Bhaja Govindam Bhaja Govindam
“Adi Shankaracharya wrote a number of Vedantic works for imparting knowledge of
the Self and the Universal Spirit. He also composed a number of hymns to foster
Bhakti in the hearts of men. One of these hymns is the famous Bhaja Govindam .
The way of devotion, is not different from the way of knowledge or jnana. When
intelligence matures and lodges securely in the mind, it becomes wisdom. When
wisdom is integrated with life and issues out in action, it becomes bhakti.
Knowledge, when it becomes fully mature is bhakti. If it doesnot get transformed
into bhakthi, such knowledge is useless tinsel. To believe that jnana and
bhakti, knowledge and devotion are different from each other, is ignorance. If
Sri Adi Shankara himself who drank the ocean of jnana as easily as one sip's
water from the palm of one's hand, sang in his later years, hymns to develop
devotion, it is enough to show that jnana and bhakti are one and the same. Sri
Shankara has packed into the Bhaja Govindam song: the substance of all vedanta,
and set the oneness of jnana and bhakti to melodious music.”
Sthapakaya cha dharmasya …
Sarva dharma svarupne …
Avatara varsthaya …
Ramakrishnaya te namah…..
Bhaja Govindam Bhaja Govindam …
Govindam bhaja moodhamathe …
Samprapte sannihite kaalenahi …
Nahi rakshati dukrinkarane …
Word to Word Meaning
Bhaja – seek
Govinda - the lord Govinda
Moodhamathe - o fool, o ignoramus
Samprapte - (when) comes
Sannihite - appointed
Kaale – time
Nahi - surely never
Rakshati – saves
Dukrinkarane - grammar rule.
Meaning
Seek or worship Govinda, seek Govinda, seek Govinda, O fool or ignoramus. When the death comes at the appointed time, grammar rules will not save or rescue you.
By repeating the words "Bhaja Govindam " thrice in the very first two lines of the first sloka itself, jagatguru Sri Adi Sankaracharya is trying to bring home the point that human being has no other escape except immersing oneself in the thoughts of lord, and praying with utmost sincerity, reciting the divine namas of the lord rather than getting engrossed in anxieties to possess wealth or acquire social status or achievements. Here the rules of grammar mean all secular knowledge and earthly acquisitions or possessions. The one who runs after materialistic gains is moodhamathi . The purport of these words is that any amount of knowledge cannot save the soul when death knocks at the door of this limited body. At that time, one has to leave behind one's material benefits and social status. These acquisitions will not help one gain the knowledge of the soul, which is permanent, when the impermanent body withers, it turns out to be a dead-wood. It does not mean that one should shun away the pursuit of living for knowledge, but, at the same time, one should understand its limited capacity, and one should seriously try to acquire that knowledge which alone can save a person from the slavery of imperfections. We should remember the truth that it is a manifested world and it is impermanent. Other than god or soul, everything else is temporary. Death will snatch away the existence of the body and the manifested world. What is the use of all the acquisitions and secular knowledge then? So, while living in this secular world, or materialistic world, one should endeavor to understand and master the secret of purposeful life. One should identify oneself with the lord, who can only give solace to the parched materialistic lives. One should progress spiritually after each death, instead of getting deeper and deeper into mundane pleasures. It is rather sad that quite a few of us are of the opinion that spirituality is for those who retired from employment or aged people. The intellect, which has not been trained to remember god till one attains sixty years, will never resort to spirituality after that. Even if it does, for argument sake, what is guarantee that the cruel hands of death will not embrace one before that? So, one should understand the fallacy of this argument and train the mind from the childhood itself to start practicing recitation of the lord's name with every breath that one inhales and exhales, otherwise it is just impossible to remember god's name at the time of death. It is, therefore, imperative that one should keep repeating the divine namas of lord at every possible moment. Bhaja does not mean monotonous and routine ritual with mechanical chanting of some selected namas or mantras. It is rather much deeper than that. The true bhajan of lord is to offer true seva or service to lord with love and devotion and in that sense, every human being is a lord. Bhagavan is bhava graahi. He does not get enamored or attracted by the pomp and show of the devotee. he looks deep into the heart of the devotee to see how much sincere one is while worshiping him or serving the needy, treating them as (the) god himself (i.e., manava sevahi madhava seva).
