Bhaja Govindam

"Bhaja Govindam" (Sanskrit: भज गोविन्दं, lit. 'praise/seek Govinda'), also known as "Moha Mudgara" (lit. 'destroyer of illusion'), is a popular Hindu devotional poem in Sanskrit composed by Adi Shankara. It underscores the view that bhakti (devotion) is also important along with jñāna (knowledge), as emphasised by the bhakti movement.^[1]

Adi Shankara with his disciples, painting by Raja Ravi Varma

Legend

There is a legend related to the composition of this hymn. It is said that Adi Shankara, accompanied by his disciples, was walking along a street in Varanasi one day, when he came across an old aged scholar reciting the rules of Sanskrit grammar of Panini repeatedly on the street. Taking pity on him, Adi Shankara 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, which would only save him from this vicious cycle of life and death. The hymn "Bhaja Govindam" is said to have been composed on this occasion.^[2]

Significance

This composition is a reminder that Adi Shankara, who is often regarded as reviver of the jnana marga, or "path of knowledge", to attain moksha, was also a proponent of the bhakti marga (path of devotion) to attain the same goal.^[3] As C. Rajagopalachari put in his commentary, "When intelligence (jnana) matures and lodges securely in the heart, it becomes wisdom (vignyana). When that wisdom (vignyana) is integrated with life and issues out in action, it becomes devotion (bhakti). Knowledge (jnana) which has become mature is spoken of as devotion (bhakti). If it does not get transformed into devotion (bhakti), such knowledge (jnana) is useless tinsel."^[4]

In this prayer, Adi Shankara 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 Shankara wrote:

"The refrain "Bhaja Govindam", which defines the composition and gives it its name, invokes the almighty in the aspect of Krishna; it is therefore very popular not only with Sri Adi Shankaracharya's immediate followers, the Smarthas, but also with Vaishnavas and others."

Meter / Chandas

The metre is moraic (मात्राछन्दस्). Apart from the first verse, all other verses have 16 matras, which tend to fit the description of the padakulakam variety of matrasamaka [मात्रासमक] in vrtta-ratnakara.

