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H||1-
Introduction
Bhaja Govindam was written by Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya.
A biography of Shankara and his other compositions of vedic
literature can be found in the shankara.itx document.
Bhaja govindaM is one of the minor compositions of the spiritual
giant, Adi Shankaracharya . It is classied as a
prakaraNa grantha, a primer to the major works . Though sung as a bhajan,
it contains the essence of vedanta and implores 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 ?
The person thus awakened gets set on a path to the inner
road back to the God principle.
The background of Bhaja GovindaM is worth examining . During
his stay in Kashi, he noticed a very old man
studying the rules of sanskrit by Panini . Shankara was touched with pity
at seeing the plight of the old man spending his years at a mere
intellectual accomplishment while he would be better o praying and
spending time to control his mind . Shankara understood that the majority
of the world was also engaged in mere intellectual, sense pleasures and
not in the divine contemplation . Seeing this, he burst forth with the
verses of Bhaja govindaM.
In 31 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.
Shankara explains, nay chides, us for spending our time in
useless trivia like amassing wealth, lusting after (wo)men and requests
us to discriminate and cultivate the knowledge to learn
the dierence between the real and the unreal . To emphasise that, he
concludes that
all knowledge other than the Self-Knowledge is useless,
Shankara makes the person
realize how foolish he/she is in the conduct and behavior by these verses, and
shows the purpose of our worldly existence, which is to seek
Govinda and attain Him.
Bhaja govindaM is divided into dvAdasha manjarikA stotram
and chaturdasha manjarika stotram . At the end of composing the
rst stanza, it is said that Shankara burst forth
with the next 11 stanzas of bhaja govindam.
Thus stanzas 1-12 are called dvAdash manjarika stotram . Inspired by the
extempore recital by Shankara, each of his 14 disciples composed a verse
H| H|W|j |
+|j +|j T| <
m
Worship Govinda, worship Govinda, worship Govinda, Oh fool !
Rules of grammar will not save you at the time of your death.
j||j +|H
m|
H]
|j +|H |1
m|
~H |+|1|
|1 + |1+| | >
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.
+||-+ +||
>
1| |H||j|1
}-|H1H|| |1|
+|H |1|- 1| 1| ;
Do not get drowned in delusion by going wild with passions and
lust by seeing a womans navel and chest . These are nothing but
a modication of esh . Fail not to remember this again and
again in your mind.
+|+|H |
]||1|1
|1|j |~||+H.-
| |j H- <
The life of a person is as uncertain as rain drops trembling on a
lotus leaf . Know that the whole world remains a prey to
disease, ego and grief.
|1|]|1|+ H+:
-|1|W 1|1|| +:
1T||1| j
1|| ||1 + 1
| Hj J
So long as a man is t and able to support his family, see
what aection 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.
|111+| |+1H| j
|11
Hj
H1| 1|| j|1|
|| |1-| |--| -
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.
1|-|1|<|H+:
m-|1m|H+:
1
j-|1|-|H+:
1 1.q|m ||1 + H+: o var 1
;
The childhood is lost by attachment to playfulness . Youth is lost by
attachment to woman . Old age passes away by thinking over many
things . But there is hardly anyone who wants to be lost in
parabrahman.
| |-| - 1
:
HH|||1 |1|:
- 1 :
~||:
1 |- |j .|: c
Who is your wife ? Who is your son ? Strange is this samsAra, the world.
Of whom are you ? From where have you come ? Brother, ponder
over these truths.
HHj1 |+-Hj1
|+-Hj1 |+|j1
|+|j1 |+T1
|+T1 |1-
|+: _
From satsanga, company of good people, comes non-attachment,
from non-attachment comes
freedom from delusion, which leads to self-settledness . From
self-settledness comes JIvan muktI.
1|HH : ||1|:
+| : |H|:
T|m|1 : 1|1|:
3| 1 : HH|:
What good is lust when youth has ed ? What use is a lake
which has no water ? Where are the relatives when wealth is
gone ? Where is samsAra, the world, when the Truth is known ?
|
+ + |1+ H1
j| |+1||: H1
|||| |j1| var 1
~1|
1.q1 1 |1 |1|1|
Do not boast of wealth, friends, and youth . Each one of these
are destroyed within a minute by time . Free yourself from the
<
illusion of the world of Maya and attain the timeless Truth.
|+||-| H| |:
||1H-| 1
+||:
|: |<| H|
:
|1 +
||1|
: >
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.