There are nine types of service to be offered at the feet of lord. A devotee can adopt any one, according to one's choice and temperament. They are
1. sravanam(listening to the stories or glory of lord),
2. keertanam (singing the glory of the lord),
3. smaranam (constantly thinking about the nature and beauty, divine qualities and characteristics of the lord,
4. paadasevaram (adorning the sacred feet of lord in a spirit of self-obliteration),
5. archanam (worshiping the lord with rituals, mantras and with self-less love),
6. vandanam (salute or to pay obeisance to the lord),
7. dassyam (serving the lord),
8. sakhyam (invoking an affectionate friendship with lord, and
9. aatma nivedanam (to offer oneself with complete dedication or total surrender to the lord as a humble gift at his altar).
Every devotee has the liberty to choose a path that is convenient and appealing to one to realize the god. In all the above modes of worship, the spirit of bhaja is visible. With this bhavanam, the devotee has to worship the Govinda, who is the knower of each atom of this universe. He is the very essence of all animate and inanimate beings in this universe. So, Govinda is the atman, Govinda is the brahman, Govinda is the highest reality and the very essence of this universe. Each devotee should seek one's identity with that spirit, force, reality, truth and supreme braman or god, instead of wasting one's time in materialistic pursuits of secular knowledge for worldly possessions, name and fame.
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Kuru sadbuddhim manasi vitrishnaam …
Yallabhase nijakarmopaattam…
Vittam tena vinodaya chittam...
Bhaja Govindam .. Bhaja Govindam ..
Word to Word Meaning
Moodha - o fool
Jaheehi - give up
Dhanaagamatrishnaam - the thirst to possess wealth
Kuru – create
Sadbuddhim - thoughts of reality
Manasi - in (your) mind
Vitrishnaam - devoid of passion
Yat - with whatever
Labhate - you get as a reward of your past actions (yallabhase)
Nijakarma - by your actions
Upaattam -obtained (nijakarmopaattam)
Vittam - the wealth
Tena - with that
Vinodaya –entertain
Chittam - your mind.
Meaning
O fool, give up your (insatiable) thirst or desire to possess or a mass wealth and earthly objects, devote and develop your mind to thoughts of serenity, contentment and reality, be happy and satisfied with whatever you get as a reward of your past actions and entertain your mind with such noble thoughts.
After attacking the desire of acquiring mere scholarship in the first sloka, Sri Adi Sankaracharya attacks the desire of amassing wealth in this sloka. The extrovert human being goes away not only from reality but also from himself. He searches for happiness outside himself in possessing or amassing earthly objects, wealth, name, status, fame, etc. While struggling for these mundane pleasures, he loses equipoise due to greed, lust, power, and many such evils. He completely immerses in samsaara and invites sorrow and enjoys temporary happiness. He forgets his originality, which is endless peace and selfless love. Every such extrovert is a fool as one is suffering from one's own ignorance, because all the satisfaction that one gets from wealth and worldly objects is temporary. Acquiring wealth is not wrong, but the insatiable desire to keep on acquiring wealth is a sin and one has to give it up sooner than later. There is no need to condemn those objects which give physical happiness, but one's relationship with them is always limited and transitory. While meditating on reality, it is easy for one to use one's discriminatory intelligence and enjoy the worldly objects with a passionless mind. The whole problem is with the mind. If mind is withdrawn from the sensory objects and the objects of entertainment, it stops from dissipating itself on mundane pleasures it will become empty and its infinite power starts working. So, it is very important to cleanse the mind off its lust for objects, greed for possessions, covetousness for wealth, hungry for power, and worry for status in the society and apply the same mind to contemplate on reality, the eternal Brahman. One has to live in this world in contentment and satisfaction with what everyone gets as a result of one's past deeds. Desires multiply as long as we keep on satisfying them. With increasing hunger to satisfy desires, one gets deeper and deeper into that quicksand and loses peace of mind and ultimately ends up in frustration. Wealth can purchase only sense-gratification that too for a limited period of time but if one wants permanent peace of mind, the only recourse is to contemplate on god. So, all methods we apply to acquire wealth will only lead unto disarray and disintegration and results finally in degradation, as attachment brings endless worries. True enjoyment stems from true renunciation. The fundamental truth is that one will never get god through greed for wealth. One has to make sincere efforts to raise one’s sense objects above the mundane and selfish requirements, as one grows from childhood to adulthood, one does not pay much attention to the toys available in the market, but the child accompanying one, may get attracted to them, the same way one should try to raise one’s mind above the earthly objects by using ones viveka or discriminatory powers.
