Bhaja Govindam

With meaning in English by

C Rajagopalachari
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 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 does
not get transformed into Bhakti, 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.”

Sri Sankara crossed the ocean of Maya as easily as one steps over a
small irrigation channel in the field. He wrote a number of Vedaantic
works for imparting the knowledge of the Self. He composed a
number of hymns to foster the sense of devotion in the hearts of men
and this I consider to be his greatest service. One of these hymns is the
famous "Bhaja Govindam".

Some immature critics of Indian philosophy believe and say that the
way of devotion is different from the way of knowledge. The learned

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employ this distinction to emphasise a particular thesis on which they
discourse in different contexts. We should not get confused by this
and fail to understand the truth. When intelligence matures and
lodges securely in the heart, it becomes wisdom.

Our people have heard the "Bhaja Govindam" song and they know it. It
is not new to them. Snatches of it are sung now and then. Yet, it is
good to read it in full, as a whole poem. It was with great delight that I
read all the 31 verses and I was seized with a desire to convey the
wealth of its import to others. I am aware that this too is an impulsion
of desire. Yet, the desire is irresistible and I shall fulfil it. The wise ones
should forgive me.

VERSE 1

bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ

gōvindaṃ bhaja mūḍhamatē ।
samprāptē sannihitē kālē
nahi nahi rakṣati ḍukṛṅkaraṇē ॥ 1 ॥

Our people have heard the "Bhaja Govindam" song and they know it. It
is not new to them. Snatches of it are sung now and then. Yet, it is
good to read it in full, as a whole poem. It was with great delight that I
read all the 31 verses and I was seized with a desire to convey the
wealth of its import to others. I am aware that this too is an impulsion
of desire. Yet, the desire is irresistible and I shall fulfil it. The wise ones
should forgive me.

The Goddess of Learning Herself speaks through Sankara, beloved of

her. Will the sciences that you have learnt, the books that you have
read and the skills that you have acquired, will these stand by you
when you are at death's door? No, they will not. Save yourself by
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supplicating to Govinda. When the God of Death gives an ultimatum to
you and beckons to you to come to his regions, you cannot argue with
him with the aid of the books you have mastered. The only way to
escape is to worship Govinda. Book learning without devotion to God
will not avail in the presence of Death.

VERSE 2

mūḍha jahīhi dhanāgamatṛṣṇāṃ

kuru sadbuddhiṃ manasi vitṛṣṇām ।
yallabhasē nijakarmōpāttaṃ
vittaṃ tēna vinōdaya chittam ॥ 2 ॥

After first warning against the desire for mere scholarship forgetful of
god, and for the renown that it brings, Sri Sankara next speaks about
the desire to amass wealth. Men ceaselessly crave for money, for
more Money without end. They see that this insatiable desire for
Money only breeds pain and sorrow. Yet, they do not learn a lesson
from it.

The 'Bhaja Govindam' was sung for everybody including the unlettered
man in the street. Wisdom and devotion are the invaluable brightness
of every person. Sri Sankara's teaching is not only for the Sanyaasins
who have renounced the world. He signs also for the ordinary men
who eke out their livelihood with the labour of their hands. 'Yallabhase
najakarmopaattam vittam': 'What you earn by your own labour';'tena
vinodaya chittam': 'enjoy that and be content with it' - that is his
counsel.

Do not come to grief by insatiable quest for Money, Money and more
Money. That will not be to your good. Look upon it as your enemy.
Conquer the lust for Money and rest content. Is it not joy that you seek
through Money? It is folly to grieve over what you do not have without

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feeling content with what you have earned by honest labour. That is
not the way to obtain joy.

From thoughtless lust of other's goods springs fatal ill;

Greatness of soul that covets not shall triumph still

Said Tiruvalluvar.

If one strives for wealth without thought of the consequences that will
lead to disaster. On the contrary, if you develop the mental state of
not coveting the wealth in the hands of others, that will be a source of
joy. It will bring you victory. The greatest treasure springs from control
of desire and not wanting anything. Valluvar speaks of it as 'not-
desiring'. Sri Sankara calls it vitrishna. Valluvar calls it a species of
pride. A victor feels pride when he defeats his enemy. Not wanting
anything invests one with similar pride, as it is victory over one's
cravings.

VERSE 3

nārīstanabhara-nābhīdēśaṃ
dṛṣṭvā mā gā mōhāvēśam ।
ētanmāṃsavasādivikāraṃ
manasi vichintaya vāraṃ vāram ॥ 3 ॥

In the third stanza, Sri Sankara speaks about lust. Every one knows that
one may conquer other things, but lust is the most intractable of all.
Enticed by woman's beauty, her bosom and the region of the navel,
Do not allow yourself to be lost; They are only forms of mere flesh,
Think of them as such every time you look at them.

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Do not allow your eyes to stray about here and there. Keep them from
forbidden things. Otherwise, says Sri Sankara, you will be caught in the
vortex of lust. Yes; women look pretty; but do not be carried away by
the external appearance of the body. A woman who belongs to
another cannot be yours. To covet what cannot be had leads but to
misery. Do not deceive yourself saying that it is harmless pleasure to
look at handsome women. Looking at things will not produce
satisfaction. It only breeds desire.

It is natural for me to seek water. But who will want to be thirsty? If

you seek thirst, search for water will follow, would it not? If you do not
wish to swerve from the straight path, why do you invite trouble on
your self? If you cast covetous glances on women, it will breed more
lust in you, and your firmness of mind will lose its strength gradually
without your knowing it. It is difficult even under natural condition to
maintain your purity. Then, why do you make it more complicated? To
feed your eyes is to add to the armoury of your enemy. 'maa gaa
mohaavesam' means 'do not get overpowered by lust'. 'Aavesa' implies
your mind getting out of your control and going its own way. If your
eyes have their way, this is what is in store for you, says Sri Sankara.

You must pause and reflect, says he, as to be all this beauty which
deludes the mind. Reflection will bring steadfastness. What is this thing
called "body beautiful?" Is it not mere flesh and skin? After knowing
the truth of the matter, is it wise to be taken in by external
appearance? Eyes cannot deceive a firm mind with power to
discriminate. Lacking that steadiness of mind, we shall be ruined if we
let our eyes wander here and there as they please.

We must train ourselves to control the senses. When we acquire this

sense-control, we shall feel a sense of freedom in the mind.
Tranquillity ensures it. Craving and lust seem pleasures concealing a
core of inevitable pain.

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If the impulsion of the senses is controlled, tranquillity will come into
being without any further effort. Then will ensue a joy that will endure.
To attain it, first the eyes must be held under check. Such restraint of
the senses is prescribed not for being known as a mahatma or a sage.
It is essential for one's ordinary welfare and mental peace.

