Bhaja Govindam - Sloka 28

Hari Aum

Prostrations to my Guru. Prostrations to All.

SLOKA 28:

“suKhathaha kriyathae raamaaBhogaha
pashchaaDhantha shareerae rogaha
yadhyapi lokae maranam sharanam
thadhapi na munchathi paapaacharanam”

Word Meaning:
suKhathaha: for sake of happiness
kriyathae: (is done) or one indulges
raamaa Bhogaha: carnal pleasures
pashchaath: later on
hanthaha: alas
shareerae: in the body
rogaha: disease (comes)
yadhyapi: even though
lokae: in the world
maranam: death
sharanam: (is) the ultimate end
thadhapi: even then
na: (he) does not
munchathi: leaves
papa aacharanam: sinful behavior

“Very readily one indulges in carnal pleasures, later on, alas come diseases of the body. Even though in the world the ultimate end is death, even then man leaves not his sinful behavior. “

In this verse acharya gives the effect of indulging in the sense pleasures. The very nature of the mind is extroverted. When the mind through the sense organs experiences the objects of the world, then desires to possess it. Once the person enjoys the pleasure got from the object that he obtained, his mind then again desires for the pleasure and hence the hunt for the short lived pleasure through the objects of the world doesn’t end. The desire and the pleasure got out of the desire that got satisfied becomes the Vasana in the mind and thus makes the person to desire for more and more pleasure. The Maya is so powerful that it will pull the man more and more away from the Reality, the reason is that when there is more and more thoughts other than the Reality, the mind gets more and more away from the Reality.

Though lots of actions are performed to satisfy the desires of the mind, there will be always be a thought that whatever is achieved is not enough. Trying to satisfy the desires is like pouring ghee over the fire, it will only increase the anxiety and desire to do more action. Such a person even at the time of death thinks feels that some of his desires are not yet satisfied. The only way to overcome this is only by removing all the desire from the mind. It may not be possible for a person to suddenly overcome the desires and hence such people have to perform action by offering the action to the Lord. Offering actions to the Lord is associated with the constant thought of the Lord will purify the mind of the person. Only Pure mind will be able to apprehend the subtle truth of the Reality and hence such a person by the grace of the Guru, will be able to Realize ones own nature of Self. When the mind becomes pure, all desires vanishes and there will only be a constant thought of the Reality and ultimately it comes to the stage where the person will renounce all the desires. Only when the person renounces all his desire, will he be able to realize ones own nature of Self.

Ramana Says in Upadesha Saaram,
“Ishwara arpitam na icchayaa kritam
Chitta shodhakam mukti sadhakam”

Work which is performed as an offering to the Almighty and done without any expectation for the fruits – helps in purification of mind & thereby leads one to liberation or realization.

Krishna says in Gita
Yad Karoshi Yad Asnaasi Yad Juhoosi Dadaasi yad
Yad Tapasyasi Kaunteya Tad Kurushva Mad Arpanam

O Arjuna, whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever yajna or sacrifice you do, whatever daana you give, whatever austerities you do – do it by offering it to ME

Prostrations to all

Hari Aum

Thanks,
Rajesh

Bhaja Govindam - Sloka 27

Hari Aum

Prostrations to my Guru. Prostrations to All.

SLOKA 27:

Geyam Gitaanaamasahasram
Dhyeyam sreepatiroopamajasram
Neyam sajjanasangae chittam
Deyam deenajanaaya cha vittam

Word Meaning:
Geyam: is to be chanted
Gita: Bhagavad Gita
Naamasahasram: Sahasranaamam
Dhyaeyam: is to be meditated upon
Shreepathi roopam: the form of the lord of lakshmi
Ajasram: always
Neyam: (the mind) is to be led
Sajjana sangae: in the association of the good
Chittam: the mind
Dheyam: is to be distributed
Dheena janaaya cha: to the needy
Vittam: wealth

Bhagavad Gita and Sahasranaamam are to be chanted, always the form of the lord of Lakshmi is to be meditated upon, the mind is to be led towards the company of the good, wealth is to be distributed (shared with) the needy.

In this verse, the acharya gives few more Sadhanas which will help the seeker to have the mind focused on the Ultimate Reality of Lord. To realize ones own nature of Self, the seeker has to follow the Vedantic sadhana of Sravana, Manana and Nidhidhyasana. Sravana is systematic and consistent study of scriptures from a competent Guru for a length of time. Manana is reflection of the teaching in the mind and intellectually understanding without any doubts about the Reality and Nidhidhyasana is constant contemplation on the Reality once the doubts about the Reality are clear. To aid this Vedantic Sadhana, to help the seeker to apprehend the subtle truth told in the scriptures, the sadhanas like chanting and meditation will be very helpful.

