saN^gaviihinaH .yasya brahmaNi ramate chittaMnandati nandati nandatyeva .. 19..One may take delight in yoga or bhoga, may have attachment or detachment. But only he whose mind steadily delights in Brahman enjoys bliss, no one else. Stanza attributed to Anandagiri.bhagavad.h giitaa kiJNchidadhiitaagaN^gaa jalalava kaNikaapiitaa .sakR^idapi yena muraari samarchaakriyate tasya yamena na charchaa .. 20..Let a man read but a little from giitaa, drink just a drop of water from the ganges, worship murari (govinda) just once. He then will have no altercation with Yama. Stanza

attributed to dR^iDhabhakta.punarapi jananaM punarapi maraNaMpunarapi jananii jaThare shayanam.h .iha saMsaare bahudustaarekR^ipayaa.apaare paahi muraare .. 21..Born again, death again, birth again to stay in the mother's womb ! It is indeed hard to cross this boundless ocean of samsara. Oh Murari ! Redeem me through Thy mercy. Stanza attributed to Nityanatha.rathyaa charpaTa virachita kanthaHpuNyaapuNya vivarjita panthaH .yogii yoganiyojita chittoramate baalonmattavadeva .. 22..There is no shortage of clothing for a monk so long as there are rags cast off the road. Freed from vice and virtue, onward he wanders.. One who lives in communion with God enjoys bliss, pure and uncontaminated, like a child and as someone intoxicated. Stanzaattributed to Nityanatha.kastvaM ko.ahaM kuta aayaataHkaa me jananii ko me taataH .iti paribhaavaya sarvamasaaram.hvishvaM tyaktvaa svapna

vichaaram.h .. 23..Who are you ? Who am I ? From where do I come ? Who is my mother, who is my father ? Ponder thus, look at everything as essenceless and give up the world as an idle dream. Stanza attributed to surendra.tvayi mayi chaanyatraiko vishhNuHvyarthaM kupyasi mayyasahishhNuH .bhava samachittaH sarvatra tvaMvaaJNchhasyachiraadyadi vishhNutvam.h .. 24..In me, in you and in everything, none but the same Vishnu dwells. Your anger and impatience is meaningless. If you wish to attain the status of Vishnu soon, have samabhava always. Stanza attributed to medhaatithira.shatrau mitre putre bandhaumaa kuru yatnaM vigrahasandhau .sarvasminnapi pashyaatmaanaMsarvatrotsR^ija bhedaaGYaanam.h .. 25..Do not waste your efforts to win the love of or to fight against friend and foe, children and relatives. See yourself in everyone and give up all feelings of duality completely. Stanza attributed to

Medhaatithira.kaamaM krodhaM lobhaM mohaMtyaktvaa.atmaanaM bhaavaya ko.aham.h .aatmaGYaana vihiinaa muuDhaaHte pachyante narakaniguuDhaaH .. 26..Give up lust, anger, infatuation, and greed. Ponder over your real nature. Fools are they who are blind to the Self. Cast into hell they suffer there endlessly. Stanza attributed to bharativamsha.geyaM giitaa naama sahasraMdhyeyaM shriipati ruupamajasram.h .neyaM sajjana saN^ge chittaMdeyaM diinajanaaya cha vittam.h .. 27..Regularly recite from the Gita, meditate on Vishnu thro' Vishnu sahasranama? in your heart, and chant His thousand glories. Take delight to be with the noble and the holy. Distribute your wealth in charity to the poor and the needy. Stanza attributed to sumatira.sukhataH kriyate raamaabhogaHpashchaaddhanta shariire rogaH .yadyapi loke maraNaM sharaNaMtadapi na muJNchati paapaacharaNam.h .. 28..He who yields to

lust for pleasure leaves his body a prey to disease. Though death brings an end to everything, man does not gives up the sinful path.arthamanarthaM bhaavaya nityaMnaastitataH sukhaleshaH satyam.h .putraadapi dhana bhaajaaM bhiitiHsarvatraishhaa vihiaa riitiH .. 29..Wealth is not welfare, truly there is no joy in it. Reflect thus at all times. A rich man fears even his own son. This is the way of wealth everywhere.praaNaayaamaM pratyaahaaraMnityaanitya vivekavichaaram.h .jaapyasameta samaadhividhaanaMkurvavadhaanaM mahadavadhaanam.h .. 30..Regulate the pranas, remain unaffected by external influences and discriminate between the real and the fleeting. Chant the holy name of God and silence the turbulent mind. Perform these with care, with extreme care.gurucharaNaambuja nirbhara bhakataHsaMsaaraadachiraadbhava muktaH .sendriyamaanasa niyamaadevaMdrakshyasi nija hR^idayasthaM

devam.h .. 31..Oh devotee of the lotus feet of the Guru ! May thou be soon free from Samsara. Through disciplined senses and controlled mind, thou shalt come to experience the Indwelling Lord of your heart !muuDhaH kashchana vaiyaakaraNoDukR^iJNkaraNaadhyayana dhuriNaH .shriimachchhamkara bhagavachchhishhyaibodhita aasichchhodhitakaraNaH .. 32...bhajagovindaM bhajagovindaMgovindaM bhajamuuDhamate .naamasmaraNaadanyamupaayaMnahi pashyaamo bhavataraNe .. 33..Worship Govinda, worship Govinda, worship Govinda, Oh fool ! Other than chanting the Lord's names, there is no other way to cross the life's ocean.