1
bhajagovindaM bhajagovindaM
govindaM bhajamuuDhamate .
saMpraapte sannihite kaale
nahi nahi rakshati DukR^iJNkaraNe
2
mUDha jahiihi dhanaagamatR^ishhNaaM
kuru sadbuddhiM manasi vitR^ishhNaam.h .
yallabhase nijakarmopaattaM
vittaM tena vinodaya chittam.h
3
naariistanabhara naabhiideshaM
dR^ishhTvaa maagaamohaavesham.h .
etanmaaMsaavasaadi vikaaraM
manasi vichintaya vaaraM vaaram.h
4
naliniidalagata jalamatitaralaM
tadvajjiivitamatishayachapalam.h .
viddhi vyaadhyabhimaanagrastaM
lokaM shokahataM cha samastam.h
5
yaavadvittopaarjana saktaH
staavannija parivaaro raktaH .
pashchaajjiivati jarjara dehe
vaartaaM ko.api na pR^ichchhati gehe
6
yaavatpavano nivasati dehe
taavatpR^ichchhati kushalaM gehe .
gatavati vaayau dehaapaaye
bhaaryaa bibhyati tasminkaaye
7
baalastaavatkriiDaasaktaH
taruNastaavattaruNiisaktaH .
vR^iddhastaavachchintaasaktaH
pare brahmaNi ko.api na saktaH
8
kaate kaantaa kaste putraH
saMsaaro.ayamatiiva vichitraH .
kasya tvaM kaH kuta aayaataH
tattvaM chintaya tadiha bhraataH
9
satsaNgatve nissNgatvaM
nissaNgatve nirmohatvam.h .
nirmohatve nishchalatattvaM
nishcalatattve jiivanmuktiH
10
vayasigate kaH kaamavikaaraH
shushhke niire kaH kaasaaraH .
kshiiNevitte kaH parivaaraH
GYaate tattve kaH saMsaaraH
11
maa kuru dhana jana yauvana garvaM
harati nimeshhaatkaalaH sarvam.h .
maayaamayamidamakhilaM hitvaa
brahmapadaM tvaM pravisha viditvaa
12
dinayaaminyau saayaM praataH
shishiravasantau punaraayaataH .
kaalaH kriiDati gachchhatyaayuH
tadapi na muJNcatyaashaavaayuH
12a
dvaadashamaJNjarikaabhirasheshhaH
kathito vaiyaakaraNasyaishhaH .
upadesho bhuudvidyaanipuNaiH
shriimachchhankarabhagavachchharaNariH
13
kaate kaantaa dhana gatachintaa
vaatula kiM tava naasti niyantaa .
trijagati sajjanasaM gatiraikaa
bhavati bhavaarNavataraNe naukaa
14
jaTilo muNDii luJNchhitakeshaH
kaashhaayaambarabahukR^itaveshhaH .
pashyannapi cana pashyati muuDhaH
udaranimittaM bahukR^itaveshhaH
15
aNgaM galitaM palitaM muNDaM
dashanavihiinaM jataM tuNDam.h .
vRiddho yaati gRihiitvaa daNDaM
tadapi na muJNcatyaashaapiNDam.h
16
agre vahniH pR^ishhThebhaanuH
raatrau chubukasamarpitajaanuH .
karatalabhikshastarutalavaasaH
tadapi na muJNcatyaashaapaashaH
17
kurute gaN^gaasaagaragamanaM
vrataparipaalanamathavaa daanam.h .
GYaanavihinaH sarvamatena
muktiM na bhajati janmashatena
18
sura ma.ndira taru muula nivaasaH
shayyaa bhuutala majinaM vaasaH .
sarva parigraha bhoga tyaagaH
kasya sukhaM na karoti viraagaH
19
yogarato vaabhogaratovaa
saNgarato vaa saNgaviihinaH .
yasya brahmaNi ramate chittaM
nandati nandati nandatyeva
20
bhagavad.h giitaa kiJNchidadhiitaa
gaNgaa jalalava kaNikaapiitaa .
sakRidapi yena muraari samarchaa
kriyate tasya yamena na charchaa
21
punarapi jananaM punarapi maraNaM
punarapi jananii jaThare shayanam.h .
iha saMsaare bahudustaare
kRipayaa.apaare paahi muraare
22
rathyaa charpaTa virachita kanthaH
puNyaapuNya vivarjita panthaH .
yogii yoganiyojita chitto
ramate baalonmattavadeva
23
kastvaM ko.ahaM kuta aayaataH
kaa me jananii ko me taataH .
iti paribhaavaya sarvamasaaram.h
vishvaM tyaktvaa svapna vichaaram.h
24
tvayi mayi chaanyatraiko vishhNuH
vyarthaM kupyasi mayyasahishhNuH .
bhava samachittaH sarvatra tvaM
vaaJNchhasyachiraadyadi vishhNutvam.h
25
shatrau mitre putre bandhau
maa kuru yatnaM vigrahasandhau .
sarvasminnapi pashyaatmaanaM
sarvatrotsR^ija bhedaaGYaanam.h
26
kaamaM krodhaM lobhaM mohaM
tyaktvaa.atmaanaM bhaavaya ko.aham.h .
