While studying Vedanta, we come across many texts by Adi Shankaracharya. He was one of the greatest thinkers and philosophers of the 7th century. He also excelled as a writer both in prose and poetry.
Bhaja Govindam by Adi Shankaracarya is widely popular for to the melody and the rhythm in the verses. When sincerely studied, it will remove all delusions (moha) for an intelligent student. Hence it is also called Moha Mudgara.
As I read Swami Chinmayananda’s commentary on Bhaja Govindam, I am inspired to learn how to chant it. I enjoy singing and reflecting on these profound verses.
Verse 1
भज गोविन्दं भज गोविन्दं गोविन्दं भज मूढमते ।
संप्राप्ते सन्निहिते काले न हि न हि रकष्ति डुकृञ्करणे ॥१॥bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ govindaṁ bhaja mūḍhamate,
saṁprāpte sannihite kāle na hi na hi rakaṣti ḍukṛñkaraṇe. (1)1. Seek Govinda, seek Govinda, seek Govinda, O fool! When the appointed time comes (death), grammar rules surely will not save you.
Verse 2
मूढ जहीहि धनागमतृष्णां कुरु सद्बुद्धिं मनसि वितृश्ह्णाम् ।
यल्लभसे निज कर्मोपात्तं वित्तं तेन विनोदय चित्तम् ॥२॥mūḍha jahīhi dhanāgamatṛṣṇāṁ kuru sadbuddhiṁ manasi vitṛśhṇām,
yallabhase nija karmopāttaṁ vittaṁ tena vinodaya cittam. (2)2. O Fool! Give up the thirst to possess wealth. Create in your mind, devoid of passions, thoughts of the Reality. With whatever you get (as a reward of the past), entertain your mind (be content).
Verse 3
नारीस्तनभरनाभीदेशं दृष्ट्वा मा गा मोहावेशम् ।
एतन्मांसवसादिविकारं मनसि विचिन्तय् वारं वारम् ॥३॥nārīstanabharanābhīdeśaṁ dṛṣṭvā mā gā mohāveśam,
etanmāṁsavasādivikāraṁ manasi vicintay vāraṁ vāram. (3)3. Seeing the full bosom of young maidens and their navel, do not fall a prey to maddening delusion. This is but a modification of flesh and fat. Think well thus in your mind again and again.
Verse 4
नḻइनीदḻअगतजलमतितरलं तद्वज्जीवितमतिशयचपलम् ।
विद्धि व्याध्यभिमानग्रस्तं लोकं शोकहतं च समस्तम् ॥४॥naḻinīdaḻagatajalamatitaralaṁ tadvajjīvitamatiśayacapalam,
viddhi vyādhyabhimānagrastaṁ lokaṃ śokahataṃ ca samastam. (4)4. The water drop playing on a lotus petal has an extremely uncertain existence; so also is life ever unstable. Understand, the very world is consumed by disease and conceit and is riddled with pangs.
Verse 5
यावद्वित्तोपार्जनसक्तस्तावन्निजपरिवारो रक्तः ।
पश्चाज्जीवति जर्जरदेहे वार्तां कोऽपि न पृच्छति गेहे ॥५॥yāvadvittopārjanasaktastāvannijaparivāro raktaḥ,
paścājjīvati jarjaradehe vārtāṁ ko’pi na pṛcchati gehe. (5)5. As long as there is the ability to earn and save, so long are all your dependents 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!
Verse 6
यावत्पवनो निवसति देहे तावत्पृच्छति कुशलं गेहे ।
गतवति वायौ देहापाये भार्या बिभ्यति तस्मिन्काये ॥६॥yāvatpavano nivasati dehe tāvatpṛcchati kuśalaṁ gehe,
gatavati vāyau dehāpāye bhāryā bibhyati tasminkāye. (6)6. As long as there dwells breath (life) in the body, so long they enquire of your welfare at home. Once the breath (life) leaves, the body decays, even the wife fears that very same body.
