Bhaja Govindam - Sloka 15

Hari Aum

Prostrations to my Guru. Prostrations to All.

SLOKA 15:

“angam galitham palitham mundam
Dhashanaviheenam jaatham thundam
Vridho yaathi graheethva dhandam
Thadhapi na munchathi aashaa pindam”

Word Meaning:
Angam: the body
Galitham: worn out
Palitham: has turned grey
Mundam: the head (the hair)
Dhashana viheenam: toothless
Jaatham: has become
Thundam; the mouth
vriDhaha: the old man
yaathi: moves about
graheethva: having teken
dhandam: his staff
thadhapi: even then
na: never
munchathi: leaves
aashaa pindam: the bundle of desires

The body has become worn out. The head has turned grey. The mouth has become toothless. The old man moves about leaning on his staff. Even then he leaves not the bundle of his desires.

When a person is young, he has lot of energy in him and desires to enjoy the pleasure given by the sense objects of the world. It is but natural that the young people will have lot of energy to enjoy the sense pleasure, but as the age goes, the body loses the strength and energy that it had during the young age in enjoying the sense pleasures. Though the person had already experienced the sense pleasures many times, there might still be desires in the mind of that person to enjoy it again. Satisfying all the desires is not possible because once the desire is fulfilled and the happiness is enjoyed, there might be thought of enjoying the pleasure again. Thus it is not really possible to satisfy all the desires of one.

When a person becomes old, it will be physically difficult for him to perform many actions that he was doing when he was young. Even at those times of inability to perform many actions, the desires in his mind don’t go. There will be desires in his mind to enjoy the sense pleasures of the world. The main goal of everyone is only happiness that never vanishes. This goal of happiness is seeked through the objects of the world forgetting that the objects of the world are temporary and cannot give eternal happiness. The objects of the world can never give eternal happiness because the objects of the world are only temporary and hence a temporary object cannot give permanent happiness. Thus we need to seek happiness from that which is permanent. Self alone is permanent and hence seeking that Reality and realizing it alone can give permanent happiness.

Prostrations to all

Hari Aum

Thanks,
Rajesh

Bhaja Govindam - Sloka 14

Hari Aum

Prostrations to my Guru. Prostrations to All.

SLOKA 14:

“Jatilo mundi lunChitakeshaha
Kaashaayaambara bahukruthaveshaha
Pashannapi cha na pashyathi mooDo
Hyudharanimiththam bahukruthaveshaha”

Word Meaning:
Jatilaha: one acetic with matted locks in the head
Mundi: one with shaved head
Lunchitha keshaha: one with hairs pulled out one by one
Kaashaayaambara bahukritha veshaha: with ochre-robes
Pashyan napicha: though seeing
Na: never
Pashyathi: sees
mooDaha: a fool
hi: indeed
udhara nimitham: for belly’s sake
bahukritha veshaha: these different disguises or apparels.

One ascetic with matted-locks, one with shaven head, one with hairs pulled out one by one, another parading in his ochre-robes. These are fools who, though seeing, do not see. Indeed these different disguises or apparels are only for their belly’s sake

The Ultimate Goal of everyone is to realize ones own nature of Self. By proper discrimination between the Sat and Asat, one should have dispassion towards the enjoyment of the external sense objects of the world. When one gets that Vairagyam, then it will be easier for the seeker to apprehend the Reality and have a thought about the Reality. Therefore, the important thing that is required is the dispassion towards the enjoyment of the worldly pleasure and turning the mind towards the Self. If a person takes an external Sanyas, it will be easier for him to concentrate only on the Reality as that Reality will be his only thought all the time.

Some people take external sanyasam, wear ochre robe, with either matted hair or a fully shaved head and live a life of Sanyasi. Among such Sanyasis there are people who have taken Sanyasam just for the sake of filling up their belly. They are the weak minded people who want to get food to eat without doing any work. They live the life of Sanyasi but still have the mind engaged in satisfying the bodily desires. Whether they had the Reality as the goal in their mind while taking the Sanyas or not, if they have the mind engaged in satisfying the bodily desires, their mind will be going away from the thought of Reality. When the real purpose of taking Sanyas is known, he will be always engaged in the thought of Reality all the time, and hence will see only the Self in everything, but those who have forgotten the real purpose of taking Sanyas, though they know intellectually that they have to realize their own nature of Self, but still fail to live up towards the goal and thus have the mind engaged in filling the stomach.