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Taavannijaparivaaro raktah…
Paschaajeevati jarjjaradehe…
Vaartaam kopi na prichchati gehe..
Bhaja Govindam …. Bhaja Govindam …
Word to Word Meaning
Yaavath - as long as
Vith - of wealth
Upaarjana - to earn
Saktah - (is bent upon) has the ability
Taavath - so long
Nija parivaarah - your dependents
Raktah - attached (to you)
Paschaat - afterwards (later on)
Jeevati - lives (comesto live)
Jarjjar - infirm
Dehe - body
Vaartaam - word
Kopi - anyone
Na - not
Prichchati - cares to speak (asks)
Gehe - at home
Meaning
As long as one is fit and able to earn and support one's family, all the kith and kin and dependents attached are affectionate to him, no sooner one becomes old and infirm and ones earnings cease, no one cares to enquire of his well-being even in one's own home.
Man is essentially selfish and without expecting something in return, he will not do anything. Even the intimate relationships between persons in a family are mostly deferential towards the earnings and savings of a person. Therefore, most of the relationships either in the family or in the society are dependent on one's ability to earn materialistic pleasures. Only that person, who is rich and wealthy, earns reverence, respect, power and is adored by others, as most of the people are under the wrong notion or delusion that only money can purchase anything and everything. It may be true in a materialistic sense, but it is rather an obstruction in one's spiritual progress if one does not realize the truth that the riches are transitory and may leave one at any time. If money can purchase happiness, then it is but natural that the absence of it can procure only sorrow. Wealth does not mean only money, but it also means, power, social status, physical strength, secular knowledge and many such materialistic qualities. Human life being what it is, faculties and capacities must necessarily wane away, since age must sap all physical and intellectual efficiencies. Sri Adi Sankaracharya says, keeping this fundamental truth in mind, that one can be popular and beloved of the people around him only so long as one is capable of earning wealth. When one's capacity wanes away with the age and the body becomes infirm and decays, all those around, who once was their social strength, leave and a time comes even the family members desist from speaking with that person. So, one should not misunderstand and live in illusion that popularity, consideration, affection and even reference of other human beings is permanent or the very goal of life. One has to earn inner-peace and tranquility by surrendering oneself to the ultimate truth. This sloka is a warning against vanities of life and by contemplation, curbing the mind away from the false values and deceptive sense of security, one has to struggle to dedicate oneself in devotion in the service of the permanent source of knowledge. It is possible only through constant practice when one is young and one’s faculties and mental efficiencies are at the prime, so that by the time one becomes old, one is in a position to visualize the truth of life and succeeding attaining it as one is nearing the concluding part of one's journey. The real achievement is to be gained in one's own personal inner contemplation by clinging to the sacred feet of Govinda , so that even long before the world comes to reject, one can reject the world of activities and retire into a higher world, where only the supreme truth or Govinda exists.
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Harati nimeshaatkaalah sarvam…
Maayaamayamidamakhilam hitvaa…
Brahmapadam tvam pravisa viditvaa...
Bhaja govindam , bhaja govindam
Word to Word Word to Word Meaning:
Maa - do not,
Kuru - take,
Dhana - in possession,
Jana - in the people,
Yauvan -in youth,
Garvam - pride,
Harati - loots away (takes away),
Nimeshaat - in a moment,
Kaalah - the time,
Sarvam - all these,
Maayaamayam - full of illusory nature,
Idam - this,
Akhilam - all,
Hitvaa - after learning or knowing,
Brahmapadam- the state of brahman,
Tvam - you,
Pravisa - enter into,
Viditvaa - after realising.
Meaning
The pleasures of worldly life, such as wealth, friends and youth, are deceptive appearances. Do not boast of them. Understand that each one of these is destroyed within a minute by time. Be detached and dispassionate from the illusion of the world of maya and cultivate renunciation and realize the state of brahman.