Text and meaning

verse	Devanagari	Transliteration	English Translation
1	भज गोविन्दं भज गोविन्दं गोविन्दं भज मूढमते । सम्प्राप्ते सन्निहिते काले नहि नहि रक्षति डुकृञ्करणे	bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ gōvindaṃ bhaja mūḍhamatē । samprāptē sannihitē kālē nahi nahi rakṣati ḍukṛñkaraṇē ॥	Worship Govinda, worship Govinda, Worship Govinda, oh deluded mind! At the time of your death, Rules of grammar will not save you.
2		mūḍha jahīhi dhanāgamatṛṣṇāṃ kuru sadbuddhiṃ manasi vitṛṣṇām । yallabhasē nijakarmōpāttaṃ vittaṃ tēna vinōdaya chittam ॥
3		nārīstanabhara-nābhīdēśaṃ dṛṣṭvā mā gā mōhāvēśam । ētanmāṃsavasādivikāraṃ manasi vichintaya vāraṃ vāram ॥
4		nalinīdala-gatajalamatitaralaṃ tadvajjīvitamatiśaya-chapalam । viddhi vyādhyabhimānagrastaṃ lōkaṃ śōkahataṃ cha samastam ॥
5		yāvadvittōpārjanasaktaḥ tāvannijaparivārō raktaḥ । paśchājjīvati jarjaradēhē vārtāṃ kō'pi na pṛchChati gēhē ॥
6		yāvatpavanō nivasati dēhē tāvatpṛchChati kuśalaṃ gēhē । gatavati vāyau dēhāpāyē bhāryā bibhyati tasminkāyē ॥
7		bālastāvatkrīḍāsaktaḥ taruṇastāvattaruṇīsaktaḥ । vṛddhastāvachchintāsaktaḥ paramē brahmaṇi kō'pi na saktaḥ ॥
8		kā tē kāntā kastē putraḥ saṃsārō'yamatīva vichitraḥ । kasya tvaṃ kaḥ kuta āyātaḥ tattvaṃ chintaya tadiha bhrātaḥ ॥
9		satsaṅgatvē nissaṅgatvaṃ nissaṅgatvē nirmōhatvam । nirmōhatvē niśchalatattvaṃ niśchalatattvē jīvanmuktiḥ ॥
10		vayasi gatē kaḥ kāmavikāraḥ śuṣkē nīrē kaḥ kāsāraḥ । kṣīṇē vittē kaḥ parivāraḥ jñātē tattvē kaḥ saṃsāraḥ ॥
11		mā kuru dhana-jana-yauvana-garvaṃ harati nimēṣātkālaḥ sarvam । māyāmayamidamakhilaṃ hitvā brahmapadaṃ tvaṃ praviśa viditvā ॥
12		dinayāminyau sāyaṃ prātaḥ śiśiravasantau punarāyātaḥ । kālaḥ krīḍati gachChatyāyuḥ tadapi na muñchatyāśāvāyuḥ ॥
13		kā tē kāntā dhanagatachintā vātula kiṃ tava nāsti niyantā । trijagati sajjanasaṅgatirēkā bhavati bhavārṇavataraṇē naukā ॥
14		dvādaśa-mañjarikābhiraśēṣaḥ kathitō vaiyākaraṇasyaiṣaḥ । upadēśō'bhūdvidyā-nipuṇaiḥ śrīmachChaṅkara-bhagavachCharaṇaiḥ ॥
15		jaṭilō muṇḍī luñChitakēśaḥ kāṣāyāmbara-bahukṛtavēṣaḥ । paśyannapi cha na paśyati mūḍhaḥ udaranimittaṃ bahukṛtavēṣaḥ ॥
16		aṅgaṃ galitaṃ palitaṃ muṇḍaṃ daśanavihīnaṃ jātaṃ tuṇḍam । vṛddhō yāti gṛhītvā daṇḍaṃ tadapi na muñchatyāśāpiṇḍam ॥
17		agrē vahniḥ pṛṣṭhē bhānuḥ rātrau chubuka-samarpita-jānuḥ । karatala-bhikṣastarutalavāsaḥ tadapi na muñchatyāśāpāśaḥ ॥
18		kurutē gaṅgāsāgaragamanaṃ vrata-paripālanamathavā dānam । jñānavihīnaḥ sarvamatēna bhajati na muktiṃ janmaśatēna ॥
19		suramandira-taru-mūla-nivāsaḥ śayyā bhūtalamajinaṃ vāsaḥ । sarva-parigraha-bhōgatyāgaḥ kasya sukhaṃ na karōti virāgaḥ ॥
20		yōgaratō vā bhōgaratō vā saṅgaratō vā saṅgavihīnaḥ । yasya brahmaṇi ramatē chittaṃ nandati nandati nandatyēva ॥
21		bhagavadgītā kiñchidadhītā gaṅgājala-lavakaṇikā pītā । sakṛdapi yēna murārisamarchā kriyatē tasya yamēna na charchā ॥
22		punarapi jananaṃ punarapi maraṇaṃ punarapi jananījaṭharē śayanam । iha saṃsārē bahudustārē kṛpayā'pārē pāhi murārē ॥
23		rathyācharpaṭa-virachita-kanthaḥ puṇyāpuṇya-vivarjita-panthaḥ । yōgī yōganiyōjita-chittaḥ ramatē bālōnmattavadēva ॥
24		kastvaṃ kō'haṃ kuta āyātaḥ kā mē jananī kō mē tātaḥ । iti paribhāvaya sarvamasāraṃ viśvaṃ tyaktvā svapnavichāram ॥
25		tvayi mayi chānyatraikō viṣṇuḥ vyarthaṃ kupyasi mayyasahiṣṇuḥ । bhava samachittaḥ sarvatra tvaṃ vāñChasyachirādyadi viṣṇutvam ॥
26		śatrau mitrē putrē bandhau mā kuru yatnaṃ vigrahasandhau । sarvasminnapi paśyātmānaṃ sarvatrōtsṛja bhēdājñānam ॥
27		kāmaṃ krōdhaṃ lōbhaṃ mōhaṃ tyaktvātmānaṃ paśyati sō'ham । ātmajñānavihīnā mūḍhāḥ tē pachyantē narakanigūḍhāḥ ॥
28		gēyaṃ gītā-nāmasahasraṃ dhyēyaṃ śrīpati-rūpamajasram । nēyaṃ sajjana-saṅgē chittaṃ dēyaṃ dīnajanāya cha vittam ॥	Chant Gita, Meditate krishna's form, be in company of sages and gurus, donate to purify yourself
29		sukhataḥ kriyatē kāmābhōgaḥ paśchādanta śarīrē rōgaḥ । yadyapi lōkē maraṇaṃ śaraṇaṃ tadapi na muñchati pāpācharaṇam ॥
30		arthamanarthaṃ bhāvaya nityaṃ nāstitataḥ sukhalēśaḥ satyam । putrādapi dhanabhājāṃ bhītiḥ sarvatraiṣā vihitā rītiḥ ॥
31		prāṇāyāmaṃ pratyāhāraṃ nityānitya vivēkavichāram । jāpyasamētasamādhividhānaṃ kurvavadhānaṃ mahadavadhānam ॥
32		gurucharaṇāmbuja-nirbharabhaktaḥ saṃsārādachirādbhava muktaḥ । sēndriyamānasa-niyamādēvaṃ drakṣyasi nijahṛdayasthaṃ dēvam ॥
33		mūḍhaḥ kaśchana vaiyākaraṇō ḍuḥkṛṅkaraṇādhyayanadhurīṇaḥ । śrīmachChaṅkara-bhagavachChiṣyaiḥ bōdhita āsīchChōdhita-karaṇaḥ ॥

References

^ Bhaja Govindam, by Sankarācārya, Chinmayananda, Translated by Brahmacharini Sharada. Published by Chinmaya Publications Trust, 1967. Page5-7.
^ The Hymns of Sankaracharya, by Śankaracarya, Telliyavaram Mahadevan Ponnambalam Mahadevan, Totakācārya, Sureśvarācārya. Published by Motilal Banarsidass Publ., 2002. ISBN 81-208-0097-4. Page 33.
^ Bhaja Govindam Archived 6 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine Ancient Wisdom, Yogalife, Fall 2003 Issue. Sivananda.
^ Commentary on Bhaja Govindam by C. Srinivas Kuchibhotla.

External links

[1] Bhaja Govindam, by Sankarācārya, Chinmayananda, Translated by Brahmacharini Sharada. Published by Chinmaya Publications Trust, 1967. Page5-7.

[2] The Hymns of Sankaracharya, by Śankaracarya, Telliyavaram Mahadevan Ponnambalam Mahadevan, Totakācārya, Sureśvarācārya. Published by Motilal Banarsidass Publ., 2002. ISBN 81-208-0097-4. Page 33.

[3] Bhaja Govindam Archived 6 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine Ancient Wisdom, Yogalife, Fall 2003 Issue. Sivananda.

[4] Commentary on Bhaja Govindam by C. Srinivas Kuchibhotla.

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