VERSE 4

nalinīdala-gatajalamatitaralaṃ
tadvajjīvitamatiśaya-chapalam ।
viddhi vyādhyabhimānagrastaṃ
lōkaṃ śōkahataṃ cha samastam ॥ 4 ॥

After uttering a warning in the first three stanzas against the arrogance
of knowledge, the lure of wealth and of sex, Sri Sankara speaks of the
nature of life in the fourth stanza. A lotus leaf Boats on water. A water
drop rests on it credulously feeling quite safe as it dances on the lotus
leaf. Sri Sankara says that the joys of life are as unstable as such a
water drop. Man's mind skips here and there even as the water drop
dances on the lotus leaf. Unceasing desire is its nature. Afflicted by
disease and tossed about by attachments, human life is enveloped by
grief.

Whatever we seek to obtain in the world is ever mixed with pain.

Suppose we get a thing. Immediately we are worried about its safety.
Along with acquisition arises the fear that we may lose it, and sorrow
attends its loss. The afflictions of the body are numberless.
Innumerable is the attachments that prey upon the mind and the
anxieties, which they breed.

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The pleasures of such attachments are not real. In very truth, they are
only cares and sorrows. Disease and attachments are the terrible
crocodiles that threaten to devour our soul. In the manner of the
Puranic elephant, which cried out to Narayana to rescue it from
danger, we too should seek refuge in God. The water drops on the
lotus leaf trembles. So too is life, precarious and unstable. Know is to
be in the grip of disease and anxiety, and smitten with sorrow.

VERSE 5

yāvadvittōpārjanasaktaḥ
tāvannijaparivārō raktaḥ ।
paśchājjīvati jarjaradēhē
vārtāṃ kō'pi na pṛchChati gēhē ॥ 5 ॥

"Why do you detract from the joys of life by such statements?", asks
the fool in his simplicity: "look at the kinsmen round me", says he, "Oh!
how much they love me and make me happy! Is all this false or is it a
dream? Look at my wife and her love of me; will not that alone
compensate for all the pains of life? Ignoring all this, why do you revile
at everything calling it all mere folly?

In answer, Sri Sankara says: As long as you are able to earn, so long
will your kinsfolk be attached to you. After that, when your body has
become infirm, no one will speak to you even in your own home."My
son, your dear ones, kinsmen and servants cling to you only so long as
you earn. When that is over and when they find that you can be of no
further use to them, your kinsmen will disappear into no where." This
caution that Sri Sankara utters is not to find fault with kinsmen. He
only points out the usual course of nature. How are the poor kinsmen
to blame for it?

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Sri Sankara says: "Do not cling to what is not substantial. There is only
one thing to which you should attach yourself. Cling to the feet of
Govinda. Forgetting it, you come to grief, attaching yourself to other
things, which are impermanent and unsure. The love that your
kinsmen show to you and their interest in your welfare depends on the
benefit they can derive from you. When you become old and are no
more able to earn, they will get away from you. Do not be deceived
seeing people gather round you now." What Sri Sankara says can be
found to be true beyond doubt in every place and in every family.

VERSE 6

yāvatpavanō nivasati dēhē

tāvatpṛchChati kuśalaṃ gēhē ।
gatavati vāyau dēhāpāyē
bhāryā bibhyati tasminkāyē ॥ 6 ॥

"What you say about kinsmen may be true; but take my wife who is
with me here. All the love that she bestows on me - is that too a
delusion? Is that unsubstantial? Are we not two lives joined together in
one body; or more truly, one life in two bodies? Looking on every part
of my body as her own, here is my wife living with me always. How
then can life be unreal?" asks the simpleton.

Sri Sankara sings: People at home concern themselves about your

welfare so long as there is breathe in your body. When the life-breath
takes leave of your body, even the wife is afraid of that body.While the
husband is alive, the wife lavishes her affection on him, kisses him all
over and says that he is her very life. But the moment the in-going and
out - going breath stops, she gets frightened of that very body and
calling it a 'corpse', she moves away from it. When there was life she

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would ask: "How is the pain now? Did you sleep well? Shall I massage
your feet?" etc.

The moment breathing stops, she is afraid to sit near that same body,
the body she used I embrace and kiss passionately. If, by any chance,
the corpse should suddenly sit up, would she not run away howling?
Attachments and associations of the body are of this nature.

Sri Sankara does not advise abandoning one wife. Married life must go
on. But he warns again! undue attachment to that life. Go about your
fill knowing the truth about things. Do not unnecessarily come to grief
mistaking the false for the true. Why is a wife? What is a son? What is
the connection between your life and theirs? The bonds of the body
subsist only so long as life lasts. That is what & Sankara says, one must
perform the duties of a householder. But, a wise man will act realising
the limitation everything. It is profitless to mistake the fleeting for the
permanent. If one acts with a proper understanding of things, one
would have less cause for grief.

VERSE 7

bālastāvatkrīḍāsaktaḥ
taruṇastāvattaruṇīsaktaḥ ।
vṛddhastāvachchintāsaktaḥ
paramē brahmaṇi kō'pi na saktaḥ ॥ 7 ॥

Childhood passes away in play. Thoughts of love engage youth and the
mind goes after maidens. The old man is worried about the fate of his
children and his wife. His whole life is spent in some kind of anxiety or
other. At no stage does a man turn his mind to God.

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At successive stages of life, man is engrossed in play or in sex-love, in
family cares and in inconsequential anxieties. Never does he turn to
the quest for true wisdom. Sri Sankara bewails this failing in every
man, and is concerned to find a remedy for it. Life is wasted in the
quest of what is transient and deluding. Though aware of the delusion,
at no period of his life does a man seek to know the Real.

VERSE 8

kā tē kāntā kastē putraḥ

saṃsārō'yamatīva vichitraḥ ।
kasya tvaṃ kaḥ kuta āyātaḥ
tattvaṃ chintaya tadiha bhrātaḥ ॥ 8 ॥

What is the permanent relation between the wife whom you love and
yourself? You adore your son passionately; who is he? The course of
worldly life is a great mysterious enigma. Whose property are you?
Whence did you come? Where were you previously? Did you come to
existence by yourself? What is the bond between the persons whom
you love and worry about and your- self? Why all this anxiety and
attachment? Reflect on all this for a while and your delusions will
vanish.

You will be at peace. Do not confuse the perishing body with the
imperishable soul; do not be a victim of erroneous attachments. Save
yourself from the sorrow of such delusion.

Sri Sankara says that this is a strange world. By, strange' is meant 'an
inscrutable secret'. It also con-notes an element of beauty and
wonder. This world is a composite of wonderful beauty and awe-
inspiring enigma, and it captivates the eye by its myriad colours. Of

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beauty, there is enough and more. But the relation between this world
and you is transient.

VERSE 9

satsaṅgatvē nissaṅgatvaṃ
nissaṅgatvē nirmōhatvam ।
nirmōhatvē niśchalatattvaṃ
niśchalatattvē jīvanmuktiḥ ॥ 9 ॥

Association with good and enlightened men provides occasion for the
practice of withdrawal from desire and attachment. Every one is aware
of the effects of company. It is more effective than mere precept.
Calmness and equanimity are the results of good company. As desires
and attachments become less and less, the delusion which preys upon
life diminishes.

