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Bhaja Govindam ( Seek Govinda Seek God ) 2/3 -long-
BHAJA GOVINDAM ( SEEK GOVINDA - SEEK GOD) II
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About Bhaja Govindam:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bhaja Govindam is one of the minor compositions of Jagatguru Adi
Sankaracharya, compared to his monumental works called *Bhashyas*,
commentaries on Indian Scriptures. Bhaja Govindam, along with Atma
Bodha, etc., comes under the category of *Prakarana Granthas*,
introductory manuals for spiritual studies. They are like primers,
explaining the philosophical terms etc., for the spiritual initiates.
The elementary spiritual truths are brought to the fore in these
booklets and make man think, " Ah, this is life; I must seek escape
from this prison-hole and may God guide and help me". Man is thus
drawn out of miry bylanes of life in which he is stuck up and put
onto the royal road of spirituality, on the pathway to God !
A popular story describes the circumstances in which this great poem
burst forth the lips of Sankara. It is said that once in Banaras when
he, together with his fourteen disciples, was going along on his daily
rounds, he overheard a very old Pundit cramming Panini's grammer rules.
Sankara was touched with pity at the ignorance and folly of the man to
be wasting away the most precious 'dusk hours' of his life for a mere
intellectual accomplishment instead of spending them in contemplation
on the Lord, praying for spiritual enlightenment and for release from
the bondage of Samsara. He knew that this was not the state of that
particular old man only, but was the general state of most of the men.
Men waste and while away their lives in many (or most) futile ways,
grovelling in the mire of earthly attachments forgetting God who is the
only goal in life. In compassion for man's plight, he burst forth into
these stanzas, famous as MOHA MUDGARA, now popularly known by the
refrain of the song, which is *BHAJA GOVINDAM*.
"Oh, Mudha ! Oh, ignoramus ! Grammer rules (in fact all your secular
learning) will not come to your rescue when death knocks to snatch you
away. Instead of wasting away the precious span of your life in a
futile manner, turn to and seek Govinda, who alone can save you from
the jaws of life and death".
In thirty-one simple, sweet and lucid Slokas, giving homely analogies
and illustrations for our easy understanding, Sankara tells us about
the fallacy and futility of our life; and sloka by sloka he removes
veil after veil, dispelling our ignorance, illusions and delusions
(MOHA) and showing us where the remedy for all our misery lies. The
poem is, therefore also called MOHA MUDGARA. He touches all aspects of
our life, how these blind and bind us, plunging us deeper and deeper
into the abyss of ignorance and misery. He wants each one of us to
cultivate a discerning and discriminating eye (VIVEKA) to distinguish
the permanent from the transitory, the real from the unreal, to
practice dispassion (VAIRAGYA) for worldly attractions and
distractions, to cultivate devotion for realising Govinda, the abiding
Truth and thus getting released from the misery and bondage of this
phenomenal existence.
Verse 1:
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BHAJA GOVINDAM, BHAJA GOVINDAM
GOVINDAM BHAJA MUDHAMATE
SAMPRAAPTE SANNIHITE KALE
NA HI NA HI RAKSHATI DUKRINKARANE
Seek Govinda! Seek Govinda! Seek Govinda! Oh ignoramus, at the time
of death the rules of grammer, which you are trying to cram and
master, will not be able to rescue you at all.
(Grammer rules mean all secular knowledge and earthly acquistitions.
Mudhamati means a materialist, wholely worldly-minded, who does not
believe in God or the spiritual entity that is in man,
i.e., Nastika or Anatmavadi
Verse 2:
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MOODHA JAHEEHI DHANAAGAMATRISHNAAM
KURU SADBUDHIM MANASI VITRISHNAAM
YALLABHASE NIJAKARMOPAATHAM
VITHAM TENA VINODAYA CHITHAM
(BHAJA GOVINDAM, BHAJA GOVINDAM..........)
Oh, Fool! give up your insatiable desire for earthly possessions;
be sensible and develop serenity and contentment. Be satisfied
and happy with whatever you may earn by the sweat of your brow
and whatever has destiny marked for your lot.
Verse 3:
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NAAREE STHANABHARA NABHEEDESAM
DHRISHTWA MAA GAA MOHAVESAM
YETAN MAAMSAVASAADI VIKAARAM
MANASI VICHINTHAYA VAARAM VAARAM
(BHAJA GOVINDAM, BHAJA GOVINDAM..........)
Enticed by the physical glamour of a woman, do not lose your senses;
the body is nothing but a conglomeration of flesh, do not forget
this any time.
Verse 4:
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NALINEEDALAGATHA JALAMATITHARALAM
TADWAJJEEVITAMATHISHAYA CHAPALAM
VIDDHI VYADHYABHIMAANAGRASTAM
LOKAM SHOKAHATAM CHA SAMASTHAM
(BHAJA GOVINDAM, BHAJA GOVINDAM..........)
The water droplet on the lotus leaf is tremulous and unsteady.
So too is life which is as uncertain. Know the body to be in
the claws of disease, which may swallow it at any moment.
Life is ultimately nothing but worry, misery and grief.
Verse 5:
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YAAVADVITTOPAARJANA SAKTHAH
TAAVANNIJAPARIVAARO RAKTHAH
PASCHAAJJEEVATI JARJARADEHE
VAARTHAM KOPI NA PRICHCHATHI GEHE
(BHAJA GOVINDAM, BHAJA GOVINDAM..........)