Chanting or meditation as such cannot give liberation, but will only be aiding the seeker to progress in the spiritual path. The name of the lord always has lot of power and when we chant sahasranaamam will keep the mind focussed on the lord. Chanting will be very helpful in overcoming many obstacles in the world and also for fulfilling other wishes in the world, but when it is chanted as an offering to the lord, it will purify the mind. Only a purified mind will be able to apprehend the subtle truth about the Ultimate Reality which the scriptures speak about.

Ramana says in Upadesha saaram,
“Ishwara arpitam na icchayaa kritam
Chitta shodhakam mukti sadhakam”

Work which is performed as an offering to the Almighty and done without any expectation for the fruits – helps in purification of mind & thereby leads one to liberation or realization.

Meditation on the form god will be helpful to quite the mind and will help in building concentration. Thus when the mind is quite and focused, it will be easier for the seeker to reflect on the teaching and also contemplation. Though a person might be chanting or doing japa, meditating on the lord, there are possibilities that the mind might get deviated away from the Reality. Therefore it is important for one to have Sat Sanga. Sat sangam is association with the good people. Sat also Existence and thus Sat means the Self. Guru is nothing but Self only and hence Sat Sanga can be taken as constant contact with the Guru.

In the last line of the verse, acharya tells that one should also be open to give wealth to the needy. By giving to the needy, we will come out from the narrow mindedness of taking care ourselves alone. The biggest wealth that can be given to the needy is the wealth of knowledge. Thus, once a seeker gets the complete knowledge about the Reality through scriptures, he should help others by giving the knowledge through the scriptures.

Prostrations to all

Hari Aum

Thanks,
Rajesh

Bhaja Govindam - Sloka 26

Hari Aum

Prostrations to my Guru. Prostrations to All.

SLOKA 26:

“kaamam krodham loBham moham
Tyatvaathmaanam pashyathi soham
Aathmajnaana viheena mooDaaha
thae pachyanthae narakanigooDaha”

Word Meaning:
Kaamam: desire
Krodham: anger
loBham: greed
moham: delusion
tyatvaa: having left
aathmaanam: the Self
pashyathi: sees (the seeker)
saha aham: “That I am”
aathma jnaana viheenaha: those who have not Self-knowledge
mooDaa: the fools
thae: they
pachyahthae: are tortured
naraka nigooDaaha: in hell as captives

Leaving desire, anger, greed and delusion, the seeker sees in the Self, “He am I”. They are fools who have not Self-Knowledge and they (consequently), as captives in hell are tortured.

The very nature of the mind is extroverted and because of the extroverted nature of the mind, the sees the objects of the world different from oneself. When there is a perception of duality, the mind which is causing the perception of the object might be conditioned with the modifications of likes and dislikes. When a person likes a particular object he desires to possess them and strive to achieve it. If he succeeds in achieving it he is happy, if not he becomes sad. So because of desire other emotions like anger, greed and delusion also comes up. Thus desire is the cause for other emotions, and ignorance is the cause for the desire. There is only one way to overcome the delusion that is by Ultimate Knowledge.

As long as there is ignorance of ones own nature of Self, the person will see the lord to be different from oneself. But when he turns the mind inward and fixes the mind on the Self through the Vedantic sadhana of Sravana, Manana and Nidhidhyasana, the seeker realizes the Self as non-dual and will realize that Self alone exists.

Mandukya Upanishad says,
“Sarvam hyathath brahmaa ayam aathma brahma”
“All this is verily Brahman. The Self is Brahman.”

When the seeker thus realizes the Self, he always rejoices in the non-dual bliss of the Self. In the last two lines, acharya says the consequences if there is no effort towards realizing ones own nature of Self. Realizing ones own nature of Self is the only goal for each and everyone and hence everyone have to seek the Self instead of seeking the objects of the world. If this is forgotten and when there is more desire to possess the objects of the world, the person goes into more and more darkness of ignorance and is also born again and again in this sorrowful world. Without renouncing the desire towards the worldly desire, there cannot be any permanent happiness.

Isavasyam says,
“Asuryaa naama te lokaah, andhena tamasaavritaah
Taanste pretya abhigacchanthi, ye cha aatma hano janaah”

“Those who kill the Self (by not knowing or realizing it), after giving up this body, again and again attain those worlds of Asuras or devils which are filled with darkness of ignorance (ignorance of the Self).”

The only way to realize the Self is by renouncing all the desires of the world and seek only the Ultimate Reality of Brahman.

