When Adi Shankara saw a group of scholars in Varanasi arguing about Panini's Rules of Grammar, he admonished them for wasting their time with fruitless pursuit. He sang to them the introduction and the first twelve verses of Bhaja Govindam. His disciples later added fourteen more verses addressing more instances where the people waste their time with disractions or in purposeless pursuit. They are reminded of what they need to do to get back on track.
The translations in English are quite easy to follow so I shall not sully the text with my own comments. Readers are welcome to ask questions if they seek clarification or wish to discuss any point.
Bhaja Govindam
1
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ
gōvindaṃ bhaja mūḍhamatē
samprāptē sannihitē kālē
nahi nahi rakṣati ḍukṛṅkaraṇē
Worship Govinda, worship Govinda,
Worship Govinda, Oh fool!
Rules of grammar will not save you
At the time of your death.
2
mūḍha jahīhi dhanāgamatṛṣṇāṃ
kuru sadbuddhiṃ manasi vitṛṣṇām
yallabhasē nijakarmōpāttaṃ
vittaṃ tēna vinōdaya chittam
Oh fool! Give up your thirst to amass wealth,
Devote your mind to thoughts of the Real.
Be content with what comes
Through actions already performed in the past.
3
nārīstanabhara-nābhīdēśaṃ
dṛṣṭvā mā gā mōhāvēśam
ētanmāṃsavasādivikāraṃ
manasi vichintaya vāraṃ vāram
Do not get drowned in delusion, going wild with passions and lust
Just by seeing a woman's navel and chest.
These are nothing but a modification of flesh
Fail not to remember this again and again in your mind.
4
nalinīdala-gatajalamatitaralaṃ
tadvajjīvitamatiśaya-chapalam
viddhi vyādhyabhimānagrastaṃ
lōkaṃ śōkahataṃ cha samastam
The life of a person is as uncertain
As rain drops trembling on a lotus leaf.
Know that the whole world
Remains prey to disease, ego and grief.
5
yāvadvittōpārjanasaktaḥ
tāvannijaparivārō raktaḥ
paśchājjīvati jarjaradēhē
vārtāṃ kō'pi na pṛchChati gēhē
So long as a man is fit and able to support his family,
See what affection all those around him show.
But no one at home cares to even have a word with him
When his body totters due to old age.
6
yāvatpavanō nivasati dēhē
tāvatpṛchChati kuśalaṃ gēhē
gatavati vāyau dēhāpāyē
bhāryā bibhyati tasminkāyē
When one is alive, his family members
Enquire kindly about his welfare.
But when the soul departs from the body,
Even his wife runs away in fear of the corpse.
7
bālastāvatkrīḍāsaktaḥ
taruṇastāvattaruṇīsaktaḥ
vṛddhastāvachchintāsaktaḥ
paramē brahmaṇi kō'pi na saktaḥ
The childhood is lost by attachment to playfulness.
Youth is lost by attachment to woman.
Old age passes away by thinking over many things.
But there is hardly anyone who wants to be lost in parabrahman.
8
kā tē kāntā kastē putraḥ
saṃsārō'yamatīva vichitraḥ
kasya tvaṃ kaḥ kuta āyātaḥ
tattvaṃ chintaya tadiha bhrātaḥ
Who is your wife? Who is your son?
Strange is this samsAra, the world.
Of whom are you? From where have you come?
Brother, ponder over these truths.
9
satsaṅgatvē nissaṅgatvaṃ
nissaṅgatvē nirmōhatvam
nirmōhatvē niśchalatattvaṃ
niśchalatattvē jīvanmuktiḥ
From satsanga, company of good people, comes non-attachment,
From non-attachment comes freedom from delusion,
Freedom from delusion leads to self-settledness.
From self-settledness comes the ultimate liberation.
10
vayasi gatē kaḥ kāmavikāraḥ
śuṣkē nīrē kaḥ kāsāraḥ
kṣīṇē vittē kaḥ parivāraḥ
jñātē tattvē kaḥ saṃsāraḥ
What good is lust when youth has fled?
What use is a lake which has no water?
Where are the relatives when wealth is gone?
Where is samsAra, the world, when the Truth is known?
11
mā kuru dhana-jana-yauvana-garvaṃ
harati nimēṣātkālaḥ sarvam
māyāmayamidamakhilaṃ hitvā
brahmapadaṃ tvaṃ praviśa viditvā
Do not boast of wealth, friends, and youth.
Each one of these is destroyed within a minute of time.
Free yourself from the illusion of the world of Maya
And attain the timeless Truth.