]||||1:
|| 1 `|m-`1:
I1 |
|]L||+1
m`:
|-H1m`: >~
This bouquet of twelve verses was imparted to a grammarian
by the all-knowing Shankara, adored as the bhagavadpada.
| |-| + H|-|
1|
| 1 +||- |+-|
|H| H+H H| `|
1| 1|m1m +|| ;
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 of samsAra, get into
the boat of satsanga, company of good people, quickly.
Stanza attributed to Padmapada.
||
<|
| :
|1||11j
1 1:
1W|1 + 1|
:
I|+| 1j
1 1: <
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 orange, 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.
J
~j H| 1|
<
+|1j|+ |
<
1
j| || H
j|1| <
|1 +
|||1< J
Strength has left the old mans body; his head has become bald,
his gums toothless and leaning on crutches . Even then the
attachment is strong and he clings rmly to fruitless desires.
Stanza attributed to Hastamalaka.
~H. 1|q: 1
|+
:
||
H|1|+
:
|T-1|H:
|1 +
||1|: -
Behold there lies the man who sits warming up his body with the
re in front and the sun at the back; at night he curls up the
body to keep out of the cold; he eats his beggars 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.
Hj|H|HH+
1.1|1|+1| |+
3|+|1|j+: H1+
|+ + | -+ o var | +
|+
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 vArtikakAra.
H
|+1|H:
|
|+ 1|H:
H1 1|H.j |H |H:
- H
+ || |1|H: c
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 vairgya, could any fail to be content ?
-
Stanza attributed to nityAnanda.
|H| 1||H|1|
Hj| 1| Hj|1j|+:
- 1.q|m |
+-| +-| +-1 _
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 anandagiriH.
H1 H|| ||||
Hj| 1 |m|1||
H
|1 +
|| H|
| - + + | >
Let a man read but a little from gItA, drink just a drop of
water from the ganges, worship but once murAri . He then will
have no altercation with Yama . Stanza attributed to
dRiDhabhakta.
1
+|1 ++ 1
+|1 m
1
+|1 ++| +
=j HH| 1j
-|
1|1| 1||j
| >
Born again, death again, again to stay in the mothers womb !
It is indeed hard to cross this boundless ocean of samsAra . Oh
Murari ! Redeem me through Thy mercy.
Stanza attributed to nityanAtha.
| 1 |1| -:
1
|1
|11| 1-:
|H| |H|+|| ||
1||-1 1 >>
There is no shortage of clothing for a monk so long as there
are rags cast o the road . Freed from vices and virtues, onward
he wanders . One who lives in communion with god enjoys bliss,
pure and uncontaminated, like a child and as an intoxicated.
Stanza attributed to nityanAtha.
o
-1 |j
~||:
| ++| | |:
=| 1||1 H1H|
|1+ +1| -1+ |1| >;
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.
1| | |-`| |1m
|H H|jm
:
1 H|: H1 1
1|-||L| |1m
1 ><
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, have samabhAva, equanimity, always.
Stanza attributed to medhAtithira.
| | 1
1-|
|
+ |1H.jH-|
H1|-W|1 1||+
H1|H
|3|+ >J
Waste not your eorts to win the love of or to ght against
friend and foe, children and relatives . See yourself in
everyone and give up all feelings of duality completely.
Stanza attributed to medhAtithira.
| | | |j
+1||+ |1 |j var 1| H|j
~|3|+ |1j|+|
|:
1- +|+H
|: >-
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 suer there endlessly.
Stanza attributed to bhArativamsha.
c
H H|| +| Hj
~ |1| -1
+ H+ Hj |
|++| |1 >o
Regularly recite from the Gita, meditate on Vishnu 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 sumatir.
H
: | |||H:
1T|j- | |H:
L|1 | m m
|1 +
| 1|1|m >c
He who yields to lust for pleasure leaves his body a prey to
disease . Though death brings an end to everything, man does not
give-up the sinful path.
~+ |1 |+
+||-: H
: H
1
||1 + || ||:
H1`1| |1|j| ||: >_
Wealth is not welfare, truly there is no joy in it . Reect
thus at all times . A rich man fears even his own son . This is
the way of wealth everywhere.
|m|| |j|
|+||+ |11 |1|
|H H|||1|+
11|+ j1|+ ;
Regulate the prANa-s, life forces, remain unaected by external inuences
and discriminate between the real and the eeting . Chant the
holy name of God and silence the turbulent mind . Perform these
with care, with extreme care.
H
m|1
|+ :
HH||||1
+:
_
H|- |+H |+| 1
e|H |+ [- 1 ;
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 !
