Bhaja Govindam Etv

Datta Vaakya Vijaya Vyakhya

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Translations of Pujya Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji’s explanation
of Bhaja Govindam on ETV (2013) in Telugu

Episode 1 – introduction to Bhaja Govindam

Sri Maha Ganapataye Namaha
Sri Saraswatye Namaha.
Sri Padavallabha Narasimha Saraswati
Sri Guru dattatreyaya namaha.

After having obtained an in-depth understanding of the various shastras and other great works authored by Sri Adi Shankaracharya Swami, eminent pundits and philosophers have quoted- ‘Shankara Shankara saakshaat’ which means that Adi Shankaracharya swami is none other than the Supreme Lord Shiva (Shankara) himself!

From today we are going to discuss about the holy text ‘Moha Mudgara’ composed by him. ‘Mudgara’ means ‘that which dispels happiness’. ‘Moha Mudgara’ means ‘that which dispels the happiness being enjoyed by moha (illusion)’. In other words, it drives away illusion and ignorance (moha). These hymns are very much popular as ‘Bhaja Govindam’ shlokas.

The doctor called ‘Sadguru’ prescribes the medicine known as ‘upadesha’ (teaching) to rid the person from the disease called ‘samsara’ (bondages).

People of Krta Yuga (first of the 4 eons) were very wise knowledgeable persons (jnanis) who possessed a deep ripened intellect. Therefore in that period, Datta Swami gave his entire upadesha (teaching) in the form of Upanishads. He composed complex texts such as ‘Avadhoota Geeta’ during this period.

Times had slightly changed by the time of Treta Yuga (second eon). For this reason Maharishi Vashistha and other great saints drew out the essence from the Upanishads and presented it to people in the form of texts such as ‘Jnana Vashishtam’.

A significant change could be visible amongst the people by the time it was Dwapara Yuga (third eon). A tremendous increase in desires could be noticed in them. 50% of the time was spent in administrative and political activities, 25% in fulfilling their personal needs and desires. Only the remaining 25% was spent towards spiritual activities (Adhyatmic). It was not just limited to this. Deceitfulness was rampant among people. The thought of engaging in selfless action (nishkaama karma) had been totally wiped away from the individual intellect. At such a critical juncture, Maharishi Veda Vyasa divided the entire Vedas into different groups and thus made it easy for the people to learn Vedas. Likewise, as people did not have the time to read the Upanishads, he complied the ‘Brahma Sutras’ and the 18 supreme Puranas. Yet he did not obtain the resultant contentment. He thereupon composed the holy text, Srimad Bhagavatam, in which the entire emphasis is on the pillar/ sadhana called devotion (bhakti).

Everything underwent a change when the 4th eon, Kali Yuga, made its appearance. Life became chaotic. Human beings began to chase objects that were attractive to the eyes. Holy words such as ‘Vedas’ and ‘Upanishads’ were not to be heard even remotely. Adi Shankaracharya Swami decided to incarnate at such a critical time.

Adi Shankaracharya Swami follows a very unique way of giving his upadesha (teaching). Through the medium of small hymns (shlokas) he passes on very insightful and profound teachings. While giving a mild shock treatment to the person, he also shows him the ‘real true object’. What appears like a small hymn actually contains utmost, significant and insightful wisdom! While going through them, the deeper meaning contained, as well as the ultimate goal of life appear clearly before the eyes.

In this hymn ‘Bhaja Govindam’, Adi Shankaracharya elucidates clearly those dangers which are harmful and from which the person should clearly stay away. He also teaches the ways through which the person can break free from those dangers. He details the ways of this world, the nature of the human beings and those matters/ objects towards which people are normally attracted. The greatness/ significance of time (kala mahima) is taught. The duties that the person should mandatorily engage in during his lifetime are taught.
He teaches just as a mother would teach her child.

Without any distinction of caste, religion or gender, every individual is entitled to listen/ read this intense teaching.

Please listen and put into practice that what is being taught to you. Jaya Guru Datta.

Episode 2

bhaja govindaṃ bhaja govindaṃ
govindaṃ bhaja mūḍhamate |
samprāpte sannihite kaāle
nahi nahi rakṣati ḍukrinkaraṇe || 1

Meaning of the hymn- O Mūdha (foolish/ ignorant person)! Revere and worship Lord Govinda! In that final hour at the time of death, this lesson on grammar that you seek to memorize will not come to your aid in any way.

Adi Shankaracharya begins his teaching by addressing his disciple as ‘Mūdhamate’. In common understanding, this refers to a foolish, stupid and idiotic person. However as per Vedanta, ‘Mūdha’ is a person who is drowned in moha (illusion, delusion).

Moha means ‘infatuation’. This infatuation causes the being to believe that he is none other than this physical body comprising of the senses (indriyas). Completely enveloped by this belief, he fails to recognize his true atma (self). This is moha.

How can the beings drowned in this moha be uplifted? What is the way out for such beings? Before this question is answered, it is essential to thoroughly understand what actually brings about this ill/ bad condition in the person.

Our Upanishads authoritatively dictate that ignorance (avidya or maya) is the cause behind this entire moha (infatuation, illusion). Proponents of Vedanta have decisively stated that except the knowledge (vidya) that teaches about the self (atma tattva) all other forms of knowledge can be classified as avidya (ignorant). When seen from this angle, all the 6 Vedangas (auxiliary disciplines associated with the study and understanding of Vedas), which include grammar (vyakarana), can also be termed as ‘avidya’.

That is why, in this hymn, Adi Shankaracharya rebukes the person stating that he is spending his entire time reciting and memorizing the grammatical lessons (vyakarana sutras), thereby neglecting to focus on the nature of the self (atma vidya). This is a sheer waste of time. At the final hour of death, instead of thoughts about the Supreme Paramatma, these lessons on grammar will only come into memory.

Towards achieving this end goal, wherein thoughts of the Supreme reign the mind at that final hour, it is essential that recollection of divine names should be incessantly practiced right from the time the physical body is young, energetic and healthy.

Just because this has been emphatically stated, one cannot completely discard all other forms of knowledge and all other scriptures terming them useless. All of these scriptures (shastras) should be used as tools to reach the Supreme Parabrahma and with this mindset they can be studied. The goal should only be to understand the essence/nature of the self (atma tattva).

There was a man who never ever entertained any thought about God throughout his lifetime. At the time of his death all his relatives struggled to ensure that he would recite the name of the Lord in that final breath so that he could accumulate at least some merit (punya). All their efforts were of no use. As a final resort, they brought a scrub (used to wash vessels) and asked him to call its name out. They hoped that he would say ‘naara’ which would amount to at least half of Lord Narayana’s name and thus he would accumulate a slight amount of punya with this effort. But the man said ‘peechu’ (a synonym) and died. This will be the state of all those who do not practise the recitation of God’s name right from their young days.

‘Bhaja Govindam’ means ‘understand/ reflect upon the true nature of that Supreme’. To ensure that this fact is driven firmly into the hardened human intellect, these words “Bhaja Govindam’ have been repeated thrice in the hymn.

The holy text ‘Srimad Bhagavatam’ states that when Krishna lifted up the Govardhan Mountain and offered protection to the cows, Lord Indra praised him as ‘Govinda’. ‘Govinda’ means ‘Lord of the cows’. In its true essence, ‘Go’ means ‘all living beings who have prana (life force) in them’.

How did this ‘Bhaja Govindam’ originate? Once Adi Shankaracharya Swami was returning after bathing in the River Ganga when he happened to pass by a learned teacher who was trying to get his student learn by rote the grammatical lesson ‘ḍukrinkaraṇe’. The little boy was unable to recite this word perfectly and the teacher was unrelenting in his efforts. While this was going on, the pot of water held by the master fell down. The rolling pot created the sound ‘dukrin- karane, dukrin- karane’. It means that due to this relentless practice, even the water pot had picked up this lesson on grammar.

Seeing this, Shankaracharya Swami was greatly moved. He was saddened that these human beings had completely forgotten to study about the nature of the self and were instead struggling to fulfill only those activities that were essential for survival. Immediately he preached – bhaja govindaṃ bhaja govindaṃ govindaṃ bhaja mūḍhamate.

Let us now proceed to the other hymns to understand the essence contained within.