aatmaGYaana vihiinaa muuDhaaH
te pachyante narakaniguuDhaaH
27
geyaM giitaa naama sahasraM
dhyeyaM shriipati ruupamajasram.h .
neyaM sajjana saNge chittaM
deyaM diinajanaaya cha vittam.h
28
sukhataH kriyate raamaabhogaH
pashchaaddhanta shariire rogaH .
yadyapi loke maraNaM sharaNaM
tadapi na muJNchati paapaacharaNam.h
29
arthamanarthaM bhaavaya nityaM
naastitataH sukhaleshaH satyam.h .
putraadapi dhana bhaajaaM bhiitiH
sarvatraishhaa vihiaa riitiH
30
praaNaayaamaM pratyaahaaraM
nityaanitya vivekavichaaram.h .
jaapyasameta samaadhividhaanaM
kurvavadhaanaM mahadavadhaanam.h
31
gurucharaNaambuja nirbhara bhakataH
saMsaaraadachiraadbhava muktaH .
sendriyamaanasa niyamaadevaM
drakshyasi nija hRidayasthaM devam.h
32
muuDhaH kashchana vaiyaakaraNo
DukRiJNkaraNaadhyayana dhuriNaH .
shriimachchhamkara bhagavachchhishhyai
bodhita aasichchhodhitakaraNaH
33
bhajagovindaM bhajagovindaM
govindaM bhajamuuDhamate .
naamasmaraNaadanyamupaayaM
nahi pashyaamo bhavataraNe
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bhaja Govindam[Praise/Seek Govinda (Lord Krishna)] also known as Moha Mudgara (Hammer [to shatter] illusion) is a popular 8th century Hindu devotional composition in Sanskrit attributed to Adi Shankaracharya. This work of Adi Shankara underscores the view that devotion (Bhakti) to God, Govinda, is a vastly important part of general spirituality, as emphasised by Bhakti Yoga and the Bhakti movement. This work is generally considered a summary of Adi Shankara's Advaita Vedanta philosophy.
This timeless composition is a reminder that the author, Adi Shankaracharya, who is often regarded as a stalwart advocate of the Jnana Marga (Jnana Yoga) or the "Path of Knowledge" to attain Mukti, yielded to none in appreciating, indeed enjoining the Bhakti Marga (Bhakti Yoga) or the "Path of Faith/Devotion" to the same goal, and as C. Rajagopalachari put in his commentary, "When intelligence matures and lodges securely in the heart, it becomes wisdom. When that wisdom is integrated with life and issues out in action, it becomes devotion. Knowledge which has become mature is spoken of as devotion. If it does not get transformed into devotion, such knowledge is useless tinsel."
In this prayer, Adi Shankaracharya emphasizes the importance of devotion for God as a means to spiritual development and to liberation from the cycle of birth and death. The prayer leaves one in no doubt that the renunciation of our egotistical differences and surrender to God makes for salvation. Many scholars hold that this composition encapsulates with both brevity and simplicity the substance of all Vedantic thought found in whatever other works that Adi Shankaracharya wrote:
The refrain "Bhaja Govindam" which defines the composition and gives it its name invokes the almighty in the aspect of Vishnu; it is therefore very popular not only with Sri Adi Shankaracharya's immediate followers, the Smarthas, but also with Vaishnavas and others.
There is a story attached to the composition of this Hymn. It is said that Adi Shankaracharya, accompanied by his disciples, was walking along a street in Varanasi one day when he came across an aged scholar teaching the rules of Sanskrit grammar to his students by rote. Taking pity on him, Adi Shankaracharya went up to the scholar and advised him not to waste his time on grammar at his age but to turn his mind to God in worship and adoration.
The hymn "Bhaja Govindam" is said to have been composed on this occasion.
The composition consists of twenty-seven verses. Besides the refrain of the song beginning with the words "Bhaja Govindam", Shankara is said to have sung twelve other verses. Hence, the hymn bears the title "Dvadasamanjarika-Stotra" (A hymn which is a bunch of twelve verse-blossoms). The fourteen disciples who were with the Master on that occasion are believed to have added one verse each. These fourteen verses are together called "Chaturdasa-manjarika-Stotra" (a hymn consisting of fourteen verse-blossoms).
Seek Govind, Seek Govind, Seek Govind, O Fool! When the
1
appointed times comes (death), grammar rules surely will not
save you.
O Fool! Give up the thirst to possess wealth. Create in your mind, 2
devoid of passions, thoughts of the Reality. With whatever you
get, entertain your mind, be content.
3
fall a prey to maddening delusion. This is but a modification of
flesh and fat. Think well thus in your mind again and again.
4
existence; so also is life ever unstable. Understand, the very world
is consumed by disease and conceit, and is riddled with pangs.
5
your dependants attached to you. Later on, when you come to
live with an old, infirm body, no one at home cares to speak even
a word with you!!
6
of your welfare at home. Once the breath leaves, the body
decays, even the wife fears that very same body.