Verse 7
बालस्तावत् क्रीडासक्तः तरुणस्तावत्तरुणीसक्तः ।
वृद्धस्तावच्चिन्तासक्तः परमे ब्रह्मणि कोऽपि न सक्तः ॥७॥bālastāvat krīḍāsaktaḥ taruṇastāvattaruṇīsaktaḥ,
vṛddhastāvaccintāsaktaḥ parame brahmaṇi ko’pi na saktaḥ. (7)7. So long as one is in one’s boyhood, one is attached to play; so 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 (pang)…(yet) no one, alas, to the supreme Brahman, is (ever seen) attached.
Verse 8
का ते कान्ता कस्ते पुत्रः संसारोऽयमतीव विचित्रः ।
कस्य त्वं कः कुत आयातः तत्त्वं चिन्तय तदिह भ्रातः ॥८॥kā te kāntā kaste putraḥ saṁsāro’yamatīva vicitraḥ,
kasya tvaṁ kaḥ kuta āyātaḥ tattvaṁ cintaya tadiha bhrātaḥ. (8)8. Who is your wife? Who is your son? Supremely wonderful indeed is this saṁsāra. Of whom are you? From where have you come? O Brother! Think of that Truth here.
Verse 9
सत्सङ्गत्वे निस्सङ्गत्वं निःसङ्गत्वे निर्मोहत्वम् ।
निर्मोहत्वे निश्चलतत्त्वं निश्चलतत्त्वे जीवन्मुक्तिः ॥९॥satsaṅgatve nissaṅgatvaṁ niḥsaṅgatve nirmohatvam,
nirmohatve niścalatattvaṁ niścalatattve jīvanmuktiḥ. (9)9. Through the company of the good, there arises non-attachment; through non-attachment there arises freedom from delusion; when there is freedom from delusion, there is the immutable Reality; on experiencing immutable Reality, there comes the state of ‘liberated in life’.
Verse 10
वयसि गते कः कामविकारः शुष्के नीरे कः कासारः ।
क्षीणे वित्ते कः परिवारो ज्ञाते तत्त्वे कः संसारः ॥१०॥vayasi gate kaḥ kāmavikāraḥ śuṣke nīre kaḥ kāsāraḥ,
kṣīṇe vitte kaḥ parivāro jñāte tattve kaḥ saṁsāraḥ. (10)10. When the age (youthfulness) has passed, where is lust and its play? When water has evaporated, where is the lake? When wealth is reduced, where is the retinue? When the Truth is realized, where is saṁsāra?
Verse 11
मा कुरु धनजनयौवनगर्वं हरति निमेषात्कालः सर्वम् ।
मायामयमिदमखिलं बुद्ध्वा ब्रह्मपदं त्वं प्रविश विदित्वा ॥११॥mā kuru dhanajanayauvanagarvaṁ harati nimeṣātkālaḥ sarvam,
māyāmayamidamakhilaṁ buddhvā brahmapadaṁ tvaṁ praviśa viditvā. (11)11. Take no pride in your possession, in the people (at your command), in the youthfulness (that you have). Time loots away all these in a moment. Leaving aside all these, after knowing their illusory nature, realize the state of Brahman and enter into it.
Verse 12
दिनयामिन्यौ सायं प्रातः शिशिरवसन्तौ पुनरायातः ।
कालः क्रीडति गच्छत्यायुः तदपि न मुञ्चत्याशावायुः ॥१२॥dinayāminyau sāyaṁ prātaḥ śiśiravasantau punarāyātaḥ,
kālaḥ krīḍati gacchatyāyuḥ tadapi na muñcatyāśāvāyuḥ. (12)12. Day and night, dawn and dusk, winter and spring, come again and again (and depart). Time sports and life ebbs away. And yet, one leaves not the gusts of desires.