One gets entangled in samsaara due to the attachment to the tools of Maya, such as wealth, friends, youth, etc. These are all false vanities and hollow conceits, which will vanish in no time, if fortune begins to frown on one. One should not, therefore, be proud of one's wealth, youth, health, etc. All the arrogance born out of these false attachments will change in a moment into shame, because of their instability. One invites problems when one maintains relationship with the world of objects, feelings and thoughts through one's body, mind and intellect. Indulgence in sense enjoyment will lead to miseries. The desire to possess and enjoy will one day end in dissipation, as these sense objects will wither away with the time. Wealth is neither constant nor stable. Many human beings are slaves to this aspect of Maya, as the materialistic world is completely dependent on this. Likewise, the other faces of Maya are youth and friends. As we learnt from the earlier slokas, the relationship with kith and kin is proportionate to the wealth one possesses. Once it is vanished, all the relationships will vanish in no time. The youth of today will be an elderly person of tomorrow. One cannot escape from the kala-chakra, i.e., jaws of the wheel of time. With the passage of time, the body decays and perishes .Sri Adi Sankaracharya, therefore, warns that one should not dissipate one's energies in these false vanities. Instead, realizing the illusory nature of this world of objects, one should concentrate and realize the state and true nature of Brahman. Only that will give relief from the vicious cycle of birth-death-birth.
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Sayyaa bhootalamajinam vaasah…
Sarvaparigraha bhogatyaagah…
Kasya sukham na karoti viraagah...
Bhaja Govinda, Bhaja Govindam
Word to Word Meaning:
sura mandir taru moola
nivaasah - dwelling (sheltering) in temples, under some trees,
sayyaa - bed (sleeping),
bhootalam - on the naked ground,
ajinam - (wearing)) skin (deer's)
vaasah - cloth,
sarva parigrahah - of the possession,
bhogah -of thirst to enjoy,
tyaagah - renouncing,
kasya - whose,
sukham - happiness,
na- not,
karoti - brings,
viraagah - dispassion.
Meaning
No one can disturb the peace of mind and vairaagya, if one is willingly taking shelter in some temples, under some trees, sleeping on the naked ground, wearing deer skin, and thus renouncing all idea of possession and thirst to enjoy.
Real happiness is an internal state of mind, but not comes from an external object. There is no other means to gain and enjoy bliss except through perfect renunciation. There is no one in the world who can be pointed out as the happiest man, even though one is filthy rich in all respects, because one day this person has also to leave this world and the body. By renouncing the entire idea of possession and relinquishing all exercises to acquire materialistic pleasure, one lives happily, ever self-sufficient, as one has discovered an inexhaustible well of joy and a rich mind of true satisfaction in one's own deep within. When renunciation is only external, and when there is still the sense of attachment within, one cannot discover the true joy of living. So, renunciation should be external as well as internal in all aspects of life and at all costs. Then only one can reach the stage of desirelessness, not as a result of deliberate running away from life, but due to a positive experience of intense self-sufficiency felt and lived within.
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Gangaajalalavakanikaa peetaa..
Sakridapi yena muraarisamarchaa..
Kriyate tasya yamena na charchaa...
Bhaja govindam , bhaja govindam
Word to Word Meaning:
Bhagavat gita - the bhagavad geeta,
Kinchid - (even) a little,
Adheetaa - has studied,
Gangaajalalavakanikaa - a drop of ganga water,
Peetaa - has sipped,
Sakrit api - at least once,
Yena - by whom,
Muraarisamarchaa - worship of the lord murari (murasta ari - the enemy of mura, a raakshasa), kriyate - is done,
Tasya -to him,
Yamena - with yama, the lord of death,
Na - never,
Charchaa - quarrel (discussion).
Meaning:
Even a little study and understanding of Srimad Bhagavad Gita, or sipping of even a drop of the waters of holy ganges or even a little worship of Murari will surely save one from confrontation with Yama, the lord of death.
While Srimad Bhagavad Gita explains in detail what exactly is the secret essence and goal of life and what are the methods by which these can be achieved? The perennial river Ganges symbolizes the "spiritual knowledge" for the Hindus. Until the ego (or shall we call it mura, the raakshasa) in us is annihilated, there is no hope of realizing the real truth or knowledge. Man is basically bound by the body-consciousness and the ego-sense, arising out of false identification with matter. This can be removed only by devoted worship and prayer at the altar of the very destroyer of ego (Murari). In the process, one has to withdraw one's mind from all other preoccupations and keep reminding it of the goal and then nurture of the self is the only method by which one can reach the destination. The one, who has acquired the real knowledge, i.e., sastraas, and has the burning desire to reach the goal, should put in untiring efforts to reach the destiny and such a sadhaka will not have fear of death.
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Punarapi jananeejathare sayanam…
Iha samsaare bahudustaare…
Kripayapaare paahi murare...
