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