Bhaja Govindam - Sloka 6

Hari Aum

Prostrations to my Guru. Prostrations to All.

SLOKA 6:

“Yaavad pavano nivasathi dehae
Thaavath pruchchathi kushalam gehe
Gathavathi vaayou dehaapaayae
Bhaarya bhiBhyathi thasmin kaayae”

Word Meaning:
Yaavad: as long as
Pavanaha: the breath
Nivasathi: dwells
Dehe: in body
Taavath: so long
Pruchchathi: enquires
Kushalam: of your welfare
Gathavathi vayou: when the breath leaves
Deha: body
Apaayae: the body decays
Bhaarya: (even) your wife
biBhyathi: fears
tasmin kaayae: that very body

“As long as there dwells breath in the body so long they enquire of your welfare at home. Once the breath leaves, the body decays and event he wife fears that very same body”

In this sloka, Shankara talks about the temporary nature of body. It is because of the extroverted nature of the mind makes one to think that the body is Self. When one has the thought of body as the Self, there will be desire for the pleasure to the body and thus one goes behind the sense objects of the world in search of the sensual pleasures. But the body which is thought as the Self is not the Self. According to scriptures, Self is Eternal, but body is not eternal. Even during the time of deep sleep there is no body and hence body is never eternal. The gross body seems to exist only during the waking state. Anything that exists for a short period of time can only be an illusion in the reality. Therefore Self is not the body.

The gross body as such cannot perform action unless it is activated by the thoughts of the mind. The thoughts that are there in the mind are converted into action through the gross body. Without the mind, the gross body cannot function. Going further, without Consciousness even the mind cannot have thoughts. Therefore mind is also as inert as the body, it is only the Consciousness that illumines the mind and makes the body sentient. Self is the supreme cause behind the functioning of body and the mind. Also we can see that Self exists even in the absence of body and the mind. During deep sleep both gross body and subtle body doesn’t exist but the ignorance still exists, the Self shines illumining even the ignorance during that state. Thus it clearly shows that Self is different from all the body. Self alone is real and rest all is unreal and therefore the body and mind are also unreal. The body and mind are only an illusion in the Self, seemingly existing but never really exists.

Here Shankara says that as long as ones life in the body exists relatives and friends enquire about the whereabouts. But once the life breath leaves the body, even once own wife fears in seeing the body. Thus we have to contemplate constantly that we are not the body but we are the Self. When one constantly contemplates that “I am not the body” knowing that Self is different from the body and the mind, one cross over all limitations and thus realizes ones own nature of Bliss. Therefore Shankara says worship Govinda, worship Govinda.

Prostrations to all

Hari Aum

Thanks,
Rajesh