Bhaja Govindam , Bhaja Govindam
Word to Word Meaning:
Punah api - once again,
Jananam - birth,
Punah api - once again,
Maranam - death,
Punarapi - (and) again,
Jananeejathare - in the mother's womb,
Sayanam - lying,
Iha - here,
Samsaare - in this samasaare (process),
Bahudustaare - (samsaara)which is very hard to cross over,
Apaare - (samsaara) which has no end,
Kripayapaare- through thy infinite kindness,
Paahi - save,
Murare - o destroyer of demon mura.
Meaning
Undergoing the pangs of birth again and again, passing through the throes of death again and again, lying in the mother's womb over and over again, this process of samsaara is very hard to cross over without the infinite kindness of lord (Murari). O merciful father, kindly save me.
As Geetacharya instructed and preached, the only path to get rid of the vicious cycle of birth-death-birth is to incessantly pray lord to shower his bountiful and infinite kindness on us. Our prayers should be so powerful and strong that they should cross the outer periphery of our being and penetrate into his kingdom in our innermost-self and outside (as one imagines in dwaita bhaava) and melt him. Then only he will bestow his benign blessings on us or come down to save us from this samsaara, as he saved Gajendra, Prahlada, Ambarisha and many such great souls, in response to their sincere prayers. To develop such an intense feeling, one has to resort to sadhana and there is no other way out except this. And as Geetachaarya says, one has to give up all other paths, surrender oneself completely to him and then he shall save one from every sin and one does not need to grieve. This assurance will become true only when our inner-self is free from all kinds of malice for anything and anybody. The desires give birth to ego and from that stems all problems and karmas, which bind one to take birth again and again. Once one gets entangled in this vicious circle, the vasaanas of earlier births will make life difficult in this birth,unless and until one realizes the futility of taking support assuming that the world of objects and beings will give one permanent pleasure. So, one has to live upto the sahaja vaasanaas and to exhaust them through actions undertaken without ego and egocentric desires, so that no new vaasana may precipitate in us. In other words, all actions should be done with samarpana bhaava or with an attitude of dedication, in a spirit of yagna and with an idea to serve for the sake of loka kalyaanam or for the welfare of the world. When such an attitude is perfected and the thought-disturbances calm down, then one transcends and experiences the bliss of infinite spirit. From that point onwards, a new life starts, where there is no room for any thoughts. The soul dictates the brain to act for the sake of society rather than one’s own selfish ends. Thus, one is relieved from the causes of repeated births totally. Like this, one has to surrender oneself to his grace, imploring and beseeching for his mercy, as he is karunasagara and only he can excuse one, in spite of allthe sins one commits. Only he can destroy the mura in us to make us eligible to enter into his kingdom. To become eligible we constantly invoke godly vaasanaas in us.
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Dhyeyam sreepatiroopamajasram…
Neyam sajjanasange chittamdeyam …
Deenajanaaya cha vittam...
Bhaja Govindam , Bhaja Govindam
Word to Word Meaning:
Geyam - is to be chanted (sung),
Geetaa - bhagavad geeta,
Naamasahasram - sahasranaamam,
Dhyeyam - is to be meditated upon,
Sripati - the form of the lord of Lakshmi,
Ajasram - always,
Neyam - (the mind) is to be led,
Sajjana sange - in the association (company) of the good,
Chittam - the mind,
Deyam - is to be distributed,
Deenajanaaya cha - to the needy,
Vittam - wealth.
Meaning
Regularly sing the glory of god as given in Srimad Bhagavad Gita and Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam, always meditate upon the form of Aadi Purusha Sri Maha Vishnu, the lord of Lakshmi, make every effort to take the mind towards the company of the good, noble and holy, and share the wealth with the poor and needy.
So far the commentaries of all the slokas has removed one doubt very clearly that without true knowledge, life in this world is a mixture of sorrow and pleasure, and this mixture only helps increasing body-consciousness and over a period of time, life will become a hell. In other words, one will be tossed up and down by temporary pleasures and pains. Sri Adi Sankaracharya prescribes four important points to put into practice sincerely. They are,