Verse 13
का ते कान्ता धनगतचिन्ता वातुल किं तव नास्ति नियन्ता ।
त्रिजगति सज्जनसङ्गतिरेका भवति भवार्णवतरणे नौका ॥१३॥kā te kāntā dhanagatacintā vātula kiṃ tava nāsti niyantā,
trijagati sajjanasaṅgatirekā bhavati bhavārṇavataraṇe naukā. (13)13. O Distracted One! Why worry about wife, wealth and so on? Is there not for you the One who ordains (rules and commands)? 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).
Verse 14
जटिलो मुण्डी लुञ्चितकेशः काषायाम्बरबहुकृतवेषः ।
पश्यन्नपि च न पश्यति मूढो ह्युदरनिमित्तं बहुकृतवेषः ॥१४॥jaṭilo muṇḍī luñcitakeśaḥ kāṣāyāmbarabahukṛtaveṣaḥ,
paśyannapi ca na paśyati mūḍho hyudaranimittaṁ bahukṛtaveṣaḥ. (14)14. One ascetic with matted locks, one with shaven head, one with hair 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.
Verse 15
अङ्गं गलितं पलितं मुण्डं दशनविहीनं जातं तुण्डम् ।
वृद्धो याति गृहीत्वा दण्डं तदपि न मुञ्चत्याशापिण्डम् ॥१५॥aṅgaṁ galitaṁ palitaṁ muṇḍaṁ daśanavihīnaṁ jātaṁ tuṇḍam,
vṛddho yāti gṛhītvā daṇḍaṁ tadapi na muñcatyāśāpiṇḍam. (15)15. The body has become worn out. The head has turned gray. The mouth has become toothless. The old man moves about leaning on his staff. Even then he leaves not the bundle of his desires.
Verse 16
अग्रे वह्निः पृष्ठे भानुः रात्रौ चुबुकसमर्पितजानुः ।
करतलभिक्षस्तरुतलवासः तदपि न मुञ्चत्याशापाशः ॥१६॥agre vahniḥ pṛṣṭhe bhānuḥ rātrau cubukasamarpitajānuḥ,
karatalabhikṣastarutalavāsaḥ tadapi na muñcatyāśāpāśaḥ. (16)16. In front of the fire, at the back of the sun, late at night he sits with his 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!
Verse 17
कुरुते गङ्गासागरगमनं व्रतपरिपालनमथवा दानम् ।
ज्ञानविहीनः सर्वमतेन भजति न मुक्तिं जन्मशतेन ॥१७॥kurute gaṅgāsāgaragamanaṁ vrataparipālanamathavā dānam,
jñānavihīnaḥ sarvamatena bhajati na muktiṁ janmaśatena. (17)17. One may, in pilgrimage, go to where the Ganga meets the ocean, called the Gaṅgāsāgara or observe vows or distribute gifts in charity. If he is devoid of first hand experience of Truth (jñānam), according to all schools of thought, he gains no release, even in a hundred lives.
Verse 18
सुरमन्दिरतरुमूलनिवासः शय्या भूतलमजिनं वासः ।
सर्वपरिग्रहभोगत्यागः कस्य सुखं न करोति विरागः ॥१८॥suramandiratarumūlanivāsaḥ śayyā bhūtalamajinaṁ vāsaḥ,
sarvaparigrahabhogatyāgaḥ kasya sukhaṁ na karoti virāgaḥ. (18)18. Sheltering in temples, under some tress, sleeping on the naked ground, wearing a deerskin and thus renouncing all idea of possession and thirst to enjoy, to whom will not dispassion (vairāgya) bring happiness?
Verse 19
योगरतो वा भोगरतो वा सङ्गरतो वा सङ्गविहीनः ।
यस्य ब्रह्मणि रमते चित्तं नन्दति नन्दति नन्दत्येव ॥१९॥yogarato vā bhogarato vā saṅgarato vā saṅgavihīnaḥ,
yasya brahmaṇi ramate cittaṁ nandati nandati nandatyeva. (19)19. Let one revel in yoga or let one revel in bhoga. Let one seek enjoyment in company or revel in solitude, away from the crowd. He whose mind revels in Brahman, he enjoys verily… he alone enjoys.
