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