12
dinayāminyau sāyaṃ prātaḥ
śiśiravasantau punarāyātaḥ
kālaḥ krīḍati gachChatyāyuḥ
tadapi na muñchatyāśāvāyuḥ
Daylight and darkness, dusk and dawn,
Winter and springtime come and go.
Time plays and life ebbs away.
But the storm of desire never leaves.
13
kā tē kāntā dhanagatachintā
vātula kiṃ tava nāsti niyantā
trijagati sajjanasaṅgatirēkā
bhavati bhavārṇavataraṇē naukā
Oh mad man! Why this engrossment in thoughts of wealth?
Is there no one to guide you?
There is only one thing in three worlds that can save you from the ocean of samsAra,
Get into the boat of satsanga, company of good people, quickly.
14
dvādaśa-mañjarikābhiraśēṣaḥ
kathitō vaiyākaraṇasyaiṣaḥ
upadēśō'bhūdvidyā-nipuṇaiḥ
śrīmachChaṅkara-bhagavachCharaṇaiḥThis bouquet of twelve verses (2-13) was imparted to a grammarian
By the all-knowing Shankara,
Adored as the bhagavadpada.
The following 14 form chaturdaśamañjarikā.
15
jaṭilō muṇḍī luñChitakēśaḥ
kāṣāyāmbara-bahukṛtavēṣaḥ
paśyannapi cha na paśyati mūḍhaḥ
udaranimittaṃ bahukṛtavēṣaḥ
There are many who go with matted locks, many who have clean shaven heads,
Many whose hairs have been plucked out; some are clothed in orange,
Yet others in various colors - all just for a livelihood.
Seeing truth revealed before them, still the foolish ones see it not.
16
aṅgaṃ galitaṃ palitaṃ muṇḍaṃ
daśanavihīnaṃ jātaṃ tuṇḍam
vṛddhō yāti gṛhītvā daṇḍaṃ
tadapi na muñchatyāśāpiṇḍam
Strength has left the old man's body; his head has become bald,
His gums toothless and leaning on crutches.
Even then the attachment is strong
And he clings firmly to fruitless desires.
17
agrē vahniḥ pṛṣṭhē bhānuḥ
rātrau chubuka-samarpita-jānuḥ
karatala-bhikṣastarutalavāsaḥ
tadapi na muñchatyāśāpāśaḥ
Behold there lies the man who sits warming up his body with the fire in front and the sun at the back;
At night he curls up the body to keep out of the cold;
He eats his beggar's food from the bowl of his hand and sleeps beneath the tree.
Still in his heart, he is a wretched puppet at the hands of passions.
18
kurutē gaṅgāsāgaragamanaṃ
vrata-paripālanamathavā dānam
jñānavihīnaḥ sarvamatēna
bhajati na muktiṃ janmaśatēna
One may go to Ganga river, observe fasts,
And give away riches in charity !
Yet, devoid of the true knowledge,
Nothing can give mukti even at the end of a hundred births.
19
suramandira-taru-mūla-nivāsaḥ
śayyā bhūtalamajinaṃ vāsaḥ
sarva-parigraha-bhōgatyāgaḥ
kasya sukhaṃ na karōti virāgaḥ
Take your residence in a temple or below a tree,
Wear the deerskin for the dress, and sleep with mother earth as your bed.
Give up all attachments and renounce all comforts.
Blessed with such vairgya, could any fail to be content?
20
yōgaratō vā bhōgaratō vā
saṅgaratō vā saṅgavihīnaḥ
yasya brahmaṇi ramatē chittaṃ
nandati nandati nandatyēva
One may take delight in yoga or bhoga,
May have attachment or detachment.
But only he whose mind steadily delights in Brahman
Enjoys bliss, no one else.
21
bhagavadgītā kiñchidadhītā
gaṅgājala-lavakaṇikā pītā
sakṛdapi yēna murārisamarchā
kriyatē tasya yamēna na charchā
Let a man read but a little from bhagavadgItA,
Drink just a drop of water from the Ganges,
Worship but once murAri.
He then will have no altercation with Yama.
22
punarapi jananaṃ punarapi maraṇaṃ
punarapi jananījaṭharē śayanam
iha saṃsārē bahudustārē
kṛpayā'pārē pāhi murārē
Born again, death again,
Again to stay in the mother's womb!
It is indeed hard to cross this boundless ocean of samsAra.
Oh Murari! Redeem me through Thy mercy.