Desire and delusion warp the, mind and cloud the understanding
obstructing the power to discriminate between the good and the bad,
between the lofty and the low. Delusion is the name given to the state
where one is unable to distinguish between the true and the false.
Desire and attachment are the cause of this delusion.

As these diminish, one gradually gets free from this delusion. When it
vanishes completely, the mind ceases to be agitated and becomes
steady. When the mind becomes steady, internal purity ensues. Purity
is Sivam, Divinity Itself. When that state is reached, it is salvation, that
is, jeevanmukti.

Maanikkavaachagar sang:

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'My bonds He cut, made me His own, cleansed my foulness. No trace
of it was left. Thus, was given the final goal of His grace.' That 'final
goal' is jeevanmukti. he company of the good roots out all attachment.
When there is no attachment, there is no delusion. When delusion
vanishes, the mind is steady. A steady mind makes for jeevanmukti.

As attachment decreases, infatuation is reduced, Where there is no

infatuation, one attains equanimity and divine peace. These come one
after the other like the leaf, flower and fruit of a tree. Like the good,
the elements of evil too appear in similar succession.

To attain salvation at the end, one must start with the company of the
devotees of God. One must give up living with unbelievers. Those who
are not devout need not be derided; nor should they be hated. They
also must receive the grace of God. After the manner of the saint of
Vadavoor, who cried: 'My God filled my heart with devotion'. our
hearts too must melt in. gratitude to God.

VERSE 10

vayasi gatē kaḥ kāmavikāraḥ

śuṣkē nīrē kaḥ kāsāraḥ ।
kṣīṇē vittē kaḥ parivāraḥ
jñātē tattvē kaḥ saṃsāraḥ ॥ 10 ॥

The sorrows of life will cease of their own accord upon the dawn of the
knowledge of the self. That knowledge is the only remedy for sorrow.
And, it is an unfailing remedy. There is no doubt about this, says Sri
Sankara:

When youth is gone, where is room for sport in lust? Where is the take
when the water has dried up? When wealth is gone, where are the

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kinsfolk? When the Truth is known, where is the worldly bond?
Sorrow and suffering afflict only so long as there is delusion in the
mind. When delusion vanishes giving place to wisdom, sorrow and
suffering disappear like mist before the sun. The only remedy for
delusion is wisdom. To secure it, good conduct, character and devotion
are necessary. In the absence of these, mere knowledge got by reading
books will not give wisdom. That is the difference between learning
and knowledge of the self.

As old age creeps on, acts of lust vanish of their own accord. As water
dries up, the lake loses even its form. As one becomes poor, one's
kinsmen disappear into nowhere. All these art most certain; equally
certain is the disappearance of life's troubles upon the dawn of
wisdom, says Sri Sankara. Even the most persistent sorrows and cares
of men will be cured by true knowledge of self. When they disappear,
man's native powers will assert themselves and go into fruitful
channels. They will not be spent in futile cares.

Knowledge of the self is the true medicine, which will give one soul-
strength. It cures one of cares and anxieties and spurs one to the good
life. If even after studying the saastras, one's cares have not been
extinguished, it means that they have not been read with devotion.

VERSE 11

mā kuru dhana-jana-yauvana-garvaṃ
harati nimēṣātkālaḥ sarvam ।
māyāmayamidamakhilaṃ hitvā
brahmapadaṃ tvaṃ praviśa viditvā ॥ 11 ॥

The next song says: Do not be proud of your youth and health. Do not
be vain and say: "I have wealth, kinsmen, friends and also servants to

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do my bidding. What more do I need?" When fortune begins to frown
on you, all these will disappear in a trice. All your arrogance will
change in a moment into shame. Realize the instability of things and
lead your days with due humility. Give up desires and attachments, do
your duties and then seek knowledge of the self. A wise man will tread
the path of renunciation as a result of his wisdom. The pleasure and
riches of worldly life are delusive appearances. Realizing that they are
a passing show, prepare for the way of renunciation. The wise has
warned that it requires maturity of mind to take the path of
renunciation. The renunciation of the immature will only make them
objects of ridicule.

What is meant by maturity? It is the state of mind, which looks on

wealth and fame as mere trivialities. One must not look upon strangers
differently from kinsmen and friends. Sexual pleasures must be
completely avoided. Sanyaasa by itself does not help to get rid of one's
failings. The failings must be got rid of before adopting sanyaasa. One
should not deceive oneself that by merely uttering the mantras of
renunciation and donning the ochre robe, one can easily pursue the
way of renunciation and self-knowledge. To do so would be like eating
over much to stimulate digestion. The result will be only dyspepsia. It is
he who has no flaws left in his character that can think of taking
sanyaasa. Renunciation is the top rung of the ladder of life and the
earlier steps have to be ascended before one set foot on the last step.

VERSE 12

dinayāminyau sāyaṃ prātaḥ

śiśiravasantau punarāyātaḥ ।
kālaḥ krīḍati gachChatyāyuḥ
tadapi na muñchatyāśāvāyuḥ ॥ 12 ॥

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Let worldly life be an appearance or a reality. Sri Sankara does not
object to our enjoying life, using our talents in approved ways adhering
to Dharma. If one seeks pleasure in wrong ways, the joy that one may
get will be far outweighed by the sorrows one must suffer. If a man
leads a dharmic life, he must submit to sorrows as willingly as he
accepts pleasures. Both must be borne with equanimity.

If we lay to heart what Sri Sankara tells us, we shall acquire the
courage to bear the sorrows of life unperturbed. A man may escape all
other hardships, but death and the parting, which it imposes, are
inevitable. Either the wife loses her husband or the husband suffers
the grief of separation from his wife. Other sorrows too we cannot
escape. To bear these with fortitude, one must acquire the true
knowledge that Sri Sankara urges us to acquire.

Numerous are the calamities we have thus to bear. There are those
who say: Why bother about all this Vedanta? Let us go through life
somehow. But when calamities and difficulties assail them, they suffer
uncontrollable grief. Therefore, it is good to realize the truth that life is
a mixture of joy and sorrow. Sorrow is the obverse of joy.

You cannot have the one without the other in the world. Sorrow
cannot be eliminated outright. Only, we must acquire the strength of
mind to bear it. To be able to do it, one must acquire true knowledge.
Therefore, the knowledge which Sri Sankara, the Sanyaasin, insists on
is indispensable even for an ordinary householder's comfortable life.

Thus while Time sports, life fleets unobserved, Yet desire does not
leave us, but holds us in its grip. Like a beautiful damsel, time dances
on the stage of life. Every step of hers, night and day, summer and
winter, every clap of her lovely palms, quietly cuts off the days of your
life. As the Kural has it, every day is but the sawing off of a slice from
your life; it is nothing but that, though it seems beautiful.