7
long as one is in youth, one is attached to one’s own young
woman; so long as one is in old age, one is attached to anxiety,
yet no one, alas to the Supreme Brahman, is ever seen attached.
8
indeed is this samsara. Of whom are you? From where have you
come? O brother, think of that Truth here.
9
through non-attachment there arises freedom from delusion;
when there is freedom from delusion, there is the Immutable
Reality; on experiencing the Immutable Reality, there comes the
state of ‘liberated-in-life’.
10
water is evaporated, where is the lake? When the wealth is
reduced, where is the retinue? When the Truth is realised, where
is samsara?
11
command, in the youthfulness that you have. Time loots away all
these in a moment. Leaving aside all these, after knowing their
illusory nature, realise the state of Brahman and enter into it.
12
again come and depart. Time sports and life ebbs away. And yet,
one leaves not the gusts of desires.
13
for you the One who ordains? In the three worlds it is the
association-with-good-people alone that can serve as a boat to
cross the sea of change, birth and death.
14
hairs pulled out one by one, another parading in his ochre robes
– these are fools who, though seeing, do not see. Indeed, these
different disguises or apparels are only for their belly’s sake.
15
mouth has become toothless. The old man moves about leaning
on his staff. Even then he leaves not the bundle of his desires.
16
knees held to his chin; he receives alms in his own scooped palm
and lives under the shelter of some tree, and yet the noose of
desires spares him not!
17
ocean, called the Gangaasaagar, or observe vows, or distribute
gifts away in charity. If he is devoid of first-hand-experience-ofthe-
Truth, according to all schools of thought, he gains no
release, even in a hundred lives.
18
ground, wearing a deerskin, and thus renouncing all idea-ofpossession
and thirst-to-enjoy, to whom will not dispassion bring
happiness?
19
enjoyment in company or let him revel in solitude away from the
crowd. He whose mind revels in Brahman, he enjoys, verily, he
alone enjoys.
20
sipped at least a drop of Ganges-water, who has worshipped at
least one Lord Muraari, to him there is no quarrel with Yama, the
Lord of Death.
21
samsara process is very hard to cross over. Save me O destroyer
of Mura, (Lord Krishna) through Thy infinite kindness.
22
walks the path that is beyond merit and demerit, whose mind is
joined in perfect Yoga with its goal, he revels (in Godconsciousness)
– and lives thereafter – as a child or as a
madman.
23
mother? Who is my father? Thus enquire, leaving aside the
entire world-of-experience, essenceless and a mere dreamland,
born of imagination.
24
Pervading Reality. Being impatient, you are unnecessarily getting
angry with me. If you want to attain soon the Vishnu-status, be
equal-minded in all circumstances.
25
friends with your enemy, friend, son or relative. Seeking the Self
everywhere, lift the sense-of-difference born out of ‘ignorance’.
26
Self ‘He Am I’. They are fools those who have not Self-knowledge,
and they consequently, as a captive in hell, are tortured.
27
the form of the Lord of Lakshmi is to be meditated upon; the
mind is to be led towards the company of the good; wealth is to
be shared with the needy.
28.
diseases of the body. Even though in the world the ultimate end
is death, even then man leaves not his sinful behaviour.
29
there is no happiness at all to be got from it. To the rich, there is
fear even from his own son. This is the way with wealth
everywhere.
30
along with japa and the practice of reaching the total-innersilence
– these, perform with care, with great care.
31
liberated soon from the samsara through the discipline of the
sense-organs and the mind. You will come to experience the
Lord that dwells in your own heart.O Devotee of the lotus-feet of the teacher! May you becomeThe control of all activities, the sense-withdrawal, the reflection,‘Wealth is calamitous’, thus reflect constantly: the truth is thatVery readily one indulges in carnal pleasures; later on, alas, comeThe Bhagavad Gita and Sahasranama are to be chanted; alwaysLeaving desire, anger, greed and delusion, the seeker sees in theStrive not, waste not your energy to fight against or to makeIn you, in me and in all other places too there is but one All-Who are you? Who am I? From where did I come? Who is myThe Yogin who wears but a godadi (shawl made of rags), whoAgain birth, again death, and again lying in mother’s womb – thisTo one who has studied the Bhagavad Gita even a little, who hasLet one revel in Yoga or let him revel in Bhoga. Let one seekSheltering in temples, under some trees, sleeping on the nakedOne may, in pilgrimage, go to where the Ganges meets theIn front the fire, at the back the sun, late at night he sits with hisThe body has become worn out. The head has turned grey. TheOne ascetic with matted locks, one with shaven head, one withO Distracted One! Why worry about wife, wealth? Is there notDay and night, dawn and dusk, winter and spring, again andTake no pride in your possession, in the people at yourWhen youthfulness has passed, where is lust and its play? WhenThrough the company of the good, there arises non-attachment;Who is your wife? Who is your son? Supremely wonderfulSo long as one is in one’s boyhood, one is attached to play, soAs long as there dwells breath in the body, so long they enquireAs long as there is the ability to earn and save, so long are allThe water drop playing on a lotus petal has an extremely uncertain. Seeing the full bosom of young maidens and their navel, do not 
No comments:
Post a Comment