(Jan 11,2014) Spiritual Message for the Day – Bhaja Govindam by Swami Chidananda

Bhaja Govindam

Divine Life Society Publication: Bhaja Govindam by Swami Chidananda

In those days, schools, which were called pathshalas, were held in open. Shankaracharya was coming back after a bath in the holy Ganga in Varanasi. There was a scholar completely absorbed in getting by heart some grammar rule (sutras): "Dukrin karane, Dukrin karane, Dukrin karane."

Something struck Shankaracharya. He thought: "What is the sense if this man will stretch his brain for the whole life to remember the grammar rules? Will this help him? One day death will come and say, Come on!": Jatasya hi dhruvo mrityuh [Certain is death for the born. Gita 2.27] One day all of us have to go, we are only passers by here, we are merely travellers; this is not our ultimate abode.

Spontaneously, on the spur of the moment, the Bhaja Govindam Stotram flowed from his mouth.

"What is this? The whole life will be wasted in this. Instead of making use of God-given intellect for vichara, viveka and Self-realization, here is one who is intent upon mere intellectual acrobatic exercise. This is not good. What will help him at the time of death? Adore the Lord, remember Him, take His name, Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam. "

The Refrain: The recurring refrain is: "Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam. " Inspired at that moment by this foolish man’s giving away his God-given life, time and intellect to this little thing like getting by heart a grammar rule, Shankaracharya says:

भज गोविन्दं भज गोविन्दं
गोविन्दं भज मूढमते।
संप्राप्ते सन्निहिते मरणे
नहि नहि रक्षति 'डुकृञ् करणे'॥
भज गोविन्दं भज गोविन्दं।

Bhaja Govindam Bhaja Govindam
Govindam Bhaja moodhamate;
Samprapte sannihite marane
Na hi na hi rakshati dukrin karane.
Bhaja Govindam Bhaja Govindam. [Dhruva padam]

[O deluded man! Surrender yourself to the Lord, sing the name of the Lord, take shelter in the Lord! Seek Govinda. When the inevitable death overtakes you, never, never will the grammar rule ‘dukrin karane’ take care of you. (Refrain)].

This introductory admonition explains: "When death comes, this knowledge is not going to save you. Therefore, adore the Lord who will liberate you from the cycle of birth and death once and for all, and take you to the realm of His (which is) beyond darkness. [Having gone thither they return not; that is My supreme Abode. — Gita, 15.6]. Try to attain That, O man!

[These three, so difficult of attainment, are acquired only by the kindness of the gods: humanity, desire for emancipation, and the guidance of (spiritually) great man. - Viveka-chudamani, 3].

"What a wonderful chance this man is missing just for the sake of earning his livelihood and maintenance! Instead of using discrimination between the Eternal and perishable, he is using his God-given intellect and putting his heart and mind in this mere repetition for remembering by heart a grammar rule! What a great pity!" Shankaracharya is moved; and he says: "Look here! This is all right. But worship the Lord. Direct your mind to God. In that alone is your highest welfare."

This particular teaching has an appealing naturalness and spontaneity. It has got a universal appeal, because evidently this student whose repetition attracted Shankaracharya’s ears must have been a young man preparing to enter life, not yet having entered into life. Shankaracharya thought: "This is the right time that one should be made aware of the higher purpose of human life, the deeper significance, the great objective and Goal for which one has been sent here."

If he enters into life with a proper understanding about life: "Why have I come here? What is the objective for which God has sent me here?" — then all will be well. He will take care of his secular side without neglecting his spiritual side. He would have died in ignorance, if that right understanding is not given at this entry point of life when one is young, when one needs to be awakened and made aware that life is more than mere eating-drinking-sleeping, earning, putting aside little bit of money, having a family, and getting caught and entangled in the cobweb of samsara, in the net of maya’. Being born in ignorance, having lived all his life in ignorance, non-discrimination, avichara, aviveka, he would have died too in ignorance.

Excerpts from:

Bhaja Govindam by Swami Chidananda

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