Seek the Lord & save yourself

Bhaja Govindam - 1

Bhaja Govindam is a Bhajan song composed by Sri Sankara Bhagavatpada, whom we shall hereafter refer to as Sri Sankara, in which he has packed the entire essence of Vedanta.  Writing about this work, Rajaji remarks “Sri Sankara has packed into the Bhajagovindam song the substance of all Vedanta, and set the oneness of Jnana and Bhakti to melodious music.”  It is much more than a Bhajan song; it is indeed a philosophical treatise that can be ranked one among the prakarana granthas. The background behind the composition of this work is as follows.  As Sri Sankara was walking in the streets of Kasi with his disciples, they came across an old person of advanced age struggling to learn “Dukrin karane” formula from Panini’s book of grammar “Siddantha  Kaumudhi”.   Sri Sankara felt pity for him as he was spending time at such an advanced age trying to learn a language instead of turning his attention to God, singing His Glory and seeking moksha.  This prompted Sri Sankara to advise through this song this person and similar other persons suffering from various delusions to turn their efforts Godward, drawing their attention to the transient nature of life and hollowness of material possessions. 

This work contains 31 verses of which the first one is considered the pallavi, to be sung in chorus at the end of each verse.  This and the subsequent twelve verses are composed by Sri Sankara himself and this part is called “Dwadasa Manjarika Stotram”(a bouquet of 12 flowers).  The fourteen disciples inspired by the Guru’s song, sang each one verse on the same theme and this part of fourteen verses is called the “Chaturdasa Manjarika Stotram”(a bouquet of 14 flowers).  Pleased by their efforts, Sri Sankara added to the work of 27 verses, another four verses in conclusion, to make in all 31 verses.   The work is also referred to as “Moha Mudgara”.  The word Moha means delusion. Mudgara means ‘hammer’. Together, Moha Mudgara means the remover or destroyer of delusion. It is called so because each verse gives a heavy blow to the excessive value one attaches to the worldly possessions and so naturally there is no softness in the tone of this composition to emphasise the urgency in the situation.  As per Swami Paramarthananda the work has one point programme- ‘Mumukshu bhava” {become a seeker of moksha)

Verse 1

Bhajagovindam bhajagovindam govindam bhaja mudhamate |

samprapte sannihite kale nahi nahi raksati ḍukṛnjkarane ||

Worship Govinda, worship Govinda, worship Govinda, oh fool! When the hour of death approaches, the formula of grammar will not save you.

Sri Sankara starts straightaway advising the old man to spend his last days contemplating the Lord rather than wasting on learning the grammar.  The study of grammar stands for all secular knowledge referred to as apara vidya that can be of help in the material life only.   For spiritual upliftment one should turn to Para vidya, the knowledge by which Brahman, the supreme could be known.  In short Para vidya is the spiritual knowledge for moksha purushartha and apara vidya is the material knowledge that one seeks for the other three purusharthas;  dharma, artha, kama purusharthas.  It is the Para vidya that leads one to spiritual realization that bestows immortality and eternal bliss.  The glory of spiritual knowledge, Para Vidya, is thus emphasised by Swami Vivekananda who says “Spiritual knowledge is the only thing that can destroy our miseries for ever; any other knowledge satisfies wants only for a time.  It is only with knowledge of the spirit that the faculty of want is annihilated forever.”

‘Bhaja’ stands for worship with devotion, surrendering oneself to Lord.  It can be in any one of the nine ways as enumerated in Nava vidha bhakthi in Bhagavatham.

1.     Sravanam (Listening to Lord’s glory)

2.     Kirtanam (Singing Lord’s glory)

3.     Smaranam (constantly thinking of Lord)

4.     Padasevanam (Adoring the feet of the Lord in a spirit of self-obliteration)

5.     Archanam (worshipping the Lord with Vedic hymns)

6.     Vandanam (Paying obeisance to the Lord)

7.     Dasyam (Serving the Lord)

8.     Sakhyam (Invoking the Lord as a friend)

9.     Atma nivedanam (Offering oneself in total self-surrender to the Lord)

Govinda is one of the names of Lord Vishnu, as given in Vishnusahasranamam.  It has also other meanings as Sri Sankara gives in his Bhashya;

1.     One who has realized the substratum, or the very essence – the Truth.

2.     One who protects the cattle, or the very essence behind the all living beings.

3.     One who confers speech – or one who enlivens all sense organs

4.     One who is known thru the Vedas – the supreme Reality indicated by the Maha Vakyas

So Govinda here stands for the Supreme Brahman.  It is also significant that the name of Sri Sankara’s Guru happens to be Govinda i.e.Sri Govinda Bhagavat pada.

The repetition of bhajagovindam thrice signifies: 

1.     First, to seek guru. Seek a capable guru.

2.     Second, to seek knowledge. Seek the knowledge that leads to self-realization.

3.     Third, to seek Govinda.  Contemplate on Govinda, the Supreme Brahman

Lord Krishna assures in Gita (8-5):

Anta kale cha mameva smaranmuktua kalevaram

Yah prayati sa madbhavam yaati nasty atra samshaya

And whosoever, departs from the body remembering Me alone, at the time of death, he attains My Being: there is no doubt about this.

But this is possible only if one had been thinking all along about the Lord. So Sri Sankara chides this man as a fool for, not realising death may knock at his door at any time, he is foolishly busy in acquiring secular knowledge, without engaging fully in spiritual pursuits thinking of the Lord and Lord only, and tells him it is high time he becomes a teevra mumukshu.  A teevra mumukshu is one for whom moksha is the only goal unlike the mandha, madhyama  mumukshus for whom moksha is one of the goals only.   This verse is to be sung in chorus at the end of each subsequent verse.