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While speaking about the Maayaa of the world, Sri Sankara also
portrays its beauty. Is there a more enchanting scene in the world than
dawn and evening? The star-spangled sky at mid-night is a splendor
the like of which there is nothing else. The beauty of the seasons is a
delight. But what are all these? They are just a relentless sawing off of
your Iife-span. We know this; yet we do not give up the desires of the
flesh. What folly?

VERSE 13

kā tē kāntā dhanagatachintā
vātula kiṃ tava nāsti niyantā ।
trijagati sajjanasaṅgatirēkā
bhavati bhavārṇavataraṇē naukā ॥ 13 ॥

Is there none to advise you? Even when death is imminent, why do you
turn your thoughts to your wife and to your possessions? Won't you
strive for wisdom at least in your last days? A little effort that way even
for a brief moment will bring great gain.

Crazy Man! Why do you bother about your wife and your wealth?
Know you not that in all the three worlds the company of the good is
the only boat, which will take you across the sea of life? We must
reflect on the attachments that bind us to the world and examine them
carefully. Take the case of the wife.

What is the connection between her soul and mine? Why should one
depend on the other? What is the connection between her whom I call
my wife in the present life and my past or future lives? Do souls have
kinship? Why this limitless bother about a transitory connection of a
single life? What is the measure of a single life in endless eternity? Is it
not a trifling moment? Once you are dead, what is the connection

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between your wife and yourself? Why bother about it? Should you not
cease engaging in profitless thoughts?

When this is the case with the wife, what needs be said about wealth?
It is something inanimate. What is the relation between you and this
wealth once you have given up the body? Why do you worry about it?
Even if the truth is seen, delusion persists and works havoc on the
mind. It is to banish that delusion that Sri Sankara sang the 'Moha
Mudgara.' The traditional name for the song of Bhaja Govindam is
Moha Mudgara i.e. the heavy hammer that crushes and destroys moha
or delusion.

VERSE 14

jaṭilō muṇḍī luñChitakēśaḥ

kāṣāyāmbara-bahukṛtavēṣaḥ ।
paśyannapi cha na paśyati mūḍhaḥ
udaranimittaṃ bahukṛtavēṣaḥ ॥ 14 ॥

The ascetic with the matted locks, the man with the shaven head, he
who has pulled out his hair, the man of the kaashaya robe, they have
eyes but fail to see. All these are disguises to cheat the world and fill
the belly. Renouncing is not a matter of external show. It is a victory
that has to be won in the mind. But what is it that we see in the world?
We see the shaven head or the long matted hair and such other
outward signs. If the desires burning in the heart are not quenched,
these external forms mean nothing. The show of renunciation is quite
often a means to fill the belly. 'Why this vain show? Give it up', says Sri
Sankara.

Tiruvalluvar says: "There is no need for shaving the head or for the
long matted locks if what the world condemns is given up sincerely."

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We are familiar with sanyaasins who renounce in haste and regret at
leisure. Shortly after taking to the ochre robe, they get involved in the
world and are the victims of anger and anxiety.

There are many that adopt sanyaasa but hunt for power and influence
as before and who use their sanyaasa as a means for that purpose. All
this purpose. All this is extremely sinful; they are heinous acts that will
bring sanyaasa itself into disrepute. The sanyaasins may be of all sorts
and kinds, but the ideal of sanyaasa is a thing of great value stressed
by our ancients. There is no doubt about it. Unfortunately, sanyaasa
loan its prestige as it is adopted by not a few before qualifying for it.

VERSE 15

aṅgaṃ galitaṃ palitaṃ muṇḍaṃ

daśanavihīnaṃ jātaṃ tuṇḍam ।
vṛddhō yāti gṛhītvā daṇḍaṃ
tadapi na muñchatyāśāpiṇḍam ॥ 15॥

Giving up or renunciation, is the substance of sanyaasa. It does not lie

in external forms. To give up truly is to abandon the desires that work
up the mind. Sri Krishna deals with this point in the third chapter of the
Bhagavad Gita in clear terms. Whatever one may be engaged in, that
the spirit of renunciation in the heart should govern activity. The mind
should be pure whatever the external form; and given the will, it can
be kept pure.

Our great spiritual teachers who were pure, and competent, and truly
wiser than us have declared this after careful research. They have told
that we would become pure in hem and mind if we meditated on God
with love and devotion in whatever form, as father, as mother, as

19
teacher or in other aspects closer to our heart. There cannot be the
spirit of renunciation without devotion to God. The songs of Saint
Maanikkavaachagar bear this out. We are in no way wiser than he was.

There is no Vedaantic truth he did not know. He literally wept for God,
he yearned for him from the recess of his heart. Like him, we too
should pine for God, cry out for Mm as our Father, Mother, and as
even closer than these. If we do so, we will get enlightenment in some
measure and the power to ward off desires. The state of renunciation
cannot be attained merely by book learning if there is no devotion to
God.

Sri Sankara bewails that men do not give up desires even when age has
rendered them incapable of enjoyment. The body has got worn out;
the head has turned all grey; the mouth has lost all its teeth. The old
man goes about leaning on a stick; yet, he hugs to himself a bundle of
desires.

VERSE 16

agrē vahniḥ pṛṣṭhē bhānuḥ

rātrau chubuka-samarpita-jānuḥ ।
karatala-bhikṣastarutalavāsaḥ
tadapi na muñchatyāśāpāśaḥ ॥ 16 ॥

Sitting before the fire or with the sun at the back, sleeping at night
with the knee tucked under the chin, stretching out his palm for alms
and living homeless under the trees; yet, he has not freed himself from
the desires that grip him.

20
The man is old and decrepit. He shivers all over unable to stand the
cold. He sits with his back to the sun for warmth. If he can get a fire, he
sits by it to warm himself. At night, lying down to sleep, he is not able
to stretch his legs out. He is not sure of his meat on the morrow. And
yet, his desires have no limit. The attachments and desires, which bind
a man to the things of the world, have enormous power. These devils
hold sway over him unabated even when be has become, weak in
every limb.

VERSE 17

kurutē gaṅgāsāgaragamanaṃ
vrata-paripālanamathavā dānam ।
jñānavihīnaḥ sarvamatēna
bhajati na muktiṃ janmaśatēna ॥ 18 ॥

It is not possible to fight and vanquish them by one's unaided effort.

Seek the help of God and pray to Him to stand by you. Then you will
triumph over them. Don't ask: "Should God come Himself for all this? Is
it right to invoke Him for this?" This power will accrue to you as a
result of your seeking God's help.

You will then be able to withstand those desires. There is nothing to

detract from the majesty of God when we call Him to our aid. In fact,
He is pleased when we pray and petition to him. Subjugation of the
natural passions and the victory of the soul cannot be achieved
without His aid.