Prostrations to all

Hari Aum

Thanks,
Rajesh

Bhaja Govindam - Sloka 25

Hari Aum

Prostrations to my Guru. Prostrations to All.

SLOKA 25:

“shathrou mithrae puthrae bhanDhao
Maa kuru yathnam vigrahasanDhao
Sarvasminnapi pashyaathmaanam
Sarvathrothsruja Bhedhaajnaanam”

Word Meaning:
Shathrou: against an enemy
Mithrae: against a friend
Putrae: against a son
bhanDhao: against a relative
maa: never
kuru: do
yathnam: strive
vigraha sanDhao: for strife and for making friends
sarvaasminnapi: in everything (everywhere)
pasya: see
aathmaanam: the Self
sarvathra: everywhere
uthsruja: lift away
Bhedha ajnaanam: the sense of difference (born out of ignorance)

Strive not to fight against or to make friends with your enemy, friend, son or to relatives. See the Self everywhere and leave of the sense of duality which comes out of ignorance

In this gives advice to the seeker to see the Self only everywhere. As per scriptures, there is only one Reality, the Ultimate Reality of Brahman. This Reality is nothing but ones own Self. So we are nothing but the Brahman only, but we have forgotten this blissful nature of Self. Because of the ignorance, the world and experiences seems to be real. Because of this ignorance, one will seek happiness through the objects of the world, but in reality when analyzed none of the objects of the world has happiness or sorrow. Happiness or sorrow, which is experienced from the objects of the world or from the people of the world, are conditioned by the likes and dislikes of the mind. These modifications of likes and dislikes occur when the duality is perceived and the duality is perceived because of ignorance of ones own nature of Self. The bondages that are created with the objects or the people of the world are in the mind only based on the modifications of the mind through likes and dislikes.

Here the acharya says that, instead of seeing the people and objects of the world as something different from one see them as ones own Self. The world that is seen came out from the Self, is staying in the Self and will merge back into the Self only. The Self is the substratum of the world that is seen now. When we Self in every being and everything then all differences will also vanish. If we take our body, we don’t particularly like one part of our body or dislike one part of the body, all parts of our body will be seen equally only, the reason is that whichever part of our body we take, we say it is only me. In the same way, when we understand that the world and the objects of the world had come from the Self only, then there will be neither hatred nor attachment, it will only be pure non-dual bliss. Thus in this stanza, the acharya advises the seeker to see the Self in everywhere.

Isavasya Upanishad says,
“Yasthu sarvaani bhootani atmani eva anupashyathi
Sarva bhooteshu cha aatmaanam tato na vijugupsathe”

“He who sees the all beings in the Self itself and the Self in all beings, feels no hatred by virtue of this realization.”


“Yasmin sarvaani bhootani atmaiva bhoot vijanathah.
Tatra ko mohah kah sokah ekatvam anupashyathah”

“When a person realizes that the Self itself has become all the beings, then what delusion or sorrow can be there as he sees oneness only?”

Prostrations to all

Hari Aum

Thanks,
Rajesh

Bhaja Govindam - Sloka 24

Hari Aum

Prostrations to my Guru. Prostrations to All.

SLOKA 24:

“twayi mayi chaanyaktraiko vishnuhu
VyarTham kupyasi mayyasahishnuhu
Bhava samachitta sarvatra twam
Vaanchasyachiraadyadi vishnutwam”

Word Meaning:
Twayi: in you
Mayi: in me
Cha: and
Anyathra: in all other places
Ekaha: (there is) but one
Vishnuhu: all pervading Reality
vyarTham: unnecessarily
kupyasi: you are getting angry
mayi: with me
asahishnuhu: being impatient
Bhava: become
Samachiththaha: equal-minded
Sarvathra: everywhere (in all circumstances)
Tvam: you
vaanChasi yadi: if you want
achiraath: soon
vishnutwam: The Vishnu status

In you, in me and in all other places too, there is but one All-Pervading Reality (Vishnu). Being impatient, you are unnecessarily getting angry with me. If you want to attain soon the Vishnu-status, be equal minded in all circumstances

The Ultimate Reality of Brahman is the substratum of the world that is seen. The world is not outside the Self, but it is within the Self only. But because of ignorance, the world is seen as if outside and hence the jiva sees duality. Since he sees an object different from himself, he desires to possess that object thinking that it would give him happiness. But when analyzed, the object as such cannot give happiness because there is no happiness or sorrow in objects of the world. It is the mind through the modifications of likes and dislikes, either likes an object or dislikes an object. If a person gets the object which he desires he becomes happy or if he doesn’t get he becomes sad. Also, an object which gives happiness at one point of time, might give sorrow at later point of time. Thus we can say that there is no happiness or sorrow in the object, these are conditioned by the modifications of likes and dislikes of the mind. Thus the emotions like anger, jealous etc are also caused by the likes and dislikes. Because of like or dislike in the mind, the mind become restless and hence he is subjected to various emotions like anger etc.