As long as you are fit to make an earning, so long will your
kith and kin be solicitous about you, but no sooner your
limbs become infirm and your earnings cease, none will care for
you, not even your own home-folk.
Verse 6:
~~~~~~~~
YAAVATPAVANO NIVASATI DEHE
TAAVATPRICHCHATI KUSHALAM GEHE
GATAVATI VAAYO DEHAAPAAYE
BHAARYA BIBHYATI TASMINKAAYE
(BHAJA GOVINDAM, BHAJA GOVINDAM..........)
As long as there is life in your body, your people may have
concern for you, but once the life-breath ebbs out of your
body, even your own wife will run away from you.
Verse 7:
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BAALASTAAVAT KREEDAA SAKTHAH
THARUNASTAAVAT THARUNEESAKTHAH
VRIDDHASTAAVAT CHINTHAASAKTHAH
PARASE BRAHMANI KOPI NA SAKTHAH
(BHAJA GOVINDAM, BHAJA GOVINDAM..........)
Childhood skips off on sport and play. Youth flies off in
pursuits of love-making. As one grows older he is drowned
in worry about the security and future of his wife and
children. One's whole life gets spent in some kind of
worry or other. And at no stage does man find time to
lift his thoughts to God.
Verse 8:
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KAA TE KAANTAA KASTE PUTHRAH
SAMSAROYAMATEEVA VICHITRAH
KASYA TWAM KAH KUTHA AAYAATAH
TATWAM CHINTHAYA TADIHA BHARATAH
(BHAJA GOVINDAM, BHAJA GOVINDAM..........)
Who indeed is your beloved and who indeed is your son? Strange
indeed are these family bonds; who belongs to you and to whom you
belong? whence did you come, Oh brother! Reflect on the truth
of it all.
Verse 9:
~~~~~~~~
SATSANGATWE NISSANGATWAM
NISSANGATWE NIRMOHATWAM
NIRMOHATWE NISCHALATATWAM
NISCHALATATWE JEEVANMUKTHIH
(BHAJA GOVINDAM, BHAJA GOVINDAM..........)
The company of the good weans one away from false atttachments;
when attachment is lost, delusion ends; when delusion ends, the mind
becomes unwavering and steady. An unwavering and steady mind is merited
for Jeevan Mukti ( liberation even in this life).
Verse 10:
~~~~~~~~~
VAYASI GATE KAH KAMAVIKARAH
SHUSHKE NEERE, KAH KAASAARAH
KSHEENE VITHE KAH PARIVARO
GYNATE TATWE KAH SAMASARAH
(BHAJA GOVINDAM, BHAJA GOVINDAM..........)
When youth is gone, where is lust and its play? Where is the lake
when its waters have dried up? Where are the kinsfolk when riches
are gone ? When Truth is realised, where is the snare of Samsara?
Verse 11:
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MAA KURU DHANAJANAYOUVANAGARVAM
HARATI NIMESHAATKAALAH SARWAM
MAAYAAMAYAMIDAMAKHILAM HITHWA
BRAHMAPADAM TWAM PRAVISHA VIDITWA
(BHAJA GOVINDAM, BHAJA GOVINDAM..........)
The pleasures and riches of worldly life are deceptive appearances.
Understanding that they are all but a passing-show, be detached and
dispassionate, cultivate renunciation and seek Brahman.
Verse 12:
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DINAYAAMINYOU SAAYAM PRAATAH
SHISHIRAVASANTOW PUNARAAYAATAH
KAALAH KREEDATI GACHCHATYAAYUH
TADAPI NA MUNCHATHYAASAAVAAYUH
(BHAJA GOVINDAM, BHAJA GOVINDAM..........)
Day and night, dawn and dusk, winter and spring, all these are flitting
across the stage of the world. While time thus is frolicking and
befooling us, our life span is also running out; yet we do not , even
a little, give up the clinging to our desires, nor do we let the
desires loosen their grip on us.
Verse 13:
~~~~~~~~~
KAA TE KAANTAA DHANAGATACHINTAA
VAATULA KIM TAVA NAASTI NIYANTAA
TRIJAGATI SAJJANASANGATIREKAA
BHAVATI BHAVAARNAVATARANE NOUKAA
(BHAJA GOVINDAM, BHAJA GOVINDAM........)
Crazy man ! Why do you worry so much about your wife and property?
why don't you seek out the Truth ? Know that in these three worlds
it is only the association with the good and holy that can help you
in crossing safely the ocean of life.
Verse 14:
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JATILO MUNDI LUNCHITAKESHAH
KAASHAAYAAMBARA BAHUKRITAVESHAH
PASYANNAPI CHA NA PASYATI MOODHO
HIUDARANIMITAM BAHUKRITAVESHAH
(BHAJA GOVINDAM, BHAJA GOVINDAM........)
The ascetic with matted locks, the man with the shaven head or
one with hair pulled out, or the man parading in the ochre robes
-- they all have eyes but yet do not see. All these are but deceptions
for cheating the world, for filling their bellies. ( Renunciation
does not lie in external appearance, but in inward thought, attitude
and feeling).
*** 2/3 continued ***
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Note : This article has been compiled from Sri Satya Sai Pre Sevadal
Course Material.
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