Episode 3

mudha jahīhi dhanāgamatrśnāṃ
kuru sadbuddhim manasi vitrśnām |
yallabhase nija karmopāttaṃ
vittaṃ tena vinodaya cittam

Meaning of the hymn- O fool! You are ignorant of the Supreme truth. Give up this desire to earn money & wealth. Cultivate a noble intellect that is totally free of any form of changes (vikaara). Earnings/ money accrues to a person based on the actions of the previous births. Be content with what is earned.

The first stanza taught about ignorance (avidya). To escape from this ignorance, bhagavad keertana (singing/reciting the names of the Lord) was suggested.

Now the second stanza warns us against entertaining excessive desires and needs (kaama). The necessity of controlling the mind is emphasized.

The word ‘kaama’ is not limited merely to lustful desires. ‘Kaama’ includes desire of every form and kind i.e. desire to obtain any form of wealth, position/ title and material possession are all part and parcel of kaama. This is also known as ‘Trishna’ or ‘thirst’. Only water can quench the thirst of a thirsty person. However in the case where a person is excessively thirsty and water is unavailable, it will be dangerous to his life. Likewise when desire goes beyond all limits, it can cause a huge downfall. For this reason, Swami preaches that we should not allow desire (kaama) to come anywhere close to the mind.

Bhagavad Geeta explains the dangers of kaama in the following way- sangat sanjayate kamah 
kamat krodho ‘bhijayate..

Meaning- Association/ attachment leads to desire; desire in turn paves the way towards anger. Anger causes the person to forget himself. This delusion causes faltering of intellect (buddhi). Complete destruction occurs in the person whose intellect is weakened and is in a very poor state.

As all these have their origin in desire, it is very important to ensure that the mind is unstained by desires.

People erroneously believe that fulfilling the mind’s desire is the best way to drive that need/ desire away from the mind. Bhagavad Geeta however compares this desire (kaama) to fire. Offering ‘ghee’ (clarified butter) only increases the strength of the flames in the holy fire (homa). Likewise fulfilling of a desire only multiplies the craving towards it. One truly desirous of putting off the flames should pour water on it. What is the use of supplying it (desire) with ghee hoping that the flames will subside?

This ‘Moha Mudgara’ is not some preaching meant merely for saints (sanyasis) or very knowledgeable persons who are on the path of the Supreme. This holy text is equally important for people of all castes and communities irrespective of their social status and gender. For this reason, Shankaracharya Swami does not declare that earning itself is bad.

He instead states that every being has some merits and demerits (punya-paapa) that he has brought forward from an earlier birth. Earning of money on this plane is totally dependent on the merits and demerits that have thus been brought forward. Hence he preaches that every person should be contented with whatever is earned/ obtained by him with his efforts in this world.

Episode 4

nārī stanabhara nābhīdeśaṃ
drṣhṭvāmāgā mohāveśam |
etanmāṃsa vasādi vikāraṃ
manasi vicintayā vāraṃ vāram

Meaning of the hymn- Infatuated by a woman’s body, do not fall into delusion (moha). Understand that this enticing beauty is nothing but a vikara (change) caused by muscles, flesh and blood. Mentally ponder about this truth. Through constant contemplation of this truth, the reality will dawn upon you one day.

This stanza goads the person to give up his infatuation for a woman’s body and beauty. Woman therefore should not be under the misconception that this rule is applicable only to men. The truth is that it is equally applicable to both genders, to not focus on external physical beauty.

It is normal for people to focus their attention on the external physical beauty and not on the intellect (buddhi), wisdom or knowledge of the other person. The emphasis is on giving up this passion towards physical beauty. This physical body, comprising of blood and bones, is prone to death and decay. When then should a person entertain any craving towards this impermanent object?

Kaama (desire) is the first among the arishadvargas (the 6 inner enemies) and it has the capacity to deceive even the greatest person. The power of proper judgment and discrimination (viveka) depletes in the person who is totally enveloped by desire. He fails to distinguish between good (merits) and bad (demerits). The story of Nahusha is a great example of this.

To obtain the position as the lord of heaven is no ordinary feat. Only great mahatmas who have performed rigorous penance are able to secure it. Even after obtaining this esteemed position, Nahusha developed an infatuation for Saci Devi (Indra’s spouse) and as a result he fell down from that state. Even Maharishi Vishwamitra fell into the trap of passion and as a result had to forego his entire power of penance (tapas shakti).

Love for the physical body is the root for all this samsara (life with all its bondages). To put it differently, this passion for the gross/ physical body is the cause for fall (patanam) of the beings. The human being can obtain the required peace only when this can be overcome.

To ensure that the person does not fall prey to this illusion called physical body, the nature of the physical body is being detailed in this stanza. This physical body comprises of skin, flesh & muscles, pus, blood, bones, impurities in the form of fluids secreted and the like. At every second this physical body undergoes a change.

Swamiji too in his bhajan ‘nagaram nagaram Narayana nagaram’ explains the nature of this human body. This human body is like a city in itself supported by two pillars (legs). It has 9 holes (nava randhras) from which impurities are thrown out at all times. Even sweat is nothing but an impurity. Such an impure solid mass has been given the name ‘shareera’ (body). We take great pride in appreciating and admiring it and take great pains to beautify it. Meanwhile old age sets in and the body undergoes many more changes. It will be diseased. We do not know at which minute this body will drop down. What will happen thereafter? When put in fire, it is reduced to ashes. When buried, it degenerates. When thrown/ simply discarded, it breeds germs and will rot.

Both men and woman should therefore refrain from this physical attraction towards their body and towards one other. Again and again, the impermanent nature of this physical body should be recollected so as to avoid falling in its trap. One should keep repeating the name of ‘Govinda’ to get over this illusion.

Episode 5

nalinī dalagata jalamati taralaṃ
tadvajjīvita matiśaya capalam |
viddhi vyādhyabhimāna grastaṃ
lokaṃ śokahataṃ ca samastam || 4 ||

Meaning of the hymn- This life is as unstable and fickle as a drop of water poured upon a lotus leaf. Everyone in this entire world is seized & tormented by diseases (vyaadhi), grief, and egoism (pride, abhimaana).

This stanza teaches about time, its value, the nature of this world & its inhabitants. Life has been compared to the shaky drop of water balancing on a lotus leaf. Akin to this drop of water, life is fickle and wobbly and hence this hymn instructs the person to give up the ego that he is permanent. Bhagavad Geeta states- ‘antavanta ime deha’ which means ‘all these bodies are perishable.’

It is imperative that everyone understands this truth that life is impermanent. With this understanding, the person should increase his dedication towards dharma and should abide by it.

If we assume that the life span of a person is 100 years, then 50% of it, i.e. 50 years goes off as sleep. 12 ½ years is lost in infancy and childhood stage wherein the being is ignorant. Another 12 ½ years is lost in old age and its debilities. Ultimately the time span available to the person is a mere 25 years. This time is lost in sickness, sorrows and difficulties. Where then is the scope for any happiness in life?

We should conscientiously and attentively abide by dharma at every minute, believing that the Lord of death (Mrtyu Devata) is holding us by our hair and pulling us away. We should accelerate and complete our meritorious deeds (sat karya) at the earliest. Procrastination in this aspect is not advisable. Always remember that at times of our difficulties and needs, the Supreme Lord does not procrastinate, but instead rushes to our aid.

Once Lord Krishna wanted to teach Arjuna about Karna’s magnanimous and philanthropic attitude. In the garb of a Brahmin, Krishna approached Karna and begged for alms. Exactly at that minute Karna was holding a golden pot full of oil in his left hand and was oiling his hair with his right hand. Without even a second thought, Karna gave away with his left hand, the golden pot full of oil to the Brahmin. The Brahmin refused to accept this gift stating that it was wrong to give away in charity with the left hand. Moreover the pot contained oil and giving it away with the left hand was absolutely unacceptable.

Karna realized that the Brahmin standing in front of him was none other than Krishna. Immediately he fell at Krishna’s feet and pleaded, “O Krishna! It is not out of arrogance that I have given away the object with my left hand. When you asked for it, I was holding the golden vessel in my left hand. To give it away in charity in the proper procedure, I would have to pour out the oil, wash and clean the pot thoroughly. What if I were to have a change of heart in the meantime? Therefore, even without thinking, I gave it away with my left hand. Please excuse me”. Krishna was overjoyed with this attitude displayed by Karna.

