Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Bhaja Govindam - Sloka 18

Hari Aum

Prostrations to my Guru. Prostrations to All.


Word Meaning:
suramandhira tharu moola nivaasaha: dwelling (sheltering) in temples, under some trees
shayyaa: bed
Bhoothalam: on the bare sand
Ajinam: (wearing) skin (deer’s)
Vaasaha: cloth
Sarva parigraha: of the possessions
Bhogaha: of thirst to enjoy
Thyaagaha: renouncing
Kasya: whose
suKham: happiness
na: not
karothi: brings
viraagaha: dispassion

“Sheltering in temples, under some tree, sleeping on the bare sand, wearing a deer-skin, and thus renouncing all idea-of-possession and thirst-to-enjoy, to whom will not dispassion bring happiness?”

Non-dual Bliss is the very nature of the Self, but because of the ignorance of ones own nature of Self one desires for the happiness from the objects of the world. The very nature of mind is to go outside towards the sense objects. The happiness that is obtained from the objects of the world is not permanent because the objects of the world are temporary in itself. Thus the temporary object cannot give a permanent happiness. Knowing this temporary nature of the world one has to turn the mind inwards towards the Self which alone is permanent. Thus we need to discriminate between which is real and unreal and then withdraw from the unreal things and concentrate only on the Real. Thus dispassion or vairagyam is very important to realize ones own nature of Self.

Shankara in Tattvabodha says about vairgyam as
“Ihaswarga bogashu Icharaahityam”
Giving up the enjoyment of the fruits of ones action in this world and in any other world.

The first sloka of Isha Upanishad says
“Ishavasyam idham sarvam ethkinchit jagatyam jagat
Tena tyaktena bunjithaaha maagridha kasya vid dhanam”

Whatever moves here in this world, everything is pervaded or covered by God. Enjoy by renunciation. Do not covet anybody’s wealth for whose is wealth?

It only by renouncing all the desires to enjoy the objects of the world, one can get liberated from this vicious circle of Samsaara. There should be dispassion towards the objects of the world knowing clearly that the objects of the world can give only temporary happiness and the Ultimate Reality of Brahman alone is permanent. Such a person will always have the thought of the Ultimate Reality of Brahman alone at all points of time and thus enjoys in the non-dual Bliss of ones own nature of Self.

So here in this sloka, the acharya tells about the person who has the real dispassion towards the objects of the world and contemplates only on the Self. Such a person always abides in the Self only and rejoices the Blissful nature of Self. It doesn’t matter whether the person stays in the temples, or stays under a tree or sleeps in the sand with some clothes around or without clothes, there is no worries at all as there is no desire to enjoy the pleasure from the objects of the world, rather he always revels in ones own nature and thus rejoices the Blissful nature of Self.

Krishna in 2nd chapter speaks about the sthithaprajna
“prajahaati yadaa kaamaan sarvaan paartha manogataan
Aatmanyevaatmanaa thustaha sThithaprajnasthadhochyathe”

O partha! When a man completely casts away, all the desires of the mind, and satisfied in the Self and by the Self, then he is considered to be a man of steady wisdom.

Prostrations to all

Hari Aum

Thanks,
Rajesh

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