The main cause for the modifications of the mind is the ignorance of ones own nature of Self. When the Self is known, all dualities vanishes and hence there will be nothing else other than the Self. If there are no dualities, then there will no other object either to like it or dislike it. Thus here the acharya says that there is only Reality and once this Reality is known then the mind will be ever established in the Reality and thus goes beyond the modifications of likes and dislikes.

Isavasya Upanishad says,
“Yasmin sarvaani bhootani atmaiva bhoot vijanathah.
Tatra ko mohah kah sokah ekatvam anupashyathah”

“When a person realizes that the Self itself has become all the beings, then what delusion or sorrow can be there as he sees oneness only?”

If one has to overcome the ignorance, there is only one way that is through the Ultimate Knowledge that “I am Brahman”. One can get this Ultimate Knowledge through Vedantic Sadhana of Sravana, Manana and Nidhidhyasana. Sravana is systematic and consistent study of scriptures from a competent Guru for a length of time. Manana is reflecting those teachings in the mind, and intellectually understanding the teaching so that there are no doubts about the Reality. Once the mind is clear from all doubts about the Ultimate Reality of Brahman, the seeker will realize his Self through constant contemplation, this is Nidhidhyasanam.

Prostrations to all

Hari Aum

Thanks,
Rajesh

Bhaja Govindam - Sloka 23

Hari Aum

Prostrations to my Guru. Prostrations to All.

SLOKA 23:

“Kastvam koham kutha aayaathaha
Kaamae janani ko mae thaathaha
Ithi pariBhaavaya sarvamasaaram
Vishvam tyaktvaa swapna vichaaram”

Word Meaning:
Kaha: who
Tvam: (are) you
Kaha: who
Aham: am I
Kutha: from where
Aayaathaha: did I come
Kaha: who (is)
Mae: my
Janani: mother
Kaha: who (is)
Mae: my
Thaathaha: father
Ithi: thus
Paribhaavaya: enquire
Sarva: all
Asaaaram: essenceless
Vishwam: the entire world of experience
Tyakthvaa: leaving aside
Swapnavichaaram: a mere dream land (born of imagination)

Who are you? Who am I? From where did I come? Who is my mother? Who is my father? Thus enquire, leaving aside the entire world-of-experience, essenceless and a mere dreamland, born of imagination.

In this sloka, the acharya speaks about the Self enquiry. According to scriptures, there is only Eternally existing entity which is the Self. But the ignorance seems to veil the Self and projects things other than the self. In deep-sleep, a person experiences non-dual bliss as the ego gets merged into the cause. In waking state, the ego gets the birth from the Self and gets identified with various attributes of the world as “I am so and so”, “I am happy”, “I am sad” etc. but in deep-sleep all these attributes were not present at all. It is only during the period of waking state one gets identified with these attributes and experiences happiness or sorrow as the case may be. But when we analyze, “I am” is common with all the attributes in the waking state. Also “I am” is common on all the three states as well. Thus it is only “I am” which is present all the time. But because of ignorance we wrongly identify the Self with the attributes. Self is free from attributes but none of the attributes can exist without the Self. It is only the Self which is illumining the ego for all of its experience. It is only the ego which is experiencing the world and since the ego merges into the Self during the deep-sleep the world also merges into the Self. Thus the Self is substratum for the world as it from the Self the world takes the birth when the ego is born just after the sleep, it is in the Self the world exist and it into the Self the world again merges back.

Though the world exists in the Self only, but seems to exist outside. The waking world is very similar to the dream. When a person is dreaming during the sleep, the dream world seems to be outside though the dream world is within the person only. Once the person wakes up there is no dream world at all. The sleep makes the person to see the dream world outside himself, in the same way the waking world also though it is within the Self only seems to be outside because of ignorance. Just as the person who have woken up from the sleep knows that there is no dream world, similarly a person who have woken up from the state of ignorance by realizing ones own nature of Self knows clearly that there was no world at all and realizes that it is only the Self what existed before, that is existing now and that alone will ever exist.

Here the acharya advices the seeker to enquire into the Self. Thus when we enquire by asking ourselves “Who Am I?” the ego vanishes which was never really present and hence the person realizes that there is only Self. When the ego vanishes, then the world also vanishes and hence all sorrows also vanishes.