1. Regular reading of srimadbhagavad gita,
2. Daily recitation of Sri Vishnu Sahasranamams or worship of Sri Maha Vishnu,
3. Keep the company of the good, noble and holy people, and
4. Serve the poor and the needy by sharing the wealth one has.
Only knowledge of self will give solace and strength to bear and tide over the sorrows and pleasures in life. The easy way to obtain this true knowledge of the self is to read, understand and practice the principles laid down in Srimad Bhagavad Gita and meditate upon that primordial sakti, which is all-pervading, in and through the atom to atma, i.e., Vishnu or god. Again Sri Adi Sankaracharya prescribed a convenient and at the same time scientific and time-tested method to do this also. He says that when the mind is drawn to something evil, seek the company of the good, noble and holy people. If you have wealth, spend it with full joy, for the sake of those who do not have, the poor, to wipe their tears, instead of squandering carelessly in wasteful deeds. Sri Adi Sankaracharya is suggesting here two pronged strategy to break open the shackles that we put on ourselves by conditioning our thoughts and actions. He says, first, that read Srimad Bhagavad Gita, as it explains both the goal and the path and also gives different techniques of living and, secondly, recite the thousand names of the lord with one-pointed devotion. It means very clearly that by reading and understanding Srimad Bhagavad Gita one acquires the true knowledge and with that one learns to distinguish between shreyas and preyas, good and bad, true and false, permanent and impermanent, pleasure and pain and chose that one, which is good for the development and refinement of the self, and by reciting the thousand names of the lord, i.e., Sri Vishnu Sahasranamams, one develops devotion on that force, which is running the whole universe every minute in a systematic and orderly manner from time immemorial. As one keeps doing these two regularly, one is definite to learn both the knowledge required to refine the soul and intensify bhakti in ones heart over a period of time. The path will become very clear if one tries to approach the goal from these two paths, although if one opts for one path, at the end of it, one will come to know about the second path automatically. Therefore, one path, i.e., either knowledge or devotion, is sufficient, but so as to quicken the process, i personally believe, it is better to have these two legs to walk properly. Reading any holy book with full devotion and with a sincere approach to learn the basic truth coupled with regular sadhana will help one to understand the maya and ultimately to overcome it by his grace.as the fish, which are close to the net, do not fall in the net, so as the devotees, who are close to the feet of the lord do not get entangled in the maya-chakra.mere study does not lead one to anywhere, although study is absolutely necessary for the intellectual satisfaction of the seeker. Unless the ideas gained from reading scriptures are diligently put into practice in one's life, the acquired knowledge will not get one the required result. The biggest enemy of human being is his ego. Sincere and devotional reading of holy books will fill one's heart with humility, love and real joy. The first and the strongest sign of ego is development of body-consciousness. Identifying oneself with "i" is the biggest stumbling block for the spiritual progress. Most of the human beings are under the wrong notion that one gets real pleasure if one succeeds in keeping the body comfortably. Srimad Bhagavad Gita teaches the basic difference between the body and the soul and how to overcome the body-consciousness, so that one is always established in the soul-consciousness, which is the real happiness. Like-wise, surrendering oneself at the altar of Narayana by reciting Sri Vishnu Sahasranamams and thereby getting oneself attuned to him is the true worship. By attuning oneself with the sacred names of the lord, the devotee tries to elevate oneself to those noble qualities of the lord.all the efforts at study and worship of the devotee can be washed down in a single moment's passion, desire or lust, as it has such a power that it torpedoes the strong walls of will power. It is, therefore, essential to keep the company of noble and holy souls, so as to get encouragement and strengthen the will power. Charity being made with true feeling will make one understand that the needs and requirements of others are as important as one's own. The charity must flow from one's own abundance and it should be done without any pomp and show, with a sense of brotherhood. Sensory pleasures are momentary and lead to grief. If one gets used to the pleasures, which the senses give, an insatiable craving for them set in again and again. Therefore, one has to realize this truth and do not attach any importance whatsoever to the pleasures which come from the senses. Equanimity of mind is alone the true joy.by renouncing the fruits of action, i.e., attachment, but not the action, which is the duty, itself, is the only possible path to lead a life free from sensual pleasures and selfishness. One has to learn to do every action as a form of worship to god, according to Srimad Bhagavad Gita. So, what has to be renounced sincerely is the desire and the attachment with an intention and spirit of dedication to god. What one can do to achieve this is to turn the intentions behind all actions towards good, positive or spiritual channels, as, at times, it may be difficult to by-pass or change the native and in-born tendencies. While constantly remembering all the ideas enlisted above, one has to learn to recognize the truth that one infinite life is running through in everybody’s heart and everywhere in the society and respect every human being with such a feeling that he or she is the lord him/herself. Otherwise, all other ostentatious and elaborate worships of lord or pretensions will not give one salvation
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Naasti tatah sukhalesah satyam…
Putraadapi dhanabhaajaam bheetih…
Sarvatraishaa vihitaa reetih...
