Bhajagovindam (part 19) of Adi Shankara...Commentary by Gopi Krishna

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Bhajagovindam of Adi Shankara (part 19)

Commentary by Gopi Krishna

 

Sloka 14 (Attributed to Totakacharya)

 

Jatilo Mundee Lunchhitakesah

Kaashaayaambara bahukritaveshah

Pasyannapi Cha Na Pasyati Moodho

Hyudaranimittam Bahukritaveshah

 

.... Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindan

 

Meaning:

 

Jatilah - one ascetic with matter locks, Mundee - one with shaven head,

Lunchhitakesah - one with hairs pulled out one by one, Kaashaaayaambara

bahukritaveshah - one parading with ochre robes, Pasyan api cha - seeing,

Na - never, Pasyati - sees, Moodhah - a fool, Hi - indeed, Udara nimittam -

for belly's sake, Bahukritaveshah - these different disguises or apparels.

 

Substance:

 

An ascetic with matted locks, a person with shaven head, one more with hair

pulled or plucked out and another parading with ochre or any other colour

robes, all these are for a livelihood. They all have eyes but yet do not

see. All these are indeed disguises and deceptions for the sake of filling

one's stomach.

 

Commentary:

 

Renunciation does not lie in external appearance (which I used to do

earlier), but in inward thought, feeling and attitude. One has to renounce

everything Manasa, Vacha and Karmana. Surrender does not mean barter system.

It has to be total. As the head and body bows before the deity, the manas

and the vachanam should also portray the same attitude and this attitude

shuld continue to grow deeper and deeper, till one completely forgets what

the negative feeling is. Swami Vivekananda beautifully expresses this while

describing His Guru, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa. He says that, " In the

presence of my Master, I found out that man could be perfect, even in this

body. Those lips never cursed anyone, never even criticised anyone. Those

eyes were beyond the possibility of seeing evil, that mind had lost the

power of thinking evil. He saw nothing but good. That tremendous purity,

that tremendous renunciation is the secret of spirituality " . That is the

pinnacle of surrender or complete surrender to God and with such an

one-pointed sadhana, nothing becomes impossible. When the desires for

materialistic pleasures burning in the heart are not weeded out, these

external forms mean nothing. They are only for show-business or a kind of

propaganda about oneself. Such a person will get exposed soon. In the

present day world, we often come across people using sanyaasa as a means for

power or influence.

 

A person resorts to unethical methods if one wants to earn things in an easy

way. History and the present-day world stand as witness that whenever man's

desire exceeded the rightful means of possession, one becomes obsessed with

it and to fulfil it, one never hesitated to become barbarous. These persons

are dangerous to the society. With them the whole society suffers, which

include the noble souls as well. Great personalities like Bhishma Pitamah,

Dronaacharya, Kripaacharya, etc. are typical example of this fact.

 

Due to base instincts such as hunger for power and wealth, there are wrong

people in every walk of life and unfortunately in the present day society

these elements are more visible than earlier. Their external appearance and

behaviour are not what they are actually by themselves. All these disguises

are just for filling one's own belly. Such persons may not be as dangerous

in the society as they are in the path of spirituality. Once in the line of

spirituality, one may be intelligent and knowing quite a few intrinsic

facts, but when one fails to live upto these noble expressions, it is just

useless. It means, one sees but yet one fails to see and implement the noble

lessons of life.

 

If so, what is the use of all these disguising appearances, if not for the

sake of filling one's own stomach?