Verse 20
भगवद्गीता किञ्चिदधीता गङ्गाजललवकणिका पीता ।
सकृदपि येन मुरारीसमर्चा क्रियते तस्य यमेन न चर्चा ॥२०॥bhagavadgītā kiñcidadhītā gaṅgājalalavakaṇikā pītā,
sakṛdapi yena murārīsamarcā kriyate tasya yamena na carcā. (20)20. To one who has studied the Bhagavad Gītā even a little, who has sipped at least a drop of Ganga water, who has worshipped at least once Lord Murāri, there is no discussion (quarrel) with Yama, the Lord of Death.
Verse 21
पुनरपि जननं पुनरपि मरणं पुनरपि जननीजठरे शयनम् ।
इह संसारे बहुदुस्तारे कृपया’पारे पाहि मुरारे ॥२१॥punarapi jananaṁ punarapi maraṇaṁ punarapi jananījaṭhare śayanam,
iha saṁsāre bahudustāre kṛpayā’pāre pāhi murāre. (21)21. Again birth, again death and again lying in mother’s womb – this saṁsāra process is very hard to cross over. Save me, Murāri (O destroyer of Mura) through Thy infinite kindness.
Verse 22
रथ्याचर्पटविरचितकन्थः पुण्यापुण्यविवर्जितपन्थः ।
योगी योगनियोजितचित्तो रमते बालोन्मत्तवदेव ॥२२॥rathyācarpaṭaviracitakanthaḥ puṇyāpuṇyavivarjitapanthaḥ,
yogī yoganiyojitacitto ramate bālonmattavadeva. (22)22. The Yogin who wears but a godhaḍī, who walks the path that is beyond merit and demerit, whose mind is joined in perfect yoga with its goal, revels (in God-consciousness) and lives thereafter as a child or as a madman.
Verse 23
कस्त्वं कोऽहं कुत आयातः का मे जननी को मे तातः ।
इति परिभावय सर्वमसारं विश्वं त्यक्त्वा स्वप्नविचारम् ॥२३॥kastvaṁ ko’haṁ kuta āyātaḥ kā me jananī ko me tātaḥ,
iti paribhāvaya sarvamasāraṁ viśvaṁ tyaktvā svapnavicāram. (23)23. Who are you? Who am I? From where did I come? Who is my mother? Who is my father? Thus enquire, leaving aside the entire world of experience (viśvam), essenceless and a mere dreamland, born of imagination (svapnavicāram).
Verse 24
त्वयि मयि चान्यत्रैको विष्णुः व्यर्थं कुप्यसि मय्यसहिष्णुः ।
भव समचित्तः सर्वत्र त्वं वाञ्छस्यचिराद्यदि विष्णुत्वम् ॥२४॥tvayi mayi cānyatraiko viṣṇuḥ vyarthaṁ kupyasi mayyasahiṣṇuḥ,
bhava samacittaḥ sarvatra tvaṁ vāñchasyacirādyadi viṣṇutvam. (24)24. In you, in me, and in (all) other places too there is but one all-pervading Reality (Viṣṇu). Being impatient, you are unnecessarily getting angry with me. If you want to attain soon the Viṣṇu-status, be equal minded in all circumstances.
Verse 25
शत्रौ मित्रे पुत्रे बन्धौ मा कुरु यत्नं विग्रहसन्धौ ।
सर्वस्मिन्नपि पश्यात्मानं सर्वत्रोत्सृज भेदाज्ञानम् ॥२५॥śatrau mitre putre bandhau mā kuru yatnaṁ vigrahasandhau,
sarvasminnapi paśyātmānaṁ sarvatrotsṛja bhedājñānam. (25)25. Strive not; waste not your energy to fight against or to make friends with your enemy, friend, son or relative. Seeking the Self everywhere, lift the sense of difference (plurality), born out of ‘ignorance’.