Bhaja govindam , bhaja govindam
Word to Word Meaning:
Artha - wealth,
Anartham - (is) calamitous or ruinous,
Bhaavaya - (thus) reflect,
Nityam - constantly,
Na asti - there is no,
Tatah - from it,
Sukhalesah - (even) a little happiness,
Satyam - truth,
Putraat api - even from his own son,
Dhanabhaajam - to the rich,
Bheetih - there is fear,
Sarvatra - everywhere,
Eshaa -this,
Vihitaa - is (the ordained),
Reetih - the way.
Meaning
Wealth is ruinous as there is no (real) joy in it. Reflect thus at all times. A rich man is frightened even by his own son. This is the way with wealth everywhere.
Like any evil, amassing wealth also leads to unassuming problems. There is nothing wrong in earning to make a living, but the objection is against avarice, hunger to earn and accumulate more and more wealth. With the accumulation of wealth, the desires also increase, which ultimately breed pain and misery. It is also difficult to keep the accumulated wealth safe from others like thieves and cheats and a time comes even one's own son or kith and kin may become enemy. The so-called source of strength will become a source of fear for the miserable man, who amasses wealth. Natural love disappears due to fear and ego.in fact, the real happiness lies in sharing and the real joy comes when one relishes the idea of distributing or sharing of one’s excess wealth, whether it is food, money, clothing or anything that is required for subsistence by the needy. Excessive money or wealth is not a source of happiness by itself. It has a limit and anything beyond will become a cause for concern, anxiety and unhappiness. Unfortunately, in the present day world, most of us are under the false belief that a bundle of currency notes will bring us happiness. Thinking so, we become its slaves. At the end of the journey, everyone has to go on two bamboo sticks and the amassed money or wealth will not accompany the one who sacrificed one's life to accumulate it. In some cases, the siblings start fighting with each other and come to blows or try to kill each other over the property. Any number of reasons or any length of argument to hoard money for self or for dependents will not justify it for the simple reason that the excess it is accumulated the more contempt it breeds and the more problems it invites. The grip of maaya is so strong and powerful in us that we never give different aspects of life their right and appropriate value for enrichment. It is really strange that money was discovered and made by man and yet man has become its slave. One should not delude oneself thinking that one can feel secured by amassing wealth. One should learn to do the duty without any attachment and only such an attitude will give happiness. The foolish man wastes one's entire life for wealth by giving exaggerated importance to it thereby breeding subhuman impulses. The money-mania would make one jealous and conceit and it gives false confidence that one is very powerful. When one possesses money, wealth is a blessing, but when it is allowed to possess one, then the wealth is a curse.
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Samsaaraadachiraadbhava muktah
Sendriyamaanasaniyamaadevam
Drakshyasi nijahridayastham devam...
Bhaja Govindam , Bhaja Govindam
Word to Word Meaning
Guru charan ambuja nirbhara bhaktah - great devotee of the lotus-feet of the teacher,
Samsaarat - from the samsaara,
Achiraat - soon,
Bhava muktah - become liberated,
Sendriya maanas niyamat - through the discipline of the sense organs and the mind,
Evam - in this manner,
Drakshyasi - you will experience,
Nija hridayastham - that dwells in one's own heart,
Devam - the lord.
Meaning
O devotee of the lotus-feet of the teacher! May you become liberated soon from the samsaara through the discipline of the sense-organs and the mind? You will experience (behold) the lord that dwells in your own heart.