23
rathyācharpaṭa-virachita-kanthaḥ
puṇyāpuṇya-vivarjita-panthaḥ
yōgī yōganiyōjita-chittaḥ
ramatē bālōnmattavadēva
There is no shortage of clothing for a monk so long as there are rags cast off the road.
Freed from vices and virtues, onward he wanders.
One who lives in communion with god enjoys bliss,
Pure and uncontaminated, like a child and as an intoxicated.
24
kastvaṃ kō'haṃ kuta āyātaḥ
kā mē jananī kō mē tātaḥ
iti paribhāvaya sarvamasāraṃ
viśvaṃ tyaktvā svapnavichāram
Who are you? Who am I? From where do I come?
Who is my mother, who is my father?
Ponder thus, look at everything as essence-less
And give up the world as an idle dream.
25
tvayi mayi chānyatraikō viṣṇuḥ
vyarthaṃ kupyasi mayyasahiṣṇuḥ
bhava samachittaḥ sarvatra tvaṃ
vāñChasyachirādyadi viṣṇutvam
In me, in you and in everything, none but the same Vishnu dwells.
Your anger and impatience is meaningless.
If you wish to attain the status of Vishnu,
Have samabhAva, equanimity, always.
26
śatrau mitrē putrē bandhau
mā kuru yatnaṃ vigrahasandhau
sarvasminnapi paśyātmānaṃ
sarvatrōtsṛja bhēdājñānam
Waste not your efforts to win the love of
Or to fight against friend and foe, children and relatives.
See yourself in everyone
And give up all feelings of duality completely.
27
kāmaṃ krōdhaṃ lōbhaṃ mōhaṃ
tyaktvā''tmānaṃ paśyati sō'ham
ātmajñānavihīnā mūḍhāḥ
tē pachyantē narakanigūḍhāḥ
Give up lust, anger, infatuation, and greed.
Ponder over your real nature.
Fools are they who are blind to the Self.
Cast into hell, they suffer there endlessly.
28
gēyaṃ gītā-nāmasahasraṃ
dhyēyaṃ śrīpati-rūpamajasram
nēyaṃ sajjana-saṅgē chittaṃ
dēyaṃ dīnajanāya cha vittam
Regularly recite from the Gita, meditate on Vishnu in your heart,
And chant His thousand glories.
Take delight to be with the noble and the holy.
Distribute your wealth in charity to the poor and the needy.
29
sukhataḥ kriyatē kāmābhōgaḥ
paśchādanta śarīrē rōgaḥ
yadyapi lōkē maraṇaṃ śaraṇaṃ
tadapi na muñchati pāpācharaṇam
He who yields to lust for pleasure
Leaves his body a prey to disease.
Though death brings an end to everything,
Man does not give-up the sinful path.
30
arthamanarthaṃ bhāvaya nityaṃ
nāstitataḥ sukhalēśaḥ satyam
putrādapi dhanabhājāṃ bhītiḥ
sarvatraiṣā vihitā rītiḥ
Wealth is not welfare, truly there is no joy in it.
Reflect thus at all times.
A rich man fears even his own son.
This is the way of wealth everywhere.
31
prāṇāyāmaṃ pratyāhāraṃ
nityānitya vivēkavichāram
jāpyasamētasamādhividhānaṃ
kurvavadhānaṃ mahadavadhānam
Regulate the prANa-s, life forces, remain unaffected by external influences
And discriminate between the real and the fleeting.
Chant the holy name of God and silence the turbulent mind.
Perform these with care, with extreme care.
32
gurucharaṇāmbuja-nirbharabhaktaḥ
saṃsārādachirādbhava muktaḥ
sēndriyamānasa-niyamādēvaṃ
drakṣyasi nijahṛdayasthaṃ dēvam
Oh devotee of the lotus feet of the Guru!
May thou be soon free from Samsara.
Through disciplined senses and controlled mind,
Thou shalt come to experience the indwelling Lord of your heart!
33
mūḍhaḥ kaśchana vaiyākaraṇō
ḍuḥkṛṅkaraṇādhyayanadhurīṇaḥ
śrīmachChaṅkara-bhagavachChiṣyaiḥ
bōdhita āsīchChōdhita-karaṇaḥ
Thus a silly grammarian
Lost in rules
Cleansed of his narrow vision
And shown the Light by Shankara's apostles.
34
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ
gōvindaṃ bhaja mūḍhamatē
nāmasmaraṇādanyamupāyaṃ
nahi paśyāmō bhavataraṇē
Worship Govinda, worship Govinda,
Worship Govinda, Oh fool!
Other than chanting the Lord's names,
There is no other way to cross the life's ocean.
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