Prostrations to all

Hari Aum

Thanks,
Rajesh

Bhaja Govindam - Sloka 13

Hari Aum

Prostrations to my Guru. Prostrations to All.

SLOKA 13:

“kaathae kaanathaa Dhanagatha chinthaa
Vaathula kim thava naasthi niyanthaa
Thrijagathi sajjana sangathi reka
Bhavathi Bhavaarnava tharanae nowka”

Word Meaning:
Kaha: why
Thae: you
Kaanthaa: wife
Dhanagatha: wealth
Chinthaa: think
Vaathula: oh distracted one!
Kim: is there?
Thava: you
Na asthi: not
Niyanthaa: the ordainer of rules.
Thrijagathi: in the three worlds
Sajjana: of the good
Sangathi: companion
Reka: only
Bhavathi: can serve as
Bhavaarnava tharanae: to cross the sea of changes (Samsaara)
Nowka: boat

Oh distracted one!! Why are you thinking about your wife and wealth? Is there no one to control you? In the three worlds the association with good alone will serve as the boat to cross the sea of Samsaara

The common goal for everyone is happiness, the happiness which stays forever. For a person who sees the world and the objects as real, thinks that he would get that happiness that he wants from the objects of the world, forgetting that his very nature is Happiness alone. To satisfy his desire, he continues to perform actions to acquire more wealth so that he can enjoy all the sensual pleasures. Such a distracted person who desires for the sensual pleasures, most of the time, have the thought of his possessions. If the person thinks that he possesses little wealth, there could a thought of insecurity whether he would be able to make the ends meet, or if he thinks he possesses more wealth there could be thought of insecurity to safe guard the possessions. Thus most of the time there will be the thought of possessions.

When the mind is extroverted and desires to indulge in the sensual pleasure, the mind goes more and more away from the thought of Reality. When the mind goes away from the thought of the Reality, such a person will be born again and again in this sorrowful world, doing actions to satisfy his desires and enjoying the fruits of the action. There is only one way through which the mind can be turned back to the Self, that is association with wise people. The wise people are those who have controlled the mind, who always have the thought of the Self and who always revels in the Bliss of the Self. We have to be associated with such a wise person. By associating with such a person, our mind will be controlled, will be free from other worldly thoughts and also will have thoughts of the Reality. Once the mind gets controlled and has the thought of the Reality, then the person realizes his own nature of Self.

Shankara here says, there is no other way in the three worlds to overcome the endless Samsaara except the association with the Guru. By surrendering completely to the Guru, by listening to the words of the Guru, by living in the teachings of the Guru, alone one can overcome this vicious circle of Samsaara.

Prostrations to all

Hari Aum

Thanks,
Rajesh

Bhaja Govindam - Sloka 12

Hari Aum

Prostrations to my Guru. Prostrations to All.


“dhinyaminyao saayampraathaha
Shishiravasanthao punaraayaathaha
kaalaha kreedathi gaChathyayuhu
thadhapina munjathi aashaa vaayuhu”

Word Meaning:
dhinayaminyou: day and night
saayampraathaha: dawn and dusk
shishiravasanthao: winter and spring
punaha: again
aayaathaha: come
kaalaha: time
kreedathi: sports
gaChathi: ebbs away life
vaayuhu: life
thadhapi: and yet
na: not
munjathi: leaves
aashaa vaayuhu: gust of desire

“Day and night, dusk and dawn, winter and spring again and again come (and go). Time sports and life ebbs away. And yet, one leaves not the gusts of desire”

The time of day ends at night, the time of night ends when the sun rises in the morning. The dawn reaches its peak during noon and ends its period at the time of dusk. Time slowly moves away in our life. Whatever we have been thinking as future becomes the present and soon becomes the past. But for a person, who constantly searches for happiness in the world, never gives a thought about it but continues to search happiness from the objects of the world.

Most of man’s life time goes away in search of the pleasure from the objects of the world. He might even get the objects that he desire, but still his desire doesn’t end, he desires for something higher than he acquired thinking that would give him more happiness than he gets from the object he acquired. The extroverted mind, which constantly dwells upon the objects of the world, forgets to discriminate that the objects of the world are temporary and is not permanent. In the previous sloka, Shankara clearly told that all objects are not permanent and hence would end in a matter of time. But still, the mind which yearns for the pleasure from the world, always desire to possess the objects of the world. Since the desires don’t end for an extroverted, the person goes from birth to birth in doing actions to satisfy the desires and also enjoying the results of the actions he does.