VERSE 18

21
suramandira-taru-mūla-nivāsaḥ
śayyā bhūtalamajinaṃ vāsaḥ ।
sarva-parigraha-bhōgatyāgaḥ
kasya sukhaṃ na karōti virāgaḥ ॥ 18॥

Who can disturb a man's happiness, if he can be happy, living in the

open halls of temples or under the trees, lying on the bare ground and
wrapped in skins, giving up every possession and enjoyment?

"There is no possession so great as non - desire either in this world or

in the worlds beyond" sang Tiruvalluvar.

Happiness is an internal state of the mind. It does not reside in an

external object or in the physical body. Sri Sankara speaks from
experience. This is an assurance to those who grieve caught up in
worldly things and is afraid to give them up. There need be no
doubting question as to how to give up and about the nature of the
pleasure that will follow.

One should not let one's mind be tossed about in quest of desires that
bring unhappiness. Sri Sankara says that by no other means can one
find the bliss that one can find through renunciation. You must accept
this as true when one so great as Sri Sankara declares it. He has
experienced the bliss of renunciation and preaches it to others.

VERSE 19

yōgaratō vā bhōgaratō vā
saṅgaratō vā saṅgavihīnaḥ ।

22
yasya brahmaṇi ramatē chittaṃ
nandati nandati nandatyēva ॥ 19 ॥

When one is practicing yoga, or enjoying some pleasures, whether in

company or in solitude, if one’s mind finds delight in communication
with the Supreme Brahman, such a one is indeed truly happy. Pleasure
is a state of the mind. The satisfaction springing from sense-enjoyment
is pleasure of one kind. But the bliss of felt union with God is some-
thing different. It is a joy that knows no qualification or diminution. Sri
Maanikkavaachagar says to his heart as to a honeybee:

"O, my good bee, sip not the honey from little flowers and waste your
energy. There is the Divine Dancer for you to meditate on or see His
form in the temples. What is the use of the sensual pleasures of the
flesh. The flower that is God exudes the honey of supreme bliss. Drink
that honey, O my heart. When you sing His praise, my very bones melt
in the honey of the bliss that flows from Him."

VERSE 20

bhagavadgītā kiñchidadhītā
gaṅgājala-lavakaṇikā pītā ।
sakṛdapi yēna murārisamarchā
kriyatē tasya yamēna na charchā ॥ 20 ॥

A little study of the Bhagavad Gita, drinking a drop of Ganga Water, a

casual worship of Murari-these will save you from debate with Death.
Sri Sankara says: "You will be liberated if you worship Muraari, that is,
Govinda, with devotion at least now and then." The great Acharya who
had attained the highest wisdom has blended devotion, wisdom and
austerities in this stanza. Kinchit adheetaa: read at least a little bit; that

23
is enough, says he. 'Drink just a drop of Ganga water', he says. The Gita
too is like Ganga water.

It is enough if a small part of it is read. Is it necessary to drink the

entire Ganga? Is it possible to do so? No. Think of Govinda at some
moment or other. That is enough. You need not then live in fear of
death, says he. The pious Tamil devotees have sung about God in
rapture as 'exceedingly accessible to His devotees', 'as one who
overlooks the defects and appreciates the virtues', 'as He who cures
the ills of those who bow to Him', and 'as He who is sweet like the
music of the, veena.'

VERSE 21

punarapi jananaṃ punarapi maraṇaṃ

punarapi jananījaṭharē śayanam ।
iha saṃsārē bahudustārē
kṛpayā'pārē pāhi murārē ॥ 22 ॥

Let us beg for His grace, He will surely protect us. He will surely take us
across the Ocean of births and deaths. If Sri Sankara himself who
reached the heights of spiritual knowledge cried out that nothing could
protect except His grace, what can men of little knowledge have to
say? Let us worship Him, and seek His grace. We shall be saved. Why
think of other means? That is what the Gita also declare:

Giving up all Paths, surrender yourself completely to me. I shall save

You from every sin, do not grieve. Maa suchah means 'do not grieve'.
This is the declaration of the Lord Himself not only to Arjuna, but also
to entire mankind.

VERSE 22

24
rathyācharpaṭa-virachita-kanthaḥ
puṇyāpuṇya-vivarjita-panthaḥ ।
yōgī yōganiyōjita-chittaḥ
ramatē bālōnmattavadēva ॥ 22 ॥

Sri Sankara sings of God-intoxication and the bliss of the men that have
received the light: Clad in rags picked from the street, treading the
path beyond good and evil, not caring to earn merit by good and never
doing evil, lost in meditation, the Yogi revels in the Supreme and plays
sometimes like a child, and sometimes behaves like one mad.

A child is innocence itself; it knows no evil. A mad man cares not for
the world. A yogi's heart is a blood of these attitudes. It is this that Sri
Sankara refers to when he says 'like a child, like one mad'.

Tamil saints like Pattinattaar have danced in ecstatic experience of this

divine joy and poured forth their heart in song. Can every one, attain
this state? No. To seek to attain this bliss without maturity of heart and
mind will end in mere external show. This state of yogic bliss arises
spontaneously in fullness of time. If the means to it are gone through
effectively, the result will follow as a matter of course.

The early steps relate to the development of faith, to wean the mind
from becoming a prey to the deceitful senses. There is no other way
than this to cleanse oneself of sin committed. If one pursues the path
of devotion, the impurities of the mind get washed out. The purified
soul of all that is auspicious. It realizes itself. Then the surpassing joy
like unto that of a child or one that is mad will dawn by the grace of
God. This is what saint Maanikkavaachagar has sung in his
Acchopadikam.

25
VERSE 23

kastvaṃ kō'haṃ kuta āyātaḥ

kā mē jananī kō mē tātaḥ ।
iti paribhāvaya sarvamasāraṃ
viśvaṃ tyaktvā svapnavichāram ॥ 23 ॥

We sleep in the night and dream. In the dream we experience many

hardships and cares. During the dream we suffer much pain but on
waking, 0 that vanishes and we feel great relief. Sri Sankara compares
life to a dream and says that the cares and pains of life are like the
cares and pains in a dream.

Who are you? Who am I? Who is my mother, and who is my father?

Reflect on this. You will then realize that the world and its cares are
but the cares and anxieties of a dream, and you will be able then to
free yourself from that dream.

We speak of something as 'I', 'I', and suffer great fear, difficulty and
anger. What is that 'I'? 'Reflect', says Sri Sankara. 'The distinction of
'You' and 'I' subsist only so long as there is the body. Who were they
previously before they took birth whom now endear themselves to you
as 'father' and 'mother'? Who were you previously? Prior to this birth,
in how many wombs had you been confined? Do you see all those
mothers now? If you saw them, would you feel love for them? What is
that Substance from which you have now separated and taken your
shape? All the things that you see in the world are the illusory forms of
that one Substance.