: T+ 1 `|m|
<
m|~+
|m:
| H1|`
1|| ~||H||m: ;>
Thus a silly grammarian lost in rules cleansed of his narrow
vision and shown the Light by Shankaras apostles.
H||1- H||1-
H||1-
+|-m|-
1|
+|j 1|| 1m ;;
Worship Govinda, worship Govinda, worship Govinda, Oh fool !
Other than chanting the Lords names, there is no other way
to cross the lifes ocean.
Appendix: Word meanings
The following words and meanings are added as an appendix to
allow the reader to learn Sanskrit words.
= worship;
H||1-= Govinda;
= O, foolish mind!;
H|= ( when you have) reached/obtained;
H|W|j= (in the) presence/nearness of;
|= Time (here:Lord of Death, Yama);
+|j= No; never;
T|= protects;
<
= Oh fool!;
j||j= jahi+iha, leave/give up+here(in this world);
+= wealth;
~H= coming/arrival;
m|= thirst/desire;
= Do;act;
H]
m|= desirelessness;
~H= yat.h+labhase, whatever+(you)obtain;
|+= nija+karma, ones+duty(normal work);
I1|= obtained;
|1= wealth;
+= by that; with that;
|1+|= divert/recreate(be happy);
|= mind;
>
+||= woman;
-+= breasts that are(full-with milk);
+|| = nAbhI+deshaM, navel+region/country;
1|1|:= family;
+:= attached;
1T|= later;
|1|= while living(without earning);
= old/digested (by disease etc);
j = in the body;
1||= word (here enquiry/inquiry);
||1= kaH+api, whosoever; even one;
+= not;
1
|= inquires/asks/minds;
Hj = in the house;
J
|1= so long as;
11+:= air/breath;
|+1H|= lives/dwells;
j = in thge body;
|1= till then;
1
|= asks/inquires;
= welfare;
Hj = in the house;
H1|= while gone;
1||= air(life-breath);
j|1|= when life departs the body;
||= wife;
|1-|= is afraid;fears;
|--|= tasmin.h+kaye, in that body;
-
1|:= young boy;
|1= till then (till he is young);
|<|= play;
H+:= attached/engrossed/absorbed;
m:= young man;
|1= till then;
m|= young woman;
H+:= attached/engrossed;
1
:= son;
HH|:= world/family;
~= this;
~|1= great/big/very much;
|1|:= wonderful/mysterious;
-= whose;
1= you;
:= who;
:= from where;
~||:= have come;
1= truth/nature;
|-= think well/consider;
|j= tat.h+iha, that+here;
.|:= brother;
c
HHj1 = in good company;
|+-Hj1= aloneness/non-attachment/detachment;
|+|j1= non-infatuated state/clearheadedness;
|+T1= tranquillity/imperturbability;
|1-
= do/act;
+= wealth;
+= people;
|1+= youth;
H1= arrogance/haughtiness;
j|= takes away/steals away;
|+1|= in the twinkling of the eye;
|:= Master Time;
H1= all;
||= delusion;
;
= full of/completely lled;
== this;
~|= whole/entire;
|j1|= having given up/abandoned;
1.q1= the state/position of Brahma/god-realised state;
1= you;
|1= enter;
|1|1|= having known/realised;
|+||-|= dina+yAminI, day + night;
H|= evening;
|:= morning;
||= frosty season;
1H-|= (and) Spring season;
1
+:= again;
~||:= have arrived;
|:= Master Time;
|<|= plays;
H|= goes (away);
~|
:= life/age;
|1= tat.h+api, then even;
+= not;
|= releases;
~||= desire;
1|
= was;
|1L|+1
= ;
|= ;
1= your;
+||-= na+asti, not there;
|+-|= controller;
|H|= in the three worlds;
H+= good people;
<
HH| `|= sa.ngatiH+ekA, company+(only) one (way);
1|= becomes;
1|m1= bhava+arNava, birth and death+ocean;
m= in crossing;
+||= boat/ship;
;
|:= with knotted hair;
= variously done/made-up;
1 1:= make-ups/garbs/roles;
1W|1= even after seeing;
+= cha(?)+na, and +not;
1|= sees;
:= the fool;
I|+|= for the sake of the belly/living;
1j
<= head;
+|1j|+= dashana+vihInaM, teeth+bereft;
|= having become;
<= jaws/mouth?;
1
|+
:= pRiShThe+bhAnuH, behind+sun;
||= in the night;
H|1|+
|= releases/lets go;
~||= desire;
J