The world and the objects are not permanent they are ever changing and hence are only temporary. We have to understand that none of the objects of the world can give permanent happiness because of its temporary nature. Only that which is permanent alone can give permanent happiness. Self alone is permanent and hence it alone can give permanent happiness. If this is understood and there by if we have constant thought of the Self, that is only way to over come the delusion with the objects of the world. So instead of having the strong attachment with the objects of the world, we need to have strong attachment with the Self.

Prostrations to all

Hari Aum

Thanks,
Rajesh

Bhaja Govindam - Sloka 11

Hari Aum

Prostrations to my Guru. Prostrations to All.

SLOKA 11:

“Maa kuru Dhanajanayouvana garvam
Harathi nimaeshaath kaalathsarvam
Maayamayamidham aKhilam bhDhvaa
Brahma padatvam pravisha vidhitva”

Word Meaning:
Maa: Do not
Kuru: take
Dhana: in Possession
Jana: in people
Youvana: in youth
Garvam: pride
Harathi: will be washed away
Nimaeshaath: in a moment
Kaalaha: the Time
Sarvam: all these
Maayamayam: full of illusory nature
Idham: this
aKhilam: all
bhuDhva: after knowing
brahmapadham: the state of Brahman
tvam: you
pravisha: enter into
vidhitva: after realizing

Take no pride in your possessions, people, and youthfulness. Time will wash away all these in a moment. Leaving aside all these, after knowing their illusory nature, realize the state of Brahman and enter into it.

When the world and its experiences are seen real, there may be desires on various things of the world. When one has got the possession of those that are desired, then one feels happiness. The happiness may go to such an extent that he feels so proud. Thoughts like “My people”, “My wealth”, “I have done this”, etc comes to the mind. These thoughts come to mind when the real nature of ones own nature of Self is forgotten because of ignorance. But the world and its experiences are not real, they are temporary and are ever changing. Today one may think that he is the richest person in the world, but tomorrow there might be a time when he will lose all his wealth. Similar way, a person might have lot or people around him, helping him for everything or acting according to his commands, but there can be a time when all people around him can leave him alone. Similar case is also to youth also. A youth who enjoys the sense pleasure may be in a position to enjoy it today, but anytime in future there might be a situation when he will not be able to enjoy any of the pleasures that he is enjoying.

Such uncertain is the world and its experiences that we get from the world. Since the world is continuously changing, the experience that comes from the world also changes continuously. Therefore one should not take pride on his pleasant time that he is having because, it is just a matter of time that the happy time may lead to a sorrowful experience.

Since the world is changing continuously, the experiences from the world are only temporary and hence the world and its experience are only an illusion in the Reality. Because of ignorance, the experience of the world seems to be real but in reality these are only illusions. We have to turn the mind inwards towards the Reality. When the Reality is known, then there will be no sorrows and no sufferings and hence one experiences only the bliss of the non-dual Self.

Prostrations to all

Hari Aum

Thanks,
Rajesh

Bhaja Govindam - Sloka 10

Hari Aum

Prostrations to my Guru. Prostrations to All.

SLOKA 10:

“Vayasigathae kaha kaama vikaaraha
Shushkae neerae kaha samsaaraha
Ksheenae Vithae kaha parivaaro
Jnaathae Thathvae kaha samsaaraha”

Word Meaning:
Vayasi gathae: when the age (youth) have passed
Kaha: where is
Kaama vikaaraha: lust and its play
Shushkae neerae: when water is evaporated
Kaha: where is
Kaasaaraha: the lake?
Ksheenae viththae: when the wealth is reduced
Kaha: where are
Parivaaraha: the followers?
Jnaathae Tatvae: when the truth is realized
Kaha: where is
Samsaaraha: samsaara?

“When the youth is passed where is the lust and its play?
When the water is dried where is the lake?
When the wealth is reduced where are the followers?
When the Truth is realized where is the samsaara?”

The world and its experience seem to be real because of ignorance of our own nature of Self. Because of ignorance all the objects of the world are seem different from oneself. As objects of the world are seen different from ones own Self, desire comes in the mind to possess the object thinking that the object will give happiness. Thus to satisfy such desires of the worldly objects, he performs action. Whenever an action is performed, the doer then enjoys the results of the action which may be happiness or sorrow. When an action is done to satisfy ones own desire, it may lead to more actions and thus the doer goes from birth to birth in enjoying the results of the actions. Thus the three, Ignorance – desire – Action form the three knots in the heart and thus binds one into Samsaara.