Like the cow that wastes the entire time allocated for grazing in chewing its cud, and later on is remorseful that the other cows have consumed all the grass, what is the use of regretting in the last minute, after having wasted the entire allotted lifespan? Time does not wait for anyone. To move eternally is its dharma. Perhaps you may be able to conquer every other thing in this universe, but remember that you can never conquer death. Therefore it is imperative that every person who is desirous of crossing this ocean of samsara, should engage in Bhagavan nama sankeertana.

Episode 6

yāvad-vittopārjana saktaḥ
tāvan-nijaparivāro raktaḥ |
paścājjīvati jarjara dehe
vārtāṃ kopi na prcchati gehe || 5 ||

Meaning of the hymn- A person’s family members love and respect him only so long as he is an earning member. When he becomes old and weak, none of the family members will even bother to enquire about his well-being.

The great King Yudhisthira, who possessed immense sense control (indriya nigraha) had stated- ‘sarvam svārtham samīhate’- ‘this entire world is filled with selfishness’.

The story of Maharishi Valmiki’s life is a suitable example for today’s lesson. Valmiki’s original name was Ratnakara. Due to a curse, he had lost all memory of his previous life and was a wayside notorious dacoit wandering about in the forests. He supported his family with these earnings that he got through dacoity.

When the time for him to be relieved of his curse neared, the seven great saints (sapta Rishis) approached him and asked, “Ratnakara, you are murdering and torturing the innocent, looting them and feeding your family with all these earnings. In the process you are also accumulating a good deal of sins. Will your wife and children share only the earnings, comforts and food supplied by you or will they take a share in all your sins?”

Without hesitating even for a second, Ratnakara answered, “Of course, they are going to take a share from my sins”.

The saints laughed and said, “O Ratnakara! You seem oblivious to the ways of the world. In this world, no one shares the sins or sorrows of another”.

Ratnakara was unconvinced about this. An argument ensued between him and the saints. Lastly, in order to please the saints, Ratnakara went to his house and calling his wife and children, lovingly asked them, “Will you all take a share in my sins”? They collectively replied, “You alone have to pay for your sins. We have nothing to do with them”.

This single instance had a tremendous impact on him and it changed his life forever. He became inner-facing. Maharishi Narada initiated him into the ‘Rama’ mantra. However the initiation was done in the reverse format as ‘Mara’. Ratnakara recited this ‘Mara’ mantra crores of times. He was covered with an anthill all this while when he was seated in meditation. He came out of the anthill, earned the name ‘Valmiki’ and thereafter composed the Adi Kavya ‘Ramayana’.

There are numerous such stories in our Puranas. This wealth and prosperity are not permanent. The feelings of ‘me’ and ‘mine’ are equally impermanent. At every minute, the person should remember this. He should recite the names of God at all times.

Many eminent saints and poets have preached this same lesson in various different ways. In the ‘Sumati Shatakam’, the poet states, –

eppudu sampada kaligina appudu bamdhuvulu vatturadi yetlannan
teppaluga ceruvu nimdina kappalu padhivelu ceru gadara sumati !

Meaning of this verse- Just as a pond overflowing with water attracts thousands of frogs towards it, in a house that is abounding in wealth, relatives and friends will flock in huge numbers!

The frogs are attracted to the pond only for the plentiful water available there. If the pond dries up, needless to say the new frogs will not reach there but what is note-worthy is that the existing frogs will seek a new home. Likewise, as long as the person is rich and has a very great name and fame, people will flock towards him just as ants collect around a piece of sugar candy. They will make him feel that he is as great as God.

However when the person loses his wealth or his period of downfall begins, or he stops earning, these relatives and friends will desert him completely. They will not even remember him and their association with him. Do ants ever remember the place and time where they had enjoyed the sugar candy? Do frogs ever recollect that dried up pond that had once given them shelter?

In a similar manner, none ever thinks about the needs and feelings of the aged persons. When they are no longer able to contribute to the earnings at home, the younger generation will be in a great hurry to pack them off to an old age home. This is the reality.

Episode 7

yāvat-pavano nivasati dehe
tāvat-prcchati kuśalaṃ gehe |
gatavati vāyau dehāpāye
bhāryā bibhyati tasmin kāye | 6 |

Meaning of the hymn- As long as the life force (prana, vital air) exists in the body, everyone around enquires about the well-being. However when this life force leaves the body and the person is dead, even his wife shudders and dreads at the sight of his corpse!

The previous stanza taught that all this love professed in this world is untrue and that love stems out of selfish interests. This stanza delves a little more into the reality.

When Shiva, who exists in the form of vital breath (prana vayu) within the being, departs from the body, then all that remains behind is a corpse.

80% of people in this world take pride in their physical beauty and in their slim and trim physique. Such persons spend their entire life under the illusion that their spouse and children are fascinated by these appealing looks and as such will never ever desert them. Enveloped by this illusion, such a person strives to fulfill his/her needs and worries about their future. ‘What will happen to my family thereafter?’ Such questions always trouble the mind.

Looking after the needs of the family members is not wrong. Yet, it is important that every person should ponder about the spiritual (Adhyatmic) realities as well. Every person should mandatorily pose to himself questions such as- ‘What will happen to ‘me’ after the death of this body? What will happen to this world after my death?’

If the supreme truth that ‘none of these objects present in this world will accompany me on my further journey after death’ is deeply grasped by the mind, then it will automatically transform the person’s way of thinking. The one who has understood the truth will never ever grieve for that which is untrue.

In the journey after death, not even a blade of grass can accompany us! The money and wealth that we have strived to earn in this lifetime will remain here itself. Our cows and other domesticated animals will continue to remain in their sheds. The wife and children will accompany the body only till the main gate of the house. After all, the laws of dharma (dharma-shastra) prohibit the women from visiting the crematorium, don’t they? Our friends and relatives accompany us till the crematorium. What happens thereafter? The body, with which we had totally identified ourselves, all our life, is now burnt in the fire.

What is it that accompanies us on this further journey after death? It is only dharma that accompanies the being from this point. The good as well as the bad deeds performed in life and good and bad thoughts entertained, accompany the being on this journey. This is also known as ‘punya- paapa’ (merits and demerits).

For this reason, the hymn begins with the phrase- ‘bhaja Govindam’. It means, ‘O human, realize this great truth. With this understanding, engage in dharmic activities (righteous deeds) from now on and chant the holy names of the Lord’.

Contrary to this, do not waste your lifetime sitting and grieving that your spouse will not accompany you on your further journey. Accepting that this is the ‘nature of creation’, focus on performance of meritorious deeds.

Episode 8

bāla stāvat kriḍāsaktaḥ
taruṇa stāvat tarunīsaktaḥ |
vṛddha stāvat-cintāsaktah
parame brahmaṇi kopi na saktaḥ || 7 ||

Meaning of the hymn- An infant is strongly attached towards games and playful activities. Youthful man is strongly drawn towards women. The old are eternally engrossed in worries. No person has any inclination/ fondness towards Paramatma.

The boy, youth and old man referred to in this hymn refer to the same being in the different stages of growth. A human being primarily passes through 4 stages of growth- infancy (bāla), childhood (koumāra), manhood (youvanna) and old age (vārdhakya).

This stanza highlights the way in which the human life is entirely wasted away.

During infancy, the being, whose mind is not yet totally developed, is attracted to games and play. Thereafter the entire childhood in spent in studies. During youthful days, when the body and mind are firm and strong, the being will be ruled by feelings of self-importance, arrogance, lust and other desires. At this stage he will even disregard and neglect his elders. He will waste his time in unwanted activities. When old age sets in, the physical body is weak and will not co-operate. Being weak and helpless, he will be dependent on others for his needs. Yet, the mind ruled by desires, continues to torment him. Anger and grief will rule & overtake him. Weighed down by these he will suffer. Due to lack of training, the mind will refuse to entertain thoughts about God.

Every human being in this world strives only towards earning materialistic prosperity (artha) and towards fulfillment of desires (kaama) but no one is even slightly interested in matters of dharma (righteousness) and in contemplation about God.

Veda Vyasa Swami, raised both his hands, wept and addressed the people, “My dear fellow men, through adherence to dharma (righteousness) both artha (materialistic prosperity) and kaama (fulfillment of desires) can be achieved. Please heed my words. Why is it that no person shows any inclination towards adherence of dharma?”