You are not able to see that one Substance; but what you see are its
illusory forms, and you feel drawn to them or repelled by them by your
love and hate, and you are caught up in this delusion. Wake up from

26
this dream, open your eyes and try to see the One Reality behind them
all.' 'Then', says Sankara, 'your cares will vanish. The mirage projected
by your karma will disappear before bhakti. You will find liberation;
worship Govinda and attain salvation'.

VERSE 24

tvayi mayi chānyatraikō viṣṇuḥ

vyarthaṃ kupyasi mayyasahiṣṇuḥ ।
bhava samachittaḥ sarvatra tvaṃ
vāñChasyachirādyadi viṣṇutvam ॥ 24 ॥

With whom do you get angry? Why do you grieve in vain imagining
enmity in your heart? Is not every Living creature the temple of
Govinda? Does not the same soul dwell in your body and in that of the
brother that you fight against? In you, in me, elsewhere, there is but
one Vishnu. Unable to bear with me, you get angry with me in vain.
See your self in all things. Give up this false sense of difference from
other beings everywhere.

VERSE 25

śatrau mitrē putrē bandhau

mā kuru yatnaṃ vigrahasandhau ।
sarvasminnapi paśyātmānaṃ
sarvatrōtsṛja bhēdājñānam ॥ 25 ॥

Don't think in terms of friend or foe; or brother or cousin. Don't waste

your energy in enmity or friendship. If you wish soon to realize the
Supreme, be of equal mind with every one. Friendship and enmity only
27
perpetuate the impediment of attachment. From attachment flow grief
and delusion. One must attain liberation by gradually reducing and
getting rid of attachments. So, in our dealings with everybody, we
should develop equanimity and " to see the Divinity in everyone and
every-where. God must cultivate a sense of impartiality. This will lead
to what Sri Sankara speaks of as Vishnutva. It leads to salvation.

One may ask: Is this possible? Can one become free from love and
hatred alike? Even were it possible for the sanyaasins, can it be
achieved in worldly life? Oh, how many occasions come about for
anger! Can one forget or ignore them? True, it is difficult to forget
causes of anger. It is no use to pretend to be calm externally when
angers bum inside in the heart. It is difficult to forget; yet, Sri Sankara
provides a remedy for it one should constantly remind oneself that
Govinda resides in every life.

The way to control and -overcome anger and aversion is to keep telling
ourselves: How numerous are the lapses I have been guilty of! How
many are the evils that lodge in my heart concealed from the gaze of
others! Others too are like me, aren't they? Their lapses too like mine
are the sport of God. Govinda sports in various ways. What avails my
anger or my grief? To weed one thing out from the mind it must be
filled with something else. It is for this that one is told to lift one's
heart up to Govinda.

'Countless are my defects and sins, to expiate them and to make

myself good, it is urgent that I should cry out to Govinda. Shall I waste
my time thinking of the vices of others? To do so gives no pleasure; it
only adds to my misery. And the hours glide in purposeless waste. I
must quickly go about purifying my heart. And that will be possible
only if I take refuge in Govinda'.

28
With this determination, says Sri Sankara, after you have done your
duties whenever you have the time, day or night, lift your thoughts up
to Govinda. Any purpose can be achieved only if one adopts the means
for it. Contemplation of Govinda is the most effective means for
purifying your heart, which is your objective.

VERSE 26

kāmaṃ krōdhaṃ lōbhaṃ mōhaṃ

tyaktvā''tmānaṃ paśyati sō'ham ।
ātmajñānavihīnā mūḍhāḥ
tē pachyantē narakanigūḍhāḥ ॥ 26 ॥

Free yourself from lust, anger, greed, and delusion. Meditate an who
you are. Ask of yourself: Who am I? The fool’s who-fail to understand
the self is caught even here in hell-fire and surer torture. A desire
wells up in a man's heart. He thinks that he can be happy if that desire
is satisfied. He exerts himself to the utmost for that purpose. But there
is no end to the steps on the ladder of desire. And it does not allow
him to see the endlessness of his desire. We try to climb up the steps
of a tread- mill. As we ascend, the steps on the wheel go down.

It looks as it we are getting up; but as we get up one step, the step we
have ascended goes down; and a new step appears before us. There is
no end to the steps and our labor too is equally unending. Till we die,
we keep on getting up. It would appear that we can be at rest if we go
up one step but it is not possible to be satisfied with it. A fresh desire
comes up. This is the way of all desires.

A hindrance appears just When a desire is sought to be satisfied. That

causes anger. Anger is the great enemy of man. From it arises hatred.
It harms another as well as oneself. The more one feels hurt, the

29
greater is the anger. A disease of the body disappears after it has
caused some damage. This is the nature of physical diseases. But anger
is of a different nature. it causes affliction continuously without end
and, itself grows in the process. It does not abate.

Desires are of various kinds. We would feel ashamed. openly to

express some of them. We proclaim some of our other desires with
pride. Both types of desires grow by what they feed on. They are
insatiable, always wanting more. Feed the desire; it becomes hungrier.
The hunger is unappeasable.

There is a limit to the power of the senses, which crave for pleasure.
The senses may become powerless; but the desire continues. This is
the unfortunate and surprising truth. Desire persists wanting
satisfaction even when it is impossible. That is why desire is spoken of
as a monster, a rakshasa.

In Sanskrit the desire for wealth is called lobha. The mental agitation,
which desires sexual indulgence, is called Kaama. Anger springs from
both these sources. And anger is the parent of all kinds of sins. It
makes a man commit inconceivable atrocities. It destroys his reason
and reduces him to an animal.

The moment an unrighteous desire springs in the mind, at once it must

be eschewed. By merely ordering it to go, it will not go. The mind must
be diverted to something else. Other good thoughts will bar the entry
of evil thoughts into the mind. This is the secret of the nature of the
mind. Man's mind travels all ever the world. But there is no room in it
for two thoughts at one moment.

If a good thought lodges in the mind and engages it completely, the

other will get automatically pushed out. Profiting by this secret of the
nature of the mind, one should try to get rid of evil thoughts and
desires. If we yield to desire even in the slightest measure, we are lost.
30
If we think: 'My desire lies concealed in my heart; no one need know
about it', and thus if we fail to realize the danger, we shall be ruined.
We become its slave. It will stick to us like a leech. Once a thought
obtains a place in the mind, it easily takes the shape of action very
soon. Even if it remains dormant as a thought, that impure thought it is
a sinful thing. It will foul the pure heart and spoil it. It will foul the
temple of God and pollute it.

The verse speaks of four things, Kaama, Krodha, Lobha and Moha. Of
these, Moha is the wrong value that we give to things, not knowing
what is good and what is evil, what is desirable and what is repulsive,
like a child or an inexperienced man or woman buying things in a
bazaar taken in by the outward appearance of the objects which are
displayed. Even so, we stray into evil ways abandoning the proper
path, which would yield real happiness.