Here Shankara gives three examples to explain that when the cause is removed there cannot be any effect. When a person is in the stage of youth, he desires for the lustful play. But when the stage of youth is crossed, that vigor in the desire of the lustful play dries up and hence there cannot be any lustful play when a person crosses the stage of youth. When there is water in a lake, it makes sense to call it a lake. But when the water in the lake is dried out, we cannot call that a lake, it is only the dried up bed. Therefore when there is no water in the lake, we cannot call it a lake. When a person is wealthier, the person will have many friends and relatives. He will be enjoying relations of the people who will listen to whatever the wealthier person tells. But when the wealth gets reduced, the people around him also move away from him.

With the three examples it is clear that when cause is not there, the effect also cannot exist. In the similar way, when the cause of the Samsaara which is ignorance is removed by the realization of ones own nature of Self, the Samsaara cannot exist. When the ignorance is removed by the Ultimate Knowledge that “I am Brahman”, his ego dies away. The Samsaara is only for the ego which is only an illusion in the Reality, which seems to exist temporarily due to illusory ignorance of ones own nature. When one realizes ones own nature of Self, then there is no desire, no actions, no bondage, such a person will have only Ultimate Happiness of the Self.

Prostrations to all

Hari Aum

Thanks,
Rajesh

Bhaja Govindam - Sloka 9

Hari Aum

Prostrations to my Guru. Prostrations to All.

SLOKA 9

“Sat Sangatvae nissangatvam
Nissangatva Nirmohatvam
Nirmohatvae Nishchala tatvam
Nishchala tatvae Jivan Mukthihi”

Word Meaning:
Sat Sangatvae: Through the association with good people
Nissangatvam: comes the detachment to the objective world
Nissagatvae: Detachment to the objective world makes one
Nirmohtvam: devoid of delusion
Nirmohatvae: through the absence of delusion
Nishchala tatvanm: Immutable Reality
Nishchala tatvae: Through the knowledge about the Immutable Reality
Jivan Mukthihi: the state of “Liberation in life”

“Through the association with the good people, there arises detachment from the objective worldThrough the detachment from the external world comes the freedom from delusion
Through the freedom from delusion, one can know the Immutable Reality
Through the knowledge about the Immutable Reality, the state of “Liberation while living” is attained”

In this sloka, Shankara gives a different level of progress towards the Ultimate Reality of Brahman. Because of ignorance of ones own nature of Self, one gets deluded by the objects of the world and get attached to it. The Self which is the Reality is not outside, but it is inside the spiritual heart. Therefore the mind which is wandering among the objects of the world has to be turned inwards towards the Self or the Reality.

Sat means that which is Real, that which exists eternally. According to Scriptures, the Ultimate Reality of Brahman alone is Real. Hence, Sat Sangam is the association with the Ultimate Reality of Brahman through constant contemplation. For the person who is deluded with the objects of the world, it may be tough to contemplate directly on the Reality and hence the person needs to have association with the Guru who are nothing but Brahman as according to scriptures “Brahmanvid Brahmaiva Bhavati” – “one who knows Brahman verily becomes Brahman”. So association with such Gurus is Sat Sangam.

Sat Sangam will help one to have constant thought of the Reality. When the mind is focused on the Reality, the thoughts of other objects of the world will go away. Thus the mind gets detached from the objects of the world. When the mind is detached from the worldly objects, then there will not be any delusion for such a mind. Therefore the more one concentrates on the Reality, the more he progresses towards the Reality by overcoming the delusion of the world.

The world that is seen now and which seems to delude our mind is not real. These delusions are because of the ignorance that “I am Self” and seeing the world and the objects of the world as different from oneself. When a person focuses on the Reality all the time, he sees only that Self in everything and hence there is nothing that could delude him. When there is no delusion, then there are no obstacles in having constant contemplation on the Reality and thus it will be very natural to have the thought of the Reality. When a person has the thought of Reality all the time he realizes that Self alone exists and all others are only an illusion in the Reality and such a person is called Jivan Muktha.

Prostrations to all

Hari Aum

Thanks,
Rajesh