Verse 26
कामं क्रोधं लोभं मोहं त्यक्त्वाऽत्मानं पश्यति सोऽहम् ।
आत्मज्ञान-विहीना मूढास्ते पच्यन्ते नरकनिगूढाः ॥२६॥kāmaṁ krodhaṁ lobhaṁ mohaṁ tyaktvā’tmānaṁ paśyati so’ham,
ātmajñāna-vihīnā mūḍhāste pacyante narakanigūḍhāḥ. (26)26. Leaving desire, anger, greed and delusion, the seeker sees in the Self, ‘He am I’. They are fools who have no Self-knowledge and they (consequently), as captives in hell, are tortured.
Verse 27
गेयं गीतानामसहस्रं ध्येयं श्रीपतिरूपमजस्रम् ।
नेयं सज्जनसङ्गे चित्तं देयं दीनजनाय च वित्तम् ॥२७॥geyaṁ gītānāmasahasraṁ dhyeyaṁ śrīpatirūpamajasram,
neyaṁ sajjanasaṅge cittaṁ deyaṁ dīnajanāya ca vittam. (27)27. The Bhagavad Gītā and Sahasranāma are to be chanted; always the form of the Lord of Lakṣmī is to be meditated upon; the mind is to be led towards the company of the good; wealth is to be distributed to (shared with) the needy.
Verse 28
सुखतः क्रियते रामाभोगः पश्चाद्धन्त शरीरे रोगः ।
यद्यपि लोके मरणं शरणं तदपि न मुञ्चति पापाचरणम् ॥२८॥sukhataḥ kriyate rāmābhogaḥ paścāddhanta śarīre rogaḥ,
yadyapi loke maraṇaṁ śaraṇaṁ tadapi na muñcati pāpācaraṇam. (28)28. Very readily one indulges in carnal pleasures; later on, alas, come diseases of the body. Even though in the world the ultimate end (śaraṇam) is death, then also man leaves not his sinful behaviour.
Verse 29
अर्थमनर्थं भावय नित्यं नास्ति ततः सुखलेशः सत्यम् ।
पुत्रादपि धनभाजां भीतिः सर्वत्रैषा विहिता रीतिः ॥२९॥arthamanarthaṁ bhāvaya nityaṁ nāsti tataḥ sukhaleśaḥ satyam,
putrādapi dhanabhājāṁ bhītiḥ sarvatraiṣā vihitā rītiḥ. (29)‘Wealth is calamitous’, thus reflect constantly: the truth is that there is no happiness at all to be got from it. To the rich, there is fear even from one’s own son. This is the way with wealth everywhere.
Verse 30
प्राणायामं प्रत्याहारं नित्यानित्यविवेकविचारम् ।
जाप्यसमेत-समाधिविधानं कुर्ववधानं महदवधानम् ॥३०॥prāṇāyāmaṁ pratyāhāraṁ nityānityavivekavicāram,
jāpyasameta-samādhividhānaṁ kurvavadhānaṁ mahadavadhānam. (30)30. The control of all activities (of life’s manifestations in you), the sense withdrawal (from their respective sense objects), the reflection (consisting of discrimination between the permanent and the impermanent), along with japa and the practice of reaching the total inner silence (samādhi) – these perform with care … with great care.
Verse 31
गुरुचरणाम्बुजनिर्भरभक्तः संसारादचिराद्भव मुक्तः ।
सेन्द्रियमानसनियमादेवं द्रक्ष्यसि निजहृदयस्थं देवम् ॥३१॥gurucaraṇāmbujanirbharabhaktaḥ saṁsārādacirādbhava muktaḥ,
sendriyamānasaniyamādevaṁ drakṣyasi nijahṛdayasthaṁ devam. (31)O Devotee of the lotus feet of the teacher! May you become liberated soon from the saṁsāra through the discipline of the sense organs and the mind. You will come to experience (behold) the Lord that dwells in your own heart.
Bluishmuse 