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Bhakthi and Upasana

Upadesa Saara – verses 4,5&6

Verse no.4 of Upadesa saara reads as:
कायवाङमनः कार्यमुत्तमम् |   (Kaaya Vaang manah kaaryam uttamam)

पूजनं जपस्चिंतनम क्रमात् ||  (Pujanam japah chittanam kramaath)

Action of worship can be done with the body, words and mind. The action done with body is Puja, the action done with words is chanting and action done with the mind is meditation. Each is superior to the other in ascending order. (The action done with words is superior to action done with the body. The action done with the mind is superior to action done with the words.) 

In this verse Ramana Maharishi elaborates about Ishta Devata Bhakthi, Bhakthi in respect of one’s chosen Deity of worship. Bhakthi  is defined normally as reverential devotion to a superior - object, person or ideal.  Here we are referring to Bhakthi as a religious action, reverential devotion to God, the Cosmic Supreme.  This action can be divided into kayikam (physical), vachikam (verbal), and manasam (mental).  Physical action is doing Puja, by offering flowers. lighting a lamp, chanting slokas or Mantras etc., to one’s Ishta devata or visiting the temple and participating in the worship there or going on a pilgrimage to holy places.  Here all the three instruments of body, mind and speech are employed and this is called here Poojanam.  Verbal action consists of singing Lord's glory, reciting slokas in praise of the Lord, reading of religious texts containing the glory of the Lord, including Ithihasas and Puranas and repeated chanting of His Name or a Mantra, regularly.  Here mind and speech only are involved and so this requires more mental concentration than physical action.  This is referred to as Japa.  Mental action is meditation on Lord and this is called Chinthanam.  Manasa puja is also called Upasana. This requires a high mental discipline, much greater than that of physical puja and verbal worship.  All the three actions qualify as Yoga when action is done selflessly surrendering the ego in respect of a single Devata, adopted as one’s Ishta Devata.  It is this Bhakthi that transforms Karma as Karma Yoga. And when this Bhakthi is done for Bhakthi’s sake alone it becomes Bhakthi Yoga. In Bhakthi Yoga  reverential devotion yields place to unqualifed Love of the Lord to whom one surrenders one’s total will and ego.

As Bhakthi matures, the Love expands to embrace the whole creation as Bhaktha sees Lord in all and all as the Lord.  This is called Viswarupa Bhakthi.   Maharishi talks of this Viswarupa Bhakthi in the next verse, verse no.5.

जगत इशधीयुक्तसेवनम् | (Jagada Ishadee yukta sevanam)
अष्टमूर्तिभ्रिददेवापूजनं ||  (Astha murthy brid deva poojanam)

Service of the world is service of God having eight-fold form, with the idea that everything is God alone.

The eight-fold form of God consists of the five elements; space, air, fire, water and earth, the sun (representing all stars), the moon (representing all planets and satellites), and the Jivas (all living beings).  In verse 9 of Sri Dakshinamurthy stotram Sri Sankara describes specifically the Viswa Rupa of Lord Dakshinamurthy in the same way as eightfold form i.e. comprising the earth, water, fire, air, space, sun, moon and Jiva; the manifested Universe of all movable and immovable objects.  Sri Krishna also talks of His eight-fold Prakriti in Gita  (7 – 4), “This Prakrti of Mine is divided eight-fold thus: earth, water, fire, air, space, mind, intellect and also egoism.”  Further the very first nama of Vishnu Sahasranamam  is “Vishwam” – which means one who has entered into all beings, inert and sentient, movable and immovable -“Vishathi ithi Vishwam”.  Again Isavasya Upanishad also in the very first line states “Whatever is here in this world, everything is pervaded or covered by God”

Understanding Universe itself as nothing but a form of God is the essence of this Bhakthi.  Initially, the understanding was that God as creator is only the intelligent cause for the Universe.  As one’s knowledge of God grows, understanding expands and one has the knowledge that God is both intelligent cause and material cause of this Universe. As material cause of Universe, God pervades all objects of creation, both movable and immovable, just as gold pervades all ornaments of gold.  A Viswa-rupa Bhaktha sees God in all and all as God.  From Viswa rupa Bhakthi, with expansion of vision and maturity of understanding one grows to appreciate Abhedha-Bhavana and gain Advaitic Jnanam, which Maharishi will discuss later.

In verse no.6 Maharishi elaborates on verbal worship.

उत्तमस्तवादुच्चमंदतः |    (Uttama stavaat uccha mandathah)
चित्तजं जप ध्यानमुत्तमम् || (Chittajam japa dhyaanam uttamam)

Singing of Lord’s glories is good, but better than that is loud chanting in japa, while superior to loud chanting is soft chanting in japa. However, best of all is silent, mental japa.

Japa means repetition of a mantra or Lord’s name.  In Japa one should always focus on the mantra or the nama. Focus on the deity is done before the japa begins, as an invocation, and not during the chanting.  Japa produces a vibration which is supposed to be beneficial. The importance of Japa as a sadhana can be seen from Sri Krishna’s words in Gita (10-25) “Among the Yajnas, I am Japa Yajna”.  Japa can be done in a loud voice or in a soft voice or mentally.  The most effective chanting is mental and least effective is loud chanting.  Mental chanting is as good as meditation and so is a form of Upasana.  So Maharishi calls it as Dhyana Japa. 

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