Our body is the temple and the soul in it is god. It is our duty to keep both the body and the soul pure by guarding them from defilement. There are several means suggested by our great ancestors, which are valid for all times. These suggestions were time tested and proven beyond an iota of doubt. It is our duty and utmost endeavor to put them in practice. While making mental obeisance to these great masters and personages, we should resign ourselves to the will of god.it is the practice in Hindu tradition to learn any sacred scripture at the feet of guru in Gurukul. The disciple used to put his complete faith in the guru and the guru used to free the disciple from the vagaries of birth and death. Such was the sacred bond between the guru and sishya. But, time has changed and in the present day world, it is very difficult to get a competent guru and a sincere disciple. With that, the practice of being directly instructed by a guru has almost ceased. Under the present circumstances, i personally feel that there is nothing wrong to treat the photo of ishta daivam, holy book or a temple as guru, but the only important condition is earnest desire and complete devotion to obtain liberation. Nothing less than that at any cost. Faith is the secret power in the human mind to hold on to what one intellectually believes and not yet come to experience in one’s life. Faith in god and faith inthe wisdom of guru are most important for the disciple to become liberated from samsaara soon, because once surrendered to the lotus feet of the guru, it is his burden to guide the disciple till he reaches the destination. But, the disciple, on his part, has to obey the guru, manasaa, vaacha and karmana so much so that he firmly believes that guru is god. Sincere adoration and devoted surrender to the guru are the most important ingredients. While establishing such a firm faith in guru, the disciple has to control his sense-organs and the mind so as to experience the lord that dwells in one's own heart.
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“Adi Shankaracharya wrote a number of Vedantic works for imparting knowledge of
the Self and the Universal Spirit. He also composed a number of hymns to foster
Bhakti in the hearts of men. One of these hymns is the famous Bhaja Govindam .
The way of devotion, is not different from the way of knowledge or jnana. When
intelligence matures and lodges securely in the mind, it becomes wisdom. When
wisdom is integrated with life and issues out in action, it becomes bhakti.
Knowledge, when it becomes fully mature is bhakti. If it doesnot get transformed
into bhakthi, such knowledge is useless tinsel. To believe that jnana and
bhakti, knowledge and devotion are different from each other, is ignorance. If
Sri Adi Shankara himself who drank the ocean of jnana as easily as one sip's
water from the palm of one's hand, sang in his later years, hymns to develop
devotion, it is enough to show that jnana and bhakti are one and the same. Sri
Shankara has packed into the Bhaja Govindam song: the substance of all vedanta,
and set the oneness of jnana and bhakti to melodious music.”
Sthapakaya cha dharmasya …
Sarva dharma svarupne …
Avatara varsthaya …
Ramakrishnaya te namah…..
Bhaja Govindam
Bhaja Govindam Bhaja Govindam …
Govindam bhaja moodhamathe …
Samprapte sannihite kaalenahi …
Nahi rakshati dukrinkarane …
Bhaja Govindam .. Bhaja Govindam ..
Moodha jaheehi dhanaagamatrishnaam…
Kuru sadbuddhim manasi vitrishnaam …
Yallabhase nijakarmopaattam…
Vittam tena vinodaya chittam...
Bhaja Govindam .. Bhaja Govindam ..
Yaavadvittopaarjana saktah…
Taavannijaparivaaro raktah…
Paschaajeevati jarjjaradehe…
Vaartaam kopi na prichchati gehe..
Bhaja Govindam …. Bhaja Govindam …
Maa kuru dhanajanayauvanagarvam….
Harati nimeshaatkaalah sarvam…
Maayaamayamidamakhilam hitvaa…
Brahmapadam tvam pravisa viditvaa...
Bhaja govindam , bhaja govindam
Suramandiratarumoolanivaasah….
Sayyaa bhootalamajinam vaasah…
Sarvaparigraha bhogatyaagah…
Kasya sukham na karoti viraagah...
Bhaja Govinda, Bhaja Govindam
Bhagavadgeetaa kinchidadheetaa…
Gangaajalalavakanikaa peetaa..
Sakridapi yena muraarisamarchaa..
Kriyate tasya yamena na charchaa...
Bhaja govindam , bhaja govindam
Punarapi jananam punarapi maranam…
Punarapi jananeejathare sayanam…
Iha samsaare bahudustaare…
Kripayapaare paahi murare...
Bhaja Govindam , Bhaja Govindam
Geyam geetaanaamasahasram…
Dhyeyam sreepatiroopamajasram…
Neyam sajjanasange chittamdeyam …
Deenajanaaya cha vittam...
Bhaja govindam , bhaja govindam
Arthamanartham bhaavaya nityam….
Naasti tatah sukhalesah satyam…
Putraadapi dhanabhaajaam bheetih…
Sarvatraishaa vihitaa reetih...
Bhaja govindam , bhaja govindam
Gurucharanaambuja nirbharabhaktah
Samsaaraadachiraadbhava muktah
Sendriyamaanasaniyamaadevam
Drakshyasi nijahridayastham devam...
Bhaja Govindam , Bhaja Govindam
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