Shankara tells in Dhakshinamurthy stotram,
“vishvam dharpana drishyamaana nagari thulyam nijaanthargatham
Pashyannaathmani maayayaa bahirivah udhbootham yathaa nidhrayaa
Yassakshaath kuruthae prabhodha samayae svaadhmaanamevaadvayam
Thasmai shree gurumurthayae namaidham shree dhakshinamurthayae”

The world is within the Self like the reflected city in the mirror, but seen as if outside as in dream because of Maya and who at the time of realization realized ones own nature of Self as one without the second, to that Dhakshinamurthy, who is the Guru, my Prostrations.

Ramana in Upadesha saaram says,
“ahamayam kutho Bhavathi chinvathah
ayi pathathyaham nijavichaaranam”

“From where does this “I thought arise” – for one who enquires thus, the ahamkaara falls. This is Self-Enquiry”

And in the next sloka Ramana says,
“ahami naahsa bhaajyahamahamthayaa
Sphurathi hrithsvayam paramapoorna sath”

“When the ego is destroyed the Self which is the Supreme-Infinite-Existence shines forth of its own as “I” – “I” “.

Prostrations to all

Hari Aum

Thanks,
Rajesh

Bhaja Govindam - Sloka 22

Hari Aum

Prostrations to my Guru. Prostrations to All.

SLOKA 22:
“rathyacharpatavirachithakanthaha
Punyaapunyavivarjithapanthaha
Yogi yoganiyojithachiththaha
Ramanathae baalonmaththvadeva”

Word Meaning:
Rathyacharpatavirachithakanthaha: he who wears the godadi (shawl made up of pieces of cloth rejected by others on the road)
Punyaapunyavivarjithapanthaha: who walks the path that is beyond merit and demerit
Yogi: the yogin
Yogi niyojitha chiththaha: whose mind is joined in perfect yoga
Ramathae: sports
baalavath eva: as a child
Unmaththava vath eva: (or) as a mad man

The yogin who wears but a shawl made up of pieces of cloth rejected by others on the road, who walks the path that is beyond merit and demerit, whose mind is joined in perfect yoga with its goal, he revels and lives thereafter as a child or as a mad man

In this sloka, the acharya explains the state of Jivan Mukthah. There is only Brahman existing and all other seems to be existing are only an illusion. But jiva because of ignorance of ones own nature of Self, he thinks that the world is real and gets involved in it an thus experiences happiness or sorrow as the case may be. He acquires Punyams and pappams from the action he performs which are the effect of the desire that comes in the mind. The root cause for the desire is the ignorance. Thus the ego, which performs the action out of the desire to perform it, then later enjoys the punyam or papam. When the ignorance is destroyed then there is no ego, and hence there is no punyam and papam. Ignorance will get destroyed only when one gets the knowledge about the Self as ones own nature. When the person realizes his own nature of Self, then he realizes that the world is only an illusion in the Reality. Since the world itself is falsified, there is nothing that will give momentary sorrow or happiness to such a person, rather such a person will always revel in the non-dual bliss of the Self.

Such a person who is a perfect Jivan Mukthah, will never care too much about the body and the mind. He will be ever happy whether he has what he need to have to survive in the world or he don’t have. Here the acharya says, he might just wear some left out clothes in the road just to cover the body. To such a person there is no Punyam or Papam as there is no ego in that person to enjoy them. Since the mind is always in the thought of the Self as ones own nature, they is beyond the Papam and Punyam and nothing in the world can affect him.

In the last line, he tells that he enjoys the world like a child or like a mad man. The innocent mind of the child never will be worrying about the past or of the future, it always lives in the present. Also, anything that is done to the child whether it good or bad, it doesn’t dwell in that, but continues playing all the time. The mad man, always has his own thoughts in his mind and it is tough to interfere in the mind of such a mad man, in the similar way the Jiva muktha also is always steadfast in the thought of the Ultimate Reality of Brahman and hence it is not possible interfere in the mind of such a person also.

In Ramakrishna Mutt book on Bhaja Govindam, the last two lines are different for this sloka. The sloka is as follows
“rathyacharpatavirachithakanthaha
Punyaapunyavivarjithapanthaha
Naaham natvam naayam lokaha
Thadhapi kimarThim kriyathae shokaha”

“Rags cast off along the road serves as a garment for yogin, who are free from all the merits and demerits, and in his sight Nor I nor you nor the world exists. Why, then, give way to sorrow?”

Prostrations to all

Hari Aum

Thanks,
Rajesh