1|= rope/ties;
-
|+= salvation/freedom;
+= not;
|= attains;
-= birth(s);
+= hundred;
o
H
= gods;
|= temple;
= tree;
= root;
|+1|H:= living;
|= bed;
= happiness;
+= not;
||= does;
|1|H:= Non-attachment/desirelessness;
c
|H:= indulging in yoga;
1|= or;
|H:= indulging in worldly pleasures;
1|= or;
Hj:= indulging in good company;
1|= or;
Hj|1j|+:= bereft of company;
-= whose;
1.q|m= in Brahman(God);
= delights;
|= mind (here soul);
+-|= revels;
-
+-1= nandati+eva, revels alone/revels indeed;
_
H1 = gods;
H||= song (here the scripture bhagavatgItA);
||= a little;
~||= studied;
Hj|= river Ganga;
1= water drop;
|m|1||= a little droplet, drunk;
H
| = Oh MurAs enemy!(KriShNa);
>
|= ?;
1= torn/tattered cloth;
|1|= created;
-:= throated man;
1
|1
= virtues sins;
|11|= without/ having abandoned;
1-:= wayfarer?;
|H|= the man seeking union with god;
|H|+||= ccontrolled by yoga;
|:= mind;
= delights;
1||-1 1= like a child who has gone mad;
>>
:= who (are);
o
1= you;
:= who(am);
~j= I;
:= whence;
~||:= has come;
|= who;
= my;
++|= mother;
:= who;
= my;
|:= father;
=|= thus;
1||1= deem well/visualise;
H1= the entire;
~H|= worthless/without essence;
|1+= world;
+1|= having abandoned/sacriced;
-1+= dream;
|1|= consideration/thinking;
>;
1|= in yourself;
|= in myself;
|-`= cha+anyatra+ekaH, and+in any other place+only one;
|1m
= mayi+asahiShNuH, in me+intolerant;
1= become;
H|:= equal-minded/equanimity;
H1= everywhere;
1= you;
1||H= you desire;
~|| = without delay/in no time;
|= if;
|1m
= do;
+= eort;
|1H.jH-|= for war(dissension) or peace-making;
H1|-W|1= in all beings;
1||+= see your own self;
H1= everywhere;
IH
= give up;
c
|3|+= dierence/otherness/duality;
>J
|= desire;
|= anger;
|= greed;
|j= infatuation;
+1||+= having abandoned see as ones own self;
|1= deem/consider/visualise/imagine;
|j= who am I;
~|3|+= knowledge of self;
|1j|+|= bereft;
|= fools;
= they;
1-= are cooked?;
+= in the hell;
|+H
|= cast in;
>-
H= is to be sung;
H||= bhagavatgItA;
+|= name of the lord;
Hj= 1000 times;
~= is to be meditated;
|1|= LakShmis consort MahAviShNus;
-1= form/image;
~= the unborn one;
+= is to be lead/taken;
H+= good people;
Hj= in the company;
|= mind;
= is to be given;
|++|= to the poor (humble state) people;
= and;
|1= wealth;
>o
H
:= for happiness;
|= is done;
|||H= sexual pleasures?;
1T|j-= later on in the end;
| = in the body;
|H= disease;
L|1= even though;
| = in the world;
m= death;
m= resort/surrender;
|1= even then;
+= not;
|= releases/gives up;
1|1|m= pApa+AcharaNa, sin-practising;
_
>c
~= wealth;
~+= purposeless/in vain/danger-productive;
|1= deem/consider/visualise;
|+= daily/always;
+= not;
~|-= is;
:= from that;
H
m|1
+:= released;
H|- |+H= sa+indriya+mAnasa, wwith senses and mind;
|+| 1= control alone(niyamAt.h eva);
e|H= you will see;
|+= ones own;
[-= heart-stationed;
1= God;
;
= fool;
T+= cerain;
1 `|m= Grammar;
<
|m= awakened/aroused?;
|= honourable prex;
= Shankara;
H1= God;
|`:= disciples;
1||= having been taught/enlightened;
~||H= was/existed;
||m= tested or awakened senses;
;>
= worship;
H||1-= lord Govinda;
= Oh foolish mind!;
+|-m|= (exceept) through/from rememberance of the lords name;
~-= other;
I1|= plan/method/means;
+|j= not;
1|= we see;
1m= for crossing the ocean of births deaths;
;;
Encoded, proofread, and translated by M. Giridhar.
Please send corrections to sanskrit@cheerful.com
Last updated August 31, 2013
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>