We hanker for the praises of our fellow men. We know that these are
empty words; yet, we believe there is something good in them and
strive hard to obtain them. Other things too are of the same kind.
Moha signifies the profitless pursuit of things unaware of their real
nature and lack of value. Kaama, Krodha, Lobha and Moha are the
various forms of the evil spirit known as Desire. Desire refers to the
pleasures of sense-satisfaction. What are condemned are desires,
which are contrary to Dharma.

One need not get rid of desires that are not opposed to Dharma. The
desire and the zest that we feel to do our duties in our life in the world
are not Kaama. That kind of desire (which is in tune with dharma) is
not condemned. Such desire is a part of God Himself. it is the soul
force in our inner being. It is a part of the Supreme Sakti that is co-
extensive with the cosmos. Speaking to Arjuna in the Gita, Sri Krishna
said:

31
'If you see in men energy devoid of wrong desires and evil impulses,
know that that energy is I Myself. If you see in men's minds desire not
opposed to dharma, know I am that desire.'

All good desires not opposed to dharma should be looked on as a part

of God himself. There is one thing more to be noted. This too has been
emphasized in the Bhagavad Gita. Because one finds he cannot get rid
of all vice, one should not desist from making endeavor. If the mind is
turned to right ways, even if sometimes it is not effective in the
intended manner, that effort itself will do well on the whole. Sri
Sankara wants us to get rid of all faults.

If we do not succeed, it is enough that we have made the effort; to

that extent we shall benefit. We may be deceived by an evil thought;
but. the effort to counter one such thought will rescue us from ten
evils. Like exercise of the body, this mental exercise strengthens the
mind. This is a great secret of nature.

Sri Sankara also shows the way to make this effort. "Ask yourself" he
says, "the question: 'Who am I?' and think about it". If this inquiry
often engages the mind, then be less room in it for desire and anger. If
we keep constantly reminding ourselves of the true nature of the
atman, we win "we will acquire the strength to bear the troubles of life
with fortitude, and anger will vanish. Sorrows will decrease. On the
contrary, if desires, greed and anger are allowed to grow, life itself will
become unbearable: grief and sorrow will increase: the strength of the
soul to withstand them will wine and present life itself will become a
hell. Jnaana is indispensable for those who have renounced the world;
it is essential also for householders who lead a family life. In fact, they
need it a little more.

VERSE 27

32
gēyaṃ gītā-nāmasahasraṃ
dhyēyaṃ śrīpati-rūpamajasram ।
nēyaṃ sajjana-saṅgē chittaṃ
dēyaṃ dīnajanāya cha vittam ॥ 27 ॥

The previous verse brought out that without true knowledge life in this
world so much mixed with sorrow would become a hell. Knowledge of
the self will give strength to bear the cares and sorrows of this life. Sri
Sankara proceeds to tell us how to obtain this true knowledge of the
self. He who dwells in the heart of hose who think of Him ceaselessly -
the half of whose body is shared by His consort'-sang
Maanikkavaachagar.

'Meditate without break on the Lord of Lakshmi' says Sri Sankara. Call
Him by whatever name you like--'The Supreme Truth that is the
Mother’, 'He half of whose body is Uma,' 'The Lord of Lakshmi,' 'Sree-
pati’-all these are names given by devotees to one identical Supreme
Being. Do not get lost in the delusions and irritations of theological
disputes, which speak, of Siva being different from Vishnu, and of Uma
being different from Lakshmi.

Pining to see God and 'meditating on His form,' are all the endeavours
to focus one's mind and heart on God. The sip of true devotion is
ceaseless thought of God. Sri Sankara says: When your mind is drawn
to something evil, seek then the company of the good. You will escape
from the evil, whether you are in physical company with them or you
think of them in your mind.

If you have wealth, says he, spend it in a really fruitful way. What
manner of spending will fill your heart with true joy? Make it fruitful by
bestowing it on the needy. The greatest joy that wealth can bring is
that which arises when you part with it for the poor and wipe their
33
tears. The satisfaction of squandering it by buying goods in a bazaar is
as nothing, compared to the joy one gets by helping the poor with it.

This verse proves clearly that the Bhaja Govindam Song sung by Sri
Sankara is intended pre-eminently for the householder. Deyam
deenajanaaya vittam, 'Help the needy by giving them your riches,' was
not addressed to the sanyaasins. It could not be addressed to them.
This verse succinctly shows the way to a purposeful life.

Sri Sankara says: Read and recite the Gita. And sing the thousand
names of God. What is the object of this two-fold instruction? It is that
the learning, which will make a mere scholar of you, will be of no avail.
To be qualified to sing the sacred names of God, there must be
devotion in the heart. Even if there is a little of that devotion, it will
increase in course of time. One must read holy books with a mind full
of devotion.

Without devotion, one cannot get at the real purport of a holy book.
Do we not leave our footwear outside the temple gate when we go in?
Even so, before we take up a holy book to read we must put aside the
tendency to search for faults. We must begin the reading with
devotion. Those who read the Gita with devotion would find much of
value in it.

Those who are research-minded and have no devotion will see in it

confusion and repetition and many faults. Careful reading of the Gita
will give you knowledge of Sanskrit. That is a Mere reading without
devotion will not avail. If we read with devotion, we will not be tainted
by the pride of scholarship. On the other hand, our hearts will be filled
with humility, with love and with real joy.

A brief recital of the lesson, which the Gita teaches, will bring out the
full meaning of Bhaja Govindam. He Lord explains the delusion of the
body in the first part of the Gita. As the soul and the body are
34
intertwined with each other, the real significance of the "I" is not clear
to us. A man thinks that he is the same as his body. Happiness is
identified with the satisfaction obtained when eating. That this is
wrong is the first lesson, which the Gita teaches.

The pleasure which the, senses give, end quickly. More often than not,
it leads to grief. Such pleasure causes a craving, which is insatiable.
Realize this truth; do not attach importance, to the pleasures, which
come from the senses, try to attain equanimity of mind. That alone is
true joy. That is the first instruction of the Lord. The body is but a
garment to man. Even as it is cast off when it becomes worn out or
tom, and another garment is put on, so too the soul gets into another
body when one is discarded. Death does not mean the end of the soul.

VERSE 28

sukhataḥ kriyatē kāmābhōgaḥ

paśchādanta śarīrē rōgaḥ ।
yadyapi lōkē maraṇaṃ śaraṇaṃ
tadapi na muñchati pāpācharaṇam ॥ 28 ॥

Of all the delusions that hold sway over man, that which makes for his
greatest undoing is the sex craving. This crude animal impulse in the
body is like fire. If controlled, it will serve man like fire. Uncontrolled,
like fire again, it will destroy and devastate completely.

The Prime source of the universe is the Supreme Substance, one and
only Reality, abiding forever. It splits into the transitory many and
manifests itself as the diverse objects, which make up the world. The
diversified many are ceaselessly striving to become one again. These
are the forces of attraction which scientists explore and explain. The
attachments, which govern man, are also the same unifying force.

