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 ‖ 1 ‖	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	मूढ जहीहि धनागमतृष्णां कुरु सद्बुद्धिम् मनसि वितृष्णाम् | यल्लभसे निज कर्मोपात्तं वित्तं तेन विनोदय चित्तम् ‖ 2 ‖	mūḍha jahīhi dhanāgamatṛṣṇāṃ kuru sadbuddhiṃ manasi vitṛṣṇām । yallabhasē nijakarmōpāttaṃ vittaṃ tēna vinōdaya chittam ॥	O fool! Give up your thirst to amass wealth, devote your mind to dispassion and thoughts of the Real. Be content with what comes to you through actions performed by your own past work.
3		nārīstanabhara-nābhīdēśaṃ dṛṣṭvā mā gā mōhāvēśam । ētanmāṃsavasādivikāraṃ manasi vichintaya vāraṃ vāram ॥	Do not get drowned in delusion, infatuated with passion and lusty desires, by seeing a woman’s raised breasts and navel. These are nothing but a modification of flesh and fat, and the like. Do not fail to remember this again and again in your mind.
4		nalinīdala-gatajalamatitaralaṃ tadvajjīvitamatiśaya-chapalam । viddhi vyādhyabhimānagrastaṃ lōkaṃ śōkahataṃ cha samastam ॥	As water drops on a lotus leaf are unsteady and trembling, in the same way life in this world is exceedingly unsteady and restless. Know that the whole world is full of miseries, afflicted by unhappiness and grief.
5		yāvadvittōpārjanasaktaḥ tāvannijaparivārō raktaḥ । paśchājjīvati jarjaradēhē vārtāṃ kō'pi na pṛchChati gēhē ॥	So long as a man is fit and able to support his family by earning wealth, all those family members around him show affection. But no one at home cares for him, even have a word with him, when his body becomes invalid and totters due to old age.
6		yāvatpavanō nivasati dēhē tāvatpṛchChati kuśalaṃ gēhē । gatavati vāyau dēhāpāyē bhāryā bibhyati tasminkāyē ॥	When one is alive, his family members enquire kindly about his welfare. But when the life-air stops and the soul departs from the body, even his wife runs away in fear of the corpse
7		bālastāvatkrīḍāsaktaḥ taruṇastāvattaruṇīsaktaḥ । vṛddhastāvachchintāsaktaḥ paramē brahmaṇi kō'pi na saktaḥ ॥	Childhood is lost in attachment to games. The youth is lost in attachment to woman. Old age passes with worry and anxiety, thinking over many things. But there is hardly anyone who wants to be lost (attached) in para-braman, the Supreme Spirit.
8		kā tē kāntā kastē putraḥ saṃsārō'yamatīva vichitraḥ । kasya tvaṃ kaḥ kuta āyātaḥ tattvaṃ chintaya tadiha bhrātaḥ ॥	Who is your wife? Who is your son? Supremely wonderful is saṁsāra, the circle of birth and death. Of whom are you? From where have you come? Brother, ponder over these concepts.
9		satsaṅgatvē nissaṅgatvaṃ nissaṅgatvē nirmōhatvam । nirmōhatvē niśchalatattvaṃ niśchalatattvē jīvanmuktiḥ ॥	Being in the company of good people (saints) gives rise to non-attachment; from non-attachment comes freedom from delusion, which leads to steadfastness; steadfastness gives rise to emancipation leading to the liberation of the soul (jīvan-mukti), while still alive.
10		vayasi gatē kaḥ kāmavikāraḥ śuṣkē nīrē kaḥ kāsāraḥ । kṣīṇē vittē kaḥ parivāraḥ jñātē tattvē kaḥ saṃsāraḥ ॥	What good is lust when youth has fled? What use is a lake which has no water? Where are the relatives when wealth is gone? What is saṁsāra (transmigratory process), when Truth is known.
11		mā kuru dhana-jana-yauvana-garvaṃ harati nimēṣātkālaḥ sarvam । māyāmayamidamakhilaṃ hitvā brahmapadaṃ tvaṃ praviśa viditvā ॥	Do not take pride in wealth, friends and youth. Each one of these is destroyed within an instant by Time. Free yourself from the illusion of the world of māyā and attain the realm of brahman, timeless truth.
12		dinayāminyau sāyaṃ prātaḥ śiśiravasantau punarāyātaḥ । kālaḥ krīḍati gachChatyāyuḥ tadapi na muñchatyāśāvāyuḥ ॥	Day and night, evening and morning, winter and summer come and go again and again. Eternal time plays and life ebbs away, yet one does not let go of the storm of desire.
13		kā tē kāntā dhanagatachintā vātula kiṃ tava nāsti niyantā । trijagati sajjanasaṅgatirēkā bhavati bhavārṇavataraṇē naukā ॥	O, mad man! Why this engrossment in thoughts of wealth and beloved? Is there no one to guide you? In these thee worlds, only the association with saintly people (satsaṅga) can serve as the boat that can steer cross the ocean of repeated birth and death. (Stanza attributed to Padmapāda.)
14		dvādaśa-mañjarikābhiraśēṣaḥ kathitō vaiyākaraṇasyaiṣaḥ । upadēśō'bhūdvidyā-nipuṇaiḥ śrīmachChaṅkara-bhagavachCharaṇaiḥ ॥
15		jaṭilō muṇḍī luñChitakēśaḥ kāṣāyāmbara-bahukṛtavēṣaḥ । paśyannapi cha na paśyati mūḍhaḥ udaranimittaṃ bahukṛtavēṣaḥ ॥	There are many (ascetics) with matted hair, many with clean shaven heads, many whose hair have been plucked out; some are clothed in orange, yet others parading in various colors -Indeed, these different disguises or apparels are only for their belly’s sake. Seeing the truth revealed before them, still the foolish ones can not see through these many disguises. (Stanza attributed to Totakācārya.)
16		aṅgaṃ galitaṃ palitaṃ muṇḍaṃ daśanavihīnaṃ jātaṃ tuṇḍam । vṛddhō yāti gṛhītvā daṇḍaṃ tadapi na muñchatyāśāpiṇḍam ॥	Strength has left the old man’s body; his head has become bald, his gums toothless and leaning on crutches. Even then he can not let go of his attachment, clinging firmly to fruitless hopes and desires. (Stanza attributed to Hastamalaka.)
17		agrē vahniḥ pṛṣṭhē bhānuḥ rātrau chubuka-samarpita-jānuḥ । karatala-bhikṣastarutalavāsaḥ tadapi na muñchatyāśāpāśaḥ ॥	The ascetic warms his body with fire in front and the sun at the back. At night he dwells under a tree with face huddled between the knees to keep out of the cold. In his hands he holds the beggar’s alms and yet he does not let go of the noose of attachment to desire and passion. (Stanza attributed to Subhodha.)
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 ॥	Living on the foot steps of temples, sleeping on deer skin, leaving behind all luxuries, who does detatchment not give joy to?!
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 ॥

See also

• Hari Stuti
• Kanakadhara Stotra
• Ashtalakshmi Stotra