Bhaja Govindam

Bhaja Govindam is a musical piece in Sanskrit composed by the great Hindu saint and
philosopher Adi Shankaracharya hundreds of years ago. In this piece, he describes the
trials and tribulations ("samskara" ) that everyone has to go through in this lifeand how
to escape the "life and death" odyssey by seeking Lord Govinda (the "protector" among
the Trinity of Gods in Hindu religion). It is written for the layman in simple verses that
can be chanted by anyone. Each verse ("sloka") may be sung in a different raga. There
are a total of about 31 slokas . In a deeper sense, by composing Bhaja Govindam, Adi
Shankara provided a simple tool with which one could develop Bhakti (unflinching faith)
for and identify with Lord Govinda.

(Original posting in newsgroups: rec.music.indian.classical

From: ramta@aol.com (Ramta)1995/04/23;
Edited & Formated:by Aswin Rangaswamy)

From ramasubr@ecn.purdue.edu Mon Sep 12 06:07:05 EDT 1994

Article: 8688 of rec.music.indian.classical

Here is a mixure of
(1) Lyrics and rAgAs for M S's "bhaja govindam" posted by Srini Pichumani

and

(2) Translation obtained from the book: Hymns of Sankara. The book gives detailed
explanation of the verses, for those interested. Thanks to Uma Maheswari who sent me a
copy of this the translation.

rAgam SANSKRIT VERSE TRANSLATION IN ENGLISH

bhaja govindam bhaja
Adore the lord, adore the lord,
govindam
Adore the lord O fool,
govindam bhaja
When the appointed time (for departure)
yamankalyANI mUDhamate
comes,
samprApte sannihite kAle
the repetition of grammatical rules will not
nahi nahi rakShati
indeed save you.
dukrunjkaraNe
mUDha jahihi
dhanAgamatrshNAm O fool, leave off the desire of wealth;
kuru sadbuddhim manasi create in the mind thoughts about reality,
brndAvana vitrshNam devoid of passion.
sAranga yallabhase nija what you get -i.e., what you have achieved
karmopAttam through your past deeds
vittam tena vinodaya -with that, satisfy your mind.
cittam
pantuvarAlI yavadvittopArjana As long as you have the ability to earn
saktah: money,
tAvannija parivAro so long will your dependents be attached to
raktah: you.
pashcAt jIvati jarjara After that, when you live with an infirm
dehe body,
 vArtAm kopi na prcchati
no one will even speak to you a word.
gehe
mA kuru dhana jana
Do not be proud of wealth, kindred and
youvana garvam
youth;
harati nimeShAt kala:
Time takes away all these in a moment.
sarvam
bAgEshrI Leaving aside this entire (world) which is of
mAyAmayam idam
the nature of
akhilam hitvA
an illusion, and knowing the state of
brahma padam tvam
brahman, enter into it.
pravisha vidhitvA
sura mandira taru mUla
nivAsa:
Living in temples or at the foot of the trees,
shayyA bhUtalam ajinam
sleeping on the ground, wearing deer-skin,
vAsa:
behAg renouncing all possession
sarva parigraha bhoga
and thier enjoyment - to whom will not
tyAga:
dispassion bring happiness?
kasya sukham na karoti
virAga:
bhagavat gIta For him, who has studied the Bhagavatgita,
kincitadhItA even a little,
gangAjalalava kaNikApitA who has drunk a drop of the Gangawater,
nAdanAmakriy
sahrdapi yena murAri and who has performed
A
samarca the worship of the destroyer of the demon
kriyate tasya yamena na Mura (viz Srikrishna)
carcA at least once, there is no tiff with Yama
punarapi jananam Repeated birth, repeated death and
punarapi maraNam repeated lying in
punarapi jananI jaTare mother's womb - this transmigratory
kApi
shayanam process is extensive and
iha samsAre bahudustAre difficult to cross; save me, O destroyer of
krpayA pAre pAhi murAre Mura, through your grace.
artham anartham
Wealth is no good: thus reflect always;
bhavaya nityam
there is not the
nAstitata: sukhalesha:
least happiness there from; this is the truth.
senjurutti satyam
For the wealthy there is fear even from a
putrAdapi dhana bhArjAm
son;
bhItih:
everywhere this is the regular mode.
sarvatraiShA vihitA rIti:
geyam gItA nAma The Bhagavatgita and the Sahasranama
sahasram should be sung;
dhyeyam shrIpati the form of the lord of Lakshmi ( Vishnu)
rUpamajashram should be always meditated on;
mohanam
neyam sajjana sange the mind should be led to the company of
cittam the good;
deyam dInajanAya ca and wealth should be distributed among the
vittam indigent.
sindubhairavI gurucharaNambuja Being devoted completely to the lotus-feet
 nirbhara bhakta: of the Master,
samsAradacIradbhava become released soon from the
mukta: transmigratory process.
sendriyamAnasa Thus, through the discipline of sense and
niyAmAdevam mind-control,
drakShyasi nija you will behold the deity that resides in
hrdayastam devam your heart.

Vishnu Sahasranamam (Sa-ha-sthra) is another great composition in theHindu

literature by "Grandsire" Bhishma, the senior most member of the Kaurava race in
Mahabharata. In the decisive battle that ensues between the Pandavas and Kauravas in
this epic, the legandary Bhishma puts up achivalrous fight against the heroic Arjuna, the
master archer of thePandavas but is defeated in the end and lays on a bed of arrows
("saratharpa") waiting for an auspicious moment to breathe his last. It is then that Lord
Krishna unfolds himself in his universal form ("Vishwarupa") and Bhishma sings 1000
names in the Lord's praise that came to be known as Vishnu Sahasranamam. The lyrics
are read as a poem or as "namavali" (literally means name calling). The names may not
be distinguished in the poem form but come up individually in "namavali".