Infancy, manhood and old age are the 3 primary stages that a being passes through. In addition to this, there are many more in-between stages. However, the most significant mental changes and the most important relationships are built during these 3 stages and hence they are deemed to be the most important stages of life.

During infancy and childhood, the being should obey the elders and while abiding by their commands, he should mentally strengthen the foundation for the spiritual journey. Prahlada is a great example of this. In accordance to the instructions received from his Guru, Sage Narada, Prahlada spent his entire time mentally contemplating upon Lord Narayana and in the end was blessed with success.

During the youthful days, the person should recollect that which has been learnt in childhood, practise self-restraint and continue on his path. This is a stage of turbulent mental changes. This is the stage wherein the being either achieves success or meets failure. The famous poet Kalidasa had declared that a ‘dheera’ (truly courageous person) is he who is not disturbed even when surrounded by enticing objects.

What is the extent of dheeratvam (courage) that a person should possess? The story of Pururava is an example of this. Pururava was a wise personality who could not differentiate between youthfulness and old age to such an extent that he gifted away his youthfulness to his father Yayati and in-turn accepted the latter’s old age.

Old age is the next most important stage that follows youthfulness. In this stage, the person should lead an ideal life and remain as an example for the other younger generations. Therefore at this stage, every step should be carefully thought of and acted upon. Realizing that this will benefit the future generations, the old should spend their time peacefully. Experiences stem out of our way of life. We should understand that our youngsters would imbibe our qualities and traits. The old should stop making mountains out of molehills and bringing upon themselves diseases due to their excessive worry and tension. They should stop getting angry for every trivial reason. Those who perceive recitation of God’s names as a remedy for all ills, will joyfully spend their time with God. Such persons will even forget the fact that they are actually passing through old age!

Vishnudatta is a great example of this. This holy couple was not blessed with any progeny. Even this did not deter them. Without entertaining any form of desire, they were peaceful and contented. Once when Lord Dattatreya appeared before Vishnudatta and asked him to choose any boon, Vishnudatta replied that he had absolutely no desires. Datta was surprised and overjoyed at the innocent devotion of this holy couple. He blessed them with the ultimate gift that any human will seek- liberation.

Episode 9

kā te kāntā kaste putraḥ
saṃsāroyamatīva vicitraḥ |
kasya tvaṃ vā kuta āyātaḥ
tatvaṃ cintaya tadiha bhrātaḥ || 8 ||

Meaning of the hymn- O brother, who is your wife? Who is your son? This samsara that is replete with birth and death is totally strange. To whom do you really belong? Where have you come from? Contemplate on this supreme truth while you are living in this gross body.

To thoroughly understand the meaning of this stanza, we should understand the story of King Chitraketu from Srimad Bhagavatam. King Chitraketu had many wives yet he remained childless for a very long time. Due to this he was grieving a lot. Once Maharishi Angira unexpectedly arrived at this kingdom. Understanding the agony of the king, the great sage performed a yaaga and handed over the prasadam to the first queen Krtadyuti. A little time later, Queen Kritadyuti was blessed with a baby boy.

The king who was blessed with a son after such a long period of time was unduly overjoyed. He spent all his time with his newborn and with Krtadyuti, thereby neglecting all the other queens and the administrative duties. The other queens unable to bear this neglect were overcome by jealousy and therefore poisoned the little boy due to which he died.

Coming to know of his son’s death, King Chitraketu sat beside the dead body and was grieving piteously. Exactly at that minute, Maharishi Angira arrived there and consoled the king in the following manner, “O King, you are grieving for your deceased son. What is the relationship that you have with this son in your previous birth, present birth and in your future one? Please think deeply. There is no rule that the being who was your father in your previous birth should necessarily be your father even in this birth. It is possible that this boy can be your father in another birth. It is also possible that there could be no relationship between the two of you. These are transitory relationships.

Just as the seeds emerging from a fruit disperse in different directions to emerge as separate trees, the souls who are born out of Paramatma and who are caught in time (kala), keeping meeting and separating periodically.

Therefore O king, it is wrong on your part to lament for your son. Please understand that all this is taking place because of Eshwara maya (illusion of the supreme). Although per your horoscope, you were destined to remain childless, in order to give you some happiness I performed the yaaga and ensured that you were blessed with a son. Please remember that the son born to you was illusory. With this recollection, please increase your detachment (vairagya). Without getting attached, continue to rule wisely. Begin performing selfless action (nishkaama karma). Offer all the fruits of your work to the Almighty”.

With this teaching, wisdom dawned upon King Chitraketu and he was absolved of all his grief.

From this we understand that the relationship between two beings is purely illusory. Every being that assumes a body has a fixed longevity. Based on this it is possible that at time children predecease the elders. The agony experienced by the elders at such time is unexplainable. In such situation, if the person stands firmly and recollects these facts about relationship, then it will be beneficial. There is a story that explains about indebtedness and how the soul is born in accordance to it. If this is understood then no person will grieve that he is childless.

Episode 10

satsangatve nissamgatvaṃ
nissamgatve nirmohatvam |
nirmohatve niścalatattvaṃ
niścalatattve jīvanmuktiḥ || 9 ||

Meaning of the hymn- Association/ friendship with great mahatmas (satsang) prevents the mind from associating with materialistic objects/issues (nissangatva). This in turn ensures that the mind is rendered free from illusion (nirmoha). Due to Nirmoha the person acquires the permanent knowledge. The person who acquires such permanent knowledge will attain jeevanmukti.

Almost every scripture extols the greatness of satsang. In addition there are many stories that emphasize the importance of maintaining satsang in life.

Maharishi Narada once wanted to know who exactly could be addressed as a satpurusha (great being), the importance of satsang and the influence that satsang could have upon a person. Immediately he approached Maha Vishnu and posed this question to him. In response, Maha Vishnu replied, “O Narada! On earth, in the city called Mahishmatipuram, a sow (female pig) has just delivered. Please go and visit her”.

Maharishi Narada was utterly confused, yet out of respect towards Mahavishnu he visited the sow. The sow glanced at Narada and immediately breathed its last. Perplexed with this, Narada returned back and reported the matter to Vishnu. Vishnu said, “Don’t worry, Narada. Now in that very city, a bird has perched itself upon a tree. Please go and visit it”.

No sooner had the bird seen Narada approaching it, than it gave up its life. Unmindful of this Vishnu asked Narada to pay a visit to a cow in that same city. Narada was trembling as he approached the cow. Just as he feared, the cow died as soon as its eyes rested upon the sage. Wailing that he was responsible for a go-hatya (sin accrued due to killing of a cow), Narada returned back to Vaikuntha. Lord Vishnu was unperturbed by this and instead asked Narada to visit the newborn prince at Mahismatipuram. This time Narada stubbornly objected to making such trips. Vishnu however convinced Narada and sent him to Mahismatipuram.

Seeing the sage approaching him, the little infant was all smiles. Narada was astonished at this. More than this he was thankful that the infant was still alive even after seeing him. Happily he returned to Vaikuntha and addressed the Lord and said, “O Lord, I had asked you a question about great souls (sat purushas) and the influence cast by them. In response to this, you are making me travel across different planes and meet some beings in each trip. Even after all these trips, my question remains unresolved”.

Maha Vishnu laughingly responded, “O Narada, have you not understood even now? People like you who eternally recite the names of the Lord and whose mind is eternally pure and free from any form of wavering are the true satpurushas. Due to association with a satpurusha of your cadre, the pig was able to evolve higher and be born as bird, a cow and thereafter as a prince. It could get the human birth. What can be a better proof than this to your question about satsang?”

The benefit of such satsang is acquiring nissangatvam. Nissangatvam means ‘not having association with anything’. Nissangatva rewards the person with the ability to live by himself (ekanta vaasa), remain silent (mouna), obtain control over the senses (indriya nigraha) and achieve mental peace. Due to these abilities, the state of nirmohatva dawns upon the person. Nirmohatvam means ‘absence of moha/ infatuation’ (refer episode 1 for meaning of moha).

In turn, this blesses the person with the ability/ intellect (buddhi) to distinguish between the permanent and impermanent objects in this world. In other words, all the illusion is wiped away and the person properly understands the truth/ reality. Such a state is known as ‘vaasana kshayam’. To state differently, the person who has reached this state of ‘nirmohatvam’ is able to understand the real essence ‘nishchala tattvam’ easily. The person who endlessly floats in the bliss (Ananda) that is acquired due to the supreme experience , becomes a jeevan mukti (liberated even while living).

Shankara Bhagavadpaadacharya has explained such deep/ profound essence in such a simple stanza and in a manner that is easy to understand.

Episode 11

vayasi gate kaḥ kāmavikāraḥ
śuṣke nīre kaḥ kāsāraḥ |
kṣīṇe vitte kaḥ parivāraḥ
jñāte tattve kaḥ saṃsāraḥ || 10 ||

Meaning of the hymn- Where are the desires and lust after the youth/ manhood has vanished? Does the lake exist after it has completely dried up? Where are the family and relatives after all the wealth has depleted? In the same manner, where is the samsara (life and its bondages) after the supreme truth is known?”

In order to ensure that the atma tattva (essence of the self) reaches one and all, Adi Shankara Bhagavadpada uses 3 different approaches with simple but varied examples, to drive home the point. The most common examples that each and every being is able to relate to are desires (kāma), family and relatives (parivāram) and waterbeds such as ponds/ lakes (kāsāra) and hence these have been chosen as examples.

We have discussed earlier that every being that takes a gross body (shareera) goes through the 4 primary stages of infancy, childhood, youth and old age. Each stage brings about certain mental and physical modifications. During old age, a person loses the sharpness that existed during youth. Body shrinks and does not co-operate. The passion for desires and love that was experienced during youth will now be absent. The person will be incapacitated and helpless. As he is free from passion, he will preach the rules of dharma effectively.

A pond that is full of water attracts people who approach it for fulfilling their needs. If the water in this pond were to dry up, then who would approach it thereafter? Will the pond exist?

In a similar manner, as long as the house is abundant in wealth, the family members will enjoy all the comforts that it can grant. Once the money in the house is exhausted, all the members will desert it. Do birds continue to nest on the tree which has dried up completely? Likewise, the family members will abandon such a house. At that moment what will be the fate of that person who has lived his entire life under the illusion that this family and this money were all permanent companions? What would be his state of mind at that time?

If a person is truly desirous of going over and above such a state/ experience, then he should necessarily understand the atma tattva (nature of the self). Until this knowledge is obtained, the person will be bound by this samsara and will be tormented by it.

This entire samsara will dissolve the moment the person experiences this supreme truth! Obtaining supreme knowledge (brahma jnana) means experiencing the truth- ‘I am Paramatma’. This is the state of jeevan mukta. At that point, apart from the self, he cannot perceive anything else in this world. That is why this is the most supreme transcendental knowledge.

‘jñāte tattve’ implies that the person should have a burning desire to acquire this knowledge. Towards this it is imperative that the person should hear it directly from his Guru. Thereafter he should ponder and think over this. After this, with relentless dhyana (meditation) he should strive to experience/ realize this. To reach this, it is imperative to possess a pure mind (nirmala manas). Towards this realization, it is the mind that plays a critical role. It is only the mind that can aid the person towards self- realization. The all-pervading Supreme Parabrahma can be understood only through the analysis of the ‘tattva’.

Episode 12

mā kuru dhanajana yauvana garvaṃ
harati nimesāt-kālaḥ sarvam |
māyāmayamidam-akhilaṃ hitvā
brahmapadaṃ tvaṃ praviśa viditvā || 11 ||

Meaning of the hymn- Let not money, power over people, and your youth cause arrogance and pride in you. Each and every one amongst these will be destroyed by time (kaala) in just a minute. In this illusory world, distance yourself from the materialistic objects and aim at acquiring the state of Brahmapada.

This visible world that we are now experiencing, was before birth, devoid of distinctions such as bhokta (one who is enjoying) and bhogya (that which could be used or enjoyed). It was in a nirvikalpa (devoid of changes) state. It was over and abode the triputi (triad, set of three). At that point, it was only the atma that existed!

The Vedas confirm this- atma vā idam ekā evagra asit. “Prior to the creation of this universe, only the Self existed.”

Before the plant emerges from the seed, all that exists is a changeless (nirvikalpa) seed. This seed transforms into a huge tree with stems, branches, leaves, flowers and fruit. Akin to this, in the beginning, without any distinctions such as enjoyer (bhokta) and ‘that which is enjoyed’ (bhogya), only the self existed. All these distinctions such as space and time are being created by illusion (maya), which is completely under the Supreme Parabrahma’s control. This combination led to the formation of this vast universe with so many distinctions and differences. Adi Shankara bhagavadpada elucidates this in his Dakshinamurthy stotram (hymn on Lord Dakshinamurty).

We should therefore understand that this world, which is visible to us is purely illusory. Only the kaarana (causative factor) is permanent and indestructible. From mud we are able to create objects such as pots. But these pots made of mud, can disintegrate back into mud. Akin to this, this entire world will merge into Brahma, who was the causative factor behind it. At that time only Brahma will remain. That is why the Upanishad reiterates- Brahma satyam, jagat mithyam.

A person who does not acquire an in-depth understanding of this subject, continues to be enveloped in traits such as arrogance, pride, egoism etc. These traits distance him from wisdom and discriminatory capacities (viveka). ‘I am very wealthy; I can buy anything in this world with my money; why should I care?’ will be the attitude of a wealthy person. This is known as pride of wealth.

People who have a large fan following and plenty of supporters also have arrogance and pride in them. They assume that they can accomplish any task with this support or that they can get these supporters to undertake any task on their behalf. This is the pride of power.

The third is pride of youth, which is absolutely age-related. In the prime of youth when the body is healthy & the senses are robust, a person believes that he can accomplish even the most difficult tasks with ease. Due to this he will not respect elders and will move about with a ‘don’t-care’ attitude.

The reasons behind this pride and egoism are wealth, power and youth. However all these are time-bound and time-controlled. When these vanish, a person can be left without even a shelter to protect himself. Just as even the huge and toughest pumpkin has to surrender to the might of a knife, everything in life is under the control of time. Time can make the pauper a millionaire or it can render a millionaire as a pauper.

A self-realized Brahmajnani, who has distanced himself from these materialistic objects, is however unaffected by the changes caused by time. Such a Brahmajnani reaches those ultimate planes from where there is no return. He will go over these shackles of births and deaths. Such a state is called Brahmapada.

Episode 13

dina yāminyau sāyaṃ prātaḥ
śiśira vasantau punarāyātaḥ |
kālaḥ kridati gacchatyāyuḥ
tadapi na muñcatyāś́āvāyuḥ || 12 ||

Meaning of the hymn- Day and night, dawn and dusk, seasons such as spring and winter keep recurring throughout the lifetime. Time plays with us while the lifespan diminishes quickly. Yet desires do not let go of the person.

Every being, through experience, is very well aware of the fact that the movement of time cannot be stopped. Kālo jagat bhakshah is an old adage. It means that time has the capability/ power to swallow the entire creation in one go.

Yama is the synonym for kāla (time). Time is a form of the Supreme Lord. Up to now how many times has the sun risen and set? How many mornings and evenings has this world seen until now? How many more are yet to come? No one knows. The sun will keep on rising and setting in this manner every single day. Each year has 6 seasons beginning with spring (vasanta) and ending with winter (shishira). Seasons come and go year after year endlessly.

The wheel of time keeps rotating eternally without any beginning and ending. As this wheel rotates, the lifespan of the being depletes. We are however unable to grasp this important point. Just as the water from a broken pot drains out, the lifespan of a being gradually ebbs away. Our life is like a bubble in the ocean. What can the beings, controlled by time, do in such a situation? All this is the divine sport of time.

Time is sportily playing with all the beings. After being aware of this fact, if we continue to move about carelessly, then it is truly foolhardy on our part. We do not seek to understand the true aim of this human life and to take the appropriate measures to reach the goal. Not knowing his past, unable to truly understand the present and learn from it, a foolish person being swelled up in his arrogance moves about carelessly. He builds great hopes for his future and swings in those dreams. He goes on increasing his desires and gets trapped within this deep unfathomable hole.

Akin to horses, these senses (indriyas) keep running behind objects of enjoyment. The agony that is undergone to enjoy these materialistic sensory pleasures is unimaginable. Just as the golden deer enticed Mother Seeta, these materialistic sensory pleasures glitter and attract us. They drown us in this ocean called samsara. The root for all this is our desire. One who is chasing materialistic desires can never entertain the desire to reach the Supreme. He can never set his aim upon reaching the supreme.

The Supreme Paramatma is the root behind all this creation. Just like the water bubbles in the ocean, He creates, sustains and dissolves these millions of universes.

Adi Shankaracharya sought that even those people who are at the bottom rung of ladder in life i.e. the ignorant persons should be elevated and hence through this stanza he is reaching out to everyone

Episode 14

kāte kāntā dhana gata cintā
vātula kiṃ tava nāsti niyantā |
trijagati sajjana sangatirekā
bhavati bhavārṇava taraṇe naukā || 13 ||

Meaning of the hymn- O whimsical mad man! Why are your thoughts and worries centered upon your wife and money? Is there no one to advise you properly? Realize that the only thing in these three worlds that can save you from the bondages of samsara is the boat of satsang.

It is human nature to eternally think/ worry about this life and the wealth needed in life. To safeguard them, he thinks from various angles and takes every form of precautionary measure. He displays great anxiety in procuring wealth. But, the truth is that all this is of absolutely no use! To emphasize this point, the term ‘vātula’ has been used. ‘vātula’ means ‘insane foolish man’ and therefore we should realize that we are being rebuked and reprimanded!

The being trapped in these senses (indriyas) and materialistic objects (vishya) whiles away all the time that has been allotted to him. Even birds and animals are engaging themselves in these activities only. What then is the speciality of human birth?

A human being needs to focus and reflect on subjects relating to the supreme principles/ essence (tattva vichara drishti). Towards this, the phrase ‘tattva chintaaya’ is often used. With this objective in mind, the person should follow a Sadguru. The Sadguru takes his disciple smoothly in this path of tattva chintana (analysis/ contemplation of the tattva).

This samsara (life with all its bondages) has been compared to an ocean in which the being is totally sunk. The waves called joys and sorrows submerge the person in this ocean, causing him to become breathless. The trait of a wise person (buddhimaan) is therefore to seek a way to cross this ocean and reach the shore.

The recourse to this is being explained in this stanza. It states that the association/ friendship (satsang) with satpurushas (holy beings) is the only way to cross this ocean called samsara. It is a boat that unfailing takes us through.

Only satpurushas are able to cultivate in their fellow-beings the trait of sacrifice (tyaga buddhi). They teach the hard truths about this creation, decisively segregate between that which is permanent and that which is transitory (satya –asatya) and show it by way of experience to the fellow beings. They are able to bring about feelings of detachment in people.
The benefits of healthy satsang with satpurushas are unimaginably great. When Nahusha was thrown out of heaven and had to fall on earth, he begged that he should fall in a place that was inhabited by holy men (satpurusha). Such is the power of satsang!

It is for this reason that Shankaracharya Swami emphatically declares that such satsang is the only boat that helps the being escape from this ocean called samsara. The depth of this ocean called samsara is unfathomable. When seated in a boat, however deep the ocean may be, it will not cause any fear within us. In a similar manner, the one who maintains satsang with holy persons, need not fear about the depth of this samsara. Satpurushas live an exemplary life, guide us in this path, teach us to contemplate upon Paramatma, show to us our own mistakes and help us rectify them and in this way they enable us to cross this ocean safely.

Episode 15

jaṭilo muṇdī luñjita keśaḥ
kāshāyāmbara bahukṛta veṣaḥ |
paśyannapi ca na paśyati mūdhaḥ
udara nimittaṃ bahukṛta veṣaḥ || 14 ||

Meaning of the hymn- There are many people who wear matted locks, who completely shave their head, wear saffron clothes (kashaya vastram) and take on various other disguises. All these are all garbs taken on for a livelihood. Yet the foolish man does not realize it.

Kāshāya danda mātrena yatihi pujyo na samshayah – this verse has been composed with utmost respect/ reverence towards the sanyasa ashrama / yati. Because of the reverence that Adi Shankaracharya Swami had earned, the world has immense reverence/ regard towards all holy saints- sanyasis and yatis.

Taking undue advantage of this, a few foolish persons, finding this as a good source of livelihood, are moving under the garb of saints (sanyasi). Such foolish persons, who cheat others by moving about in this garb of sanyasis, will reach hell (naraka) upon death. To kidnap Sita, Demon Ravana disguised as a sanyasi and appeared at her doorstep. He cheated her and ultimately, he was ruined completely. Such persons who disguise themselves as saints for the purpose of their livelihood are fools (moodha).

It is wrong to assume that adhering to the rules of the sanyasa ashrama (sainthood) means to completely stay away from the society and be seated in the forests with eyes closed in deep meditation. The real state of sanyasa means to develop an inward vision/ focus (antar drishti) and to completely cut away all attachments and bondages from the mind. Such persons will not seek any external garb or get ups (aadambara). Those who have adopted sanyasa as a way of life after realizing the hollowness/ futility in these worldly pleasures, joys and luxuries, will be leading a peaceful and contented life. Eternally they will be contemplating upon God and focusing upon understanding the supreme truth. They will be sharing their experiences with the people of this world. To indicate their principles, they wear saffron clothes. They lead a life that is completely based on principles. Such persons are over and above the feelings of love-hate, like- dislike (raaga- dvesha), jealousy etc.

Contrary to this, those who step into Sanyasa ashrama for name, fame, money, power or as a livelihood are cheating themselves. Externally they may exhibit tremendous adherence to dharma, yet internally they do not enjoy any peace of mind. We come across many such persons in this world. They are moodhas. We should be alert. All such people are cheating themselves in addition to cheating the people of this world.

All other guises for the purposes of livelihood may perhaps be acceptable, but here, by disguising as saints, they are cheating others and the self on this sacred path of self-realization. Saints are very revered. What is the need to wear this garb and cheat the ordinary people?

Episode 18

kurute gaṅgā sāgara gamanaṃ
vrata paripālanam-athavā dānam |
jñāna vihīnaḥ sarvamatena
bhajati na muktiṃ janma śatena || 17 ||

Meaning of the hymn- A person may go to the banks of River Ganga or to the banks of the ocean; he may observe all the disciplines that are to be adhered there; he may give away huge riches in charity; yet he cannot get liberation (mukti) even after many births because Jnana (knowledge) is the essential pre-requisite for liberation.

‘The knowledge (Jnana)’ being referred to in this stanza is the most essential Sadhana for attaining liberation (moksha). It is the centre-most focal point behind Sri Shankaracharya’s teachings.

There is only one knowledge (Jnana) pertaining to the natural state of the inner being (antar atma). Such knowledge dispels all ignorance that exists about this antar atma. To drive away this darkness called ignorance (ajnana andhakara) there is nothing other than utpatti.

A person may visit Kashi and bathe in the waters of River Ganga. He may go to Rameshwaram and bathe in the ocean there. He may perform innumerable religious rituals (vratas) and pujas. He could construct limitless choultries, temples and ponds as a service to society. All of these purify the mind and enable achievement of total concentration (ekagrata). So far so good. However these cannot show the way that leads towards the supreme goal of human birth i.e. attaining liberation (moksha).

Attaining Jnana means attaining moksha. ‘Jnanam vinā muktir na bhavati’- the person who does not entertain any thoughts of supreme knowledge (Jnana) cannot secure liberation even after countless births. Obtaining this supreme knowledge is the path for attaining liberation.

Why does the path of karma (karma marga) not bestow liberation? This is because karma (action) cannot directly attack ignorance (ajnana). These karma (good deeds), pujas, parayanas (reading holy texts) etc. are extremely important as they purify the mind and enable the person to achieve ekagrata (total concentration). With a pure mind it will be very easy to grasp the supreme knowledge (Jnana).

Ignorance (ajnana) can meet its end only in the hands of this supreme knowledge (Jnana). In the darkness of the night, a rope is mistaken for a snake; a fool is mistaken for a thief. These are caused due to bhranti (false opinion). It is due to this bhranti that from the existing object, knowledge of another object emerges.

In His commentary on Gita, Shankaracharya Swami has authoritatively declared that obtaining Jnana is the only way to obtain liberation. He has also said that this is the final opinion of all the Upanishads and Gita.

Many people may question here- ‘Isn’t it true that total devotion (bhakti) can grant liberation? Performing yagnas and yaagas and undertaking naadopasana also lead to liberation, don’t they?’ The answer here is that to attain that liberation from which there is no return, Jnana is the only path to be followed. All the other paths grant liberation (mukti) which is not permanent.

How can there be impermanent liberation? Here it is essential to undertand that there is a difference between ‘swarga mukti’ and ‘jeevan mukti’. ‘Swarga’ means ‘heaven’. ‘Swarga mukti’ means attaining the state of heaven. The being will be in heaven in accordance with the balance of punya (merit) that is stored in his account. The moment this balance depletes totally, the being has to return back to earth. All the other paths grant this temporary liberation. There are many puranic stories that incorporate this kind of mukti. The story of Nahusha is an example of this.

‘Jeevan mukti’ means total permanent liberation from which there is no return and which can be achieved only by attaining the supreme knowledge.

Episode 19

suramandira taru mūla nivāsaḥ
śayyā bhūtalam-ajinaṃ vāsaḥ |
sarva parigraha bhogatyāgaḥ
kasya sukhaṃ na karoti virāgaḥ || 18 ||

Meaning of the hymn- Reside in some temple or beneath a tree. Let the earth be your mattress. Let the deerskin be your robes. Who will not be happy upon giving up all the comforts? Deatachment (Vairagya) showers happiness (sukha) upon everyone.

Achieving freedom from the changes of the mind (mano vikaram) is itself dispassion/ detachment (vairagyam)! This is being taught in this stanza.

To escape from the clutches of desires and attachments is no ordinary task. The one who has exited from its clutches will be free from external pomp/ show (aadambara) of any kind. He will be free from all forms of desires, greed and wanting. The life of such a person will be straightforward and steady.

Contrary to this, even a trivial attachment towards desires causes the person to be entrapped within them and brings about immense hardships upon him. Just allow the tongue to taste some dish and it will demand to eat loads of it. Due to this over-eating ultimately, the stomach will have to suffer.

An increase in desires only brings pain and sorrow. Entertaining thoughts such as- ‘Oh, how can I live without this? How can I live in the absence of that?’ imply an increase in bondages.

Worldly materialistic comforts should gradually be given up. Inclination/ desire towards them should be completely cut off. This is dispassion (vairagya). There are some tricks to achieve this state of vairagya. Reducing inclination towards the materialistic pleasures/ worldly objects, transforming the love that exists within the heart into love towards the Supreme, completely giving up attachment towards relatives, learning to find faults (dosha) in all the worldly materialistic comforts, reading good & holy books and maintaining satsang with Sadguru are the ways to obtain dispassion (vairagya).

To the person who has obtained absolute dispassion, sleeping on the bare floor will be akin to sleeping on a bed of flowers. Happily and comfortably he will sleep under the shade of a tree. He does not need ironed clothes to wear as he happily wraps himself in deerskin. There will no inclination in his mind to enjoy any desire. Neither will the feelings ‘that is nice. This particular item is not good’ exist in his mind.

To be frank, only vairagya bestows real comforts. That is why in the Subhashitam- bhoge roga bhayam, kule cyuti bhayam- the fear (bhayam) hidden within every comfort has been highlighted. For example, in seeking to enjoy every form of enjoyment (bhoga) there is the fear of falling sick (roga bhayam) ; to a person born in a high clan (kula) there is a fear that some stigma could attach to his family/ clan; in obtaining wealth there is a fear of the king (who checks); honour fears humiliation; a person in power fears his enemy; beauty fears old age; in reading a lot of scriptures (shastras) is the fear that someone may come for a debate; virtues (guna) fear vices and body fears death. In this manner, in this world, every object/ enjoyment comes with some sort of fear hidden within it. Only dispassion/ detachment (vairagya) can give fearlessness. This is nirbhayam.

Dispassion means not having any desires. Not increasing the desires is the real comfort. This is the real meaning of the word sukha (comfort). Many wrongly assume that comfort (sukha) means to sleep in an air conditioned room, enjoying a great sumptuous meal etc. Not allowing the tongue to enjoy the taste of what it is eating; not allowing the body to feel the heat and cold are the true comforts. This is dispassion.

Episode 20

yogarato vā bhogarato vā
sangarato vā sangavihīnaḥ |
yasya brahmaṇi ramate cittaṃ
nandati nandati nandatyeva || 19 ||

Meaning of the hymn- One may take delight either in yoga or in comforts of this world (bhoga); he may enjoy living amidst people (sanga) or enjoy living alone (nissanga), yet the truth is that only he, whose mind is totally enveloped in the company of the Supreme Brahma, can enjoy true bliss. In its absence it is impossible.

This stanza extols the person who has attained the vision of Brahma (Brahma Sākshātkāra).

Obtaining the ‘vision of Brahma’ means to live in a state of Advaita (non- dualism). In this state, the person visualizes the self (himself) everywhere; apart from this nothing else exists. Having achieved victory over the six inner enemies (arishadvargas), he will be over and above the state of dualism and will see himself as existing within in all objects/ entities of this creation. Without any distinction of living and non-living things (chara-achara), he will see the entire creation in its atma roopa.

To such a person, yogic living or bhoga (materialistic comforts) will be indistinguishably same. Being amidst the company of many or being all-alone without society is one and the same to him. Living abroad, living in the Himalayas or being seated in an aircraft, all mean the same to him. He will be in the same mental state at all times. Differences of place and time do not have any affect on him. This is because he is very well aware that only Brahma is true and eternal (satya) and that all these worldly objects are transitory and temporal/ impermanent. This world is mithya. He will be unaffected by this mithya.

Kathopanishad states that the atma is unique and is devoid of the 5 tanmatras of taste, smell, touch, sound and form. Atma is that which cannot get depleted; is without beginning and end, and is over and above even Mahat. It is unchangeable, permanent and stable.

The one who has understood this knowledge will be free from the jaws of death. In other words, he will exit from this samsara. This is the state of that person who has obtained the ‘vision of Brahma’ (Brahma Sākshātkāra). He will be eternally immersed in the supreme bliss. He will be over and above dharma-adharma. He will be so pure that good and bad will not touch him. The reality is that he can cause purity to all those around him wherever he is but the question of being defiled due to the impurity of others does not even slightly arise. In Datta Darshanam, Lord Datta taught all this to Pingalanaga. He is just like the beetle (kummari purugu) which is untouched by muddy mire even after dipping into it.

At all times and in all conditions, feelings of equanimity will exist in him. Just by his presence, appearance/ darshan everything around him turns pure. He will be over and above the feelings of arrogance, honour, humiliation. He will be unaffected by both praise and abuse.

Episode 21

bhagavadgītā kiñcidadhītā
gaṅgā jalalava kaṇikā pītā |
sakṛdapi yena murārī samarcā
kriyate tasya yamena na carcā || 20 ||

Meaning of the hymn- The person who has read at least a bit of the Bhagavad Gita, who has sipped at least a drop of water once from the River Ganga, who has at least once worshipped Lord Hari (Murari) and obtained satisfaction from such worship, will not have to face any altercation with Yama, the Lord of death. It implies that such a person will not reach hell (naraka).

To lead a good life is the natural desire of every being. From our elders we gain the knowledge that, to lead such a life, there are certain specified procedures to be followed. This stanza lays the emphasis on the unflinching devotion (drdha bhakti) that is needed. By leading a pure (pavitra) life, the being can conquer death itself! He will become Mrutyunjaya i.e. he will be totally absolved from the fear of death.

In this stanza, three points are being stressed upon- 1) Reading of the Bhagavad Gita 2) Drinking water of Ganga and 3) Offering devotional worship to Krishna.

Retaining Arjuna as a tool, Lord Sri Krishna preached his divine message to the world in the form of Bhagavad Gita. In the words of Sri Shankaracharya, the Bhagavad Gita contains the essence of all the teachings contained in the Vedas. The Upanishads are the cows. Paramatma Sri Krishna himself milks these cows. Arjuna is the calf. The milk is the great nectar called Bhagavad Gita. As such Bhagavad Gita is referred to as an Upanishad in itself. The wise drink this milk called Bhagavad Gita. Padma Purana emphatically states that picking any one shloka from the Bhagavad Gita and reciting it with full faith and dedication will in itself pave the way towards liberation.

The significance and sanctity of River Ganga is well known. It originates in the Himalayas and carries with it innumerable medicinal properties. This divine river actually descends from Heaven on to the head of Shiva, then flows on earth and finally reaches hell (patala). Our Puranas state that as a result of Emperor Bhagiratha’s intense penance, the divine River Ganga, which was flowing in heaven, descended to earth to bless his forefathers. She flowed over the ashes of the sons of King Sagara and by this she blessed them with liberation (mukti). ‘Vishnu paadodbhava Ganga’- Ganga originates from the feet of Lord Vishnu. Such is the sacredness of this river. For this reason, even today, the practice of immersing the ashes of the deceased into the Ganga is prevalent.

It is said that in this Kali Yuga, the person who dies in Kashi will be blessed with liberation- the reason being the presence of both Kashi Vishveshwara and River Ganga at that place. Even calling out to her ‘Ganga, Ganga’ from a great distance, bestows great merit (punya).

The third point is the worship of God. Worship gradually washes away the person’s ego and purifies the mind. It lights the lamp of knowledge in the person and thus becomes a cause towards attaining liberation. When any one of the 9 forms of devotion is selected and prayers are earnestly offered to God through that, then attaining liberation becomes even simpler. In His hymn composed upon Lord Lakshmi Nrusimha (Lakshmi Nrusimha stotram), Sri Shankaracharya stresses upon the greatness of devotion.

If someone decides to move contrary to this, then you can imagine what his fate would be. It is said that upon death, when the being who had lived all life without any devotion/ contemplation of the Supreme, reaches hell (naraka) and is undergoing intense pain and suffering, it hears the voice of Lord of death (Yama)- ‘O being, while you were on earth, why did you not think of Lord Srihari (Vishnu), who dispels all troubles/ ills? Had you worshipped Him with faith, even once in your lifetime, you would not have to undergo so much suffering’. This is the compassion of Lord Yama. At least at that point of time, he reminds the being about worshipping the Supreme.

Episode 22

punarapi jananaṃ punarapi maraṇaṃ
punarapi jananī jaṭhare śayanam |
iha saṃsāre bahu dustāre
kṛpayāpāre pāhi murāre || 21 ||

Meaning of the hymn- O Murari! This is an endless cycle of births and deaths. Out of your limitless compassion, please protect and rescue me from this endless samsara wherein I am leaving one body only to land in the womb of another.

The karmas (actions) of a being trap it in an endless cycle of births and deaths. Likes-dislikes (rāga- dvesha) are the root for the performance of karmas. Likes-dislikes originate out of moha. Moha stems from absence of discrimination (avivekam). Avivekam in turn arises due to ignorance (ajnana). Thus, ignorance happens to the primary root cause for all these endless cycle of births and deaths.

The being enters the womb of the mother wherein it suffers tremendously and also causes her limitless suffering before entering this world. After entering this world it will undergo various actions (karma) and will ultimately leave this body only to be born once again. This becomes an endless cycle. This is the meaning of samsara.

Swami Vidyaranya in his composition ‘Pancadasi’, has stated thus- the being is thrust within this cycle of endless births and deaths. He is like that worm which is being swept from one whirlpool to another in the current of the speedily flowing river. He is like the instrument in a weaver’s loom that is eternally being shoved from one end to the other. His illusions and imaginations cause him to travel from one death to another. This cycle of births and deaths has no beginning and no end and hence continues perpetually. Even then, it is possible to acquire liberation. It is God’s compassion which rescues the suffering being and helps him cross over this samsara.

Acharya Shankara, in His ‘Shivānanda lahari’ states – ‘this samsara is devoid of any essence. In such a lifeless samsara which distances me from Your seva, I am a foolish person who is roaming about blindly and aimlessly. O God Pashupati, you are my sole refuge. There is no power greater than you in this universe who can offer me refuge. Kindly uplift me’.

‘Murari’ being referred to in this Bhaja Govindam and ‘Pashupati’ referred to in ‘Shivānanda Lahari’ are one and the same force. We should understand that Shiva and Keshava (Vishnu) are one and the same energy called God. Name and form are all creations. We adopt a particular name/ form to suit our requirements/ tastes in worship.

Very often Shankara bhagavadpaada refers to this samsara using words such as samsāra sāgara (ocean of samsāra), samsāra vruksha (endless tree called samsāra) and samsāra chakra (wheel called samsāra). The idea is not to frighten the reader but to let him realize how endless this cycle is. When listening to such Vedanta subjects, many people get worried that they are sinners. This is not the intent. These will act like warning bells at the time when the person is about to commit sins.

Episode 23

rathyā carpaṭa viracita kanthaḥ
puṇyāpuṇya vivarjita panthaḥ |
yogī yoga niyojita cittaḥ
ramate bālonmattavadeva || 22 ||

Meaning of the hymn- The yogi very happily wears discarded and torn rags. He walks on the path that is far away from punya-papa (virtues- vices). Having been able to achieve total ekagrata (concentration) through his yoga and totally immersed in his bliss he wanders like a small child or like a madman.

When referring to Lord Datta, the phrase- ‘balonmatta pisāchavat’. These traits being explained here are very similar to the traits of an Avadhoota. The truth is that such persons are jeevanmuktas. They sportily play about like small children or they behave like absolute madmen. They will be jumping and shrieking as if possessed by some ghost. To them no disciplines apply. Restrictions such as ‘this should be done; this should not be done’ are not valid for them. They are free from virtues and sins (punya-papa), limitations of gunas (guna dosha) and from joys and sorrows. This does not imply that they will indulge in sinful acts. This means that they enjoy absolute freedom; they are not under the control of any force.

By their actions many times we tend to misunderstand them. Externally they appear as if they lack compassion towards others. There is no basis by which we can gauge their actions. They will be wandering about in a state that is over and above the limitations of the three gunas (traits of sattva, rajas, tamas). To one who is in this state, can there be a limiting factor?

The mind of such a person will be omnipresent in all the states of existence (sarvāvastha) and would have merged totally into that of the all-pervading Paramatma. It envelops the entire creation. He will be able to see himself as pervading throughout the creation. He sees himself in every object/ being and them in himself. The limitations of place & time, the extremities of heat and cold, the feelings of like-dislike (raga-dvesha) do not affect such persons. In fact, they are over and above all these forms of limitations. They are above mind (manas). They do not get entrapped in virtues-vices (punya-papa). Such a person is a sarvajna; sarvavyapi (omniscient; omnipresent).

Such highly knowledgeable persons (jnanis) always appear like ignorant innocent children. It is only the ignorant who seek external pomp. But an all-knowing person (jnani) is unaffected by any of these and seeks no external pomp.

Sadashiva Brahmendra was a great Avadhoota. He would roam about in a digambara state. People would not even notice his presence and he too would be oblivious of people around him. He would never accept anything that was offered to him. Simply he would wander about. Once he was walking through a forest where a great nawab (Muslim king) had tents put up and was enjoying with his retinue. The Nawab was enjoying his luxurious meal in his tent when suddenly Sadashiva Brahmendra Swami walked in. The saint stepped on to that plate of the king as he passed by. Unaware and unaffected, the saint exited from that tent and continued to walk. The Nawab was infuriated and had both the arms of the saint chopped off. Sadashiva Brahmendra Swami was unaware of this fact as He continued to walk. This is the state of an Avadhoota. After some time, the Nawab realized his mistake, and in great repentance, ran and fell at the feet of the great saint. But what a surprise! Both the arms of the great saint were intact.

Episode 24

kastvaṃ kohaṃ kuta āyātaḥ
kā me jananī ko me tātaḥ |
iti paribhāvaya nija saṃsāraṃ
visvaṃ tyaktvā svapna vicāram || 23 ||

Meaning of the hymn- ‘Who am I? Who are you? How did I enter this universe? Who is my mother? Who is my father?’ Learn to contemplate in this manner. Understanding that this entire samsara is a dream that is devoid of essence, discard it and instead practise contemplation about the self.

Each being goes through 3 states of existence- waking state (jaagrat), dream state (swapna) and deep sleep state (shushupti). All of us experience these states. Every moment of our waking time comes under Jaagrat avastha. All our daily activities take place during this waking state itself. Akin to the waking state, in the dream (swapna) state, we enjoy joys, sorrows and sensory pleasures. Upon waking up, we are able to explain the dream experienced. Shushupti is a deep sleep state in which we are not even aware of our existence. There are no dreams in this state.

Even though a person may enjoy endlessly or suffer horribly during his dream, upon waking up