35
Wind and water, various liquids and solids have split into many forms
from the primal Reality; and are subject to the drive to regain unity.
The dried up plants, grass and shrubs in the forest and the oxygen
everywhere are waiting to combine again. At a favourable opportunity,
these come together and the forest is enveloped by fire. Life is the
process of the recombination of many things that have separated.

VERSE 29

arthamanarthaṃ bhāvaya nityaṃ

nāstitataḥ sukhalēśaḥ satyam ।
putrādapi dhanabhājāṃ bhītiḥ
sarvatraiṣā vihitā rītiḥ ॥ 29 ॥

After briefly referring to ruining oneself by going in quest of sexual

enjoyment, Sri Sankara speaks about the craving to acquire wealth.
This verse should be read keeping in mind what Sri Sankara said in the
second verse. There it was said: "Live by what you have earned by your
own labour; you will be happy. Eschew the greed for more and more
wealth. You cannot be Happy that way. The thirst for wealth is a thirst
which can never be quenched."

Once again, Sri Sankara warns us about the greed for wealth. Wealth
makes for your undoing. Reflect on this always. Verily I say there is not
the slightest happiness at the end of the pursuit of wealth. The
wealthy come to fear even their sons. This is what has happened again
and again everywhere.

36
VERSE 30

prāṇāyāmaṃ pratyāhāraṃ
nityānitya vivēkavichāram ।
jāpyasamētasamādhividhānaṃ
kurvavadhānaṃ mahadavadhānam ॥ 30 ॥

Regulated breathing and sense control, discrimination of values

between the eternal and the transient, japa and meditation linking the
conscious into the unconscious--attend to these things with care, with
great care. 'Pratyahara' means holding back; that is controlling desire
and keeping the senses under check as horses are restrained by
drawing he reins and pulling at the bridle.

The main concern of a devotee is to see that the senses do not play
unrestrained. Bhakti alone will give one the power to check the senses.
A man may be ever so intelligent; but if it does not help him to sit in
guard over his senses, it will not make for jnaana. Enlightenrnent will
come only if we, offer adoration with faith unto God and implore Him
to give us the required strength to control our senses.

If the senses are controlled, that victory itself gives a rare joy. It is for
this that the teachers have prescribed several means. Japa, Dhyana,
reading the scriptures, praanaayaama, austerities, all these and more
are means to this end. Even if our efforts do not give us immediate
success, we should endeavour without giving way to despair.

"You" are not the body. You are the inner Person. The external form is
certainly care-worthy; but it is the mind that must be primarily
attended to. The mind is the seat of all our thoughts and activities. It
must be guarded very carefully. As an alert army guards the citadel

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keeping the enemy out, intelligence must, be ever awake and keep
guard on the mind.

The function of intelligence is to discriminate between the true and the

false, between reality and appearance, between the permanent and
the impermanent-attend to these things with care, with great care,
says Sri Sankara, repeating himself, in order to emphasize the
importance of using intelligence to control the senses and guarding the
mind against straying.

VERSE 31

gurucharaṇāmbuja-nirbharabhaktaḥ
saṃsārādachirādbhava muktaḥ ।
sēndriyamānasa-niyamādēvaṃ
drakṣyasi nijahṛdayasthaṃ dēvam ॥ 31 ॥

This is the last verse of the Bhaja Govindam hymn of Sri Sankara.

Our body and heart are the temple of God. It is our duty to keep them
pure and guard them from defilement. Our great ancestors tell us the
means to this end. They have taught us in person and through the
sacred writings they have left behind. Their teachings are for all time.
We should endeavour our utmost; making mental obeisance to these
great personages, we should resign ourselves to God's will.

"Put your faith in the Guru; your whole faith; you will be freed from
the cares of birth and death," says Sri Sankara. It is not possible these
days for everybody to receive instruction from a guru in person. The
practice of being directly instructed by a guru has almost ceased. But
howsoever enlightenment is acquired, it comes only from a guru. A

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book may serve as a guru; even the sight of a temple tower may be the
occasion for the dawn of the spirit, and the tower itself then becomes
the guru. An elephant - faced form, or the figure of Hanuman carved
on stone, or any form or symbol may help to bring about the beginning
of true, knowledge. Thus anything may serve as a guru. If we strive
earnestly with devotion to it, surely we will obtain liberation.

Some will object and ask: 'Are we to worship clay and tree and stone?'
God is everywhere. It is therefore folly to look down upon lifeless
objects. We have not yet discovered all the secrets of lifeless things. If
our devotion enters into a lifeless object, it acquires enormous power.
If we recite the songs of the Aalwaars and the Naayanmaars, we shall
realize this truth. If we are ever in doubt and without faith, like a vessel
without a captain, we shall be tossed about in the sea of life by the
winds of doubt and disbelief.

'Thou, Supernal Being! In thy grace thou camest as guest and sat in the
lowly hut of Thy servant!' exclaimed Maanikkavaachagar. The 'lowly
hut' is the good man's heart. The Supreme Being resides in it. It is not
necessary to go about searching for Him elsewhere.

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa told a story. One night a farmer was

sleeping in a shed. He woke up and he wanted to smoke a cigar. In the
dead of night he went to a friend in a neighbouring shed and woke him
up. The latter came out and asked him what the matter was.

"I wish to light my cigar; will you give me a match-stick?" he answered.

"Fool!" replied the friend, "you carry a lantern in your hand. Forgetting
it, you come to me at the dead of night! Why don't you light your cigar
from the lantern?"

"Oh! True! I entirely forgot about it" said the first farmer.

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God is in our heart like the lantern in the hand. Forgetting this, we
wander about seeking Him in other places. Sri Sankara refers to this
lamp in the heart in his last verse. Nijahridayastam devam refers to the
shining Deity seated in our own hearts. U only we control our senses
and our hearts and tread the path of virtue with faith and devotion to
the Supreme Being, we need nothing else.. By that very process, we
attain light and obtain a vision of the dazzling lustre inside us. Sri
Sankara ends his Bhaja Govindam with this assurance.

If we seek Govinda's grace, we shall succeed in keeping our senses in

check. Human society is based on the principle of cooperation. That
principle is Dharma. If avarice and sin get hold of men, that principle is
shattered. Men will not have faith in one another. Everyone will have
to live in dread of others and be afflicted by anxiety and hatred. Co-
operative life will come to a halt. Everyone will be unhappy. Dharma
and bhakti are society’s precious assets.

Having allowed these precious assets to be lost, we suffer in various

ways. To rectify this sad state of affairs, unconcerned about what
others do or do not do, each one of us mist act according to the
dictates of his conscience – that is the command of the God in the
heart. If we do so, even as little drops of water make a big downpour,
dharma will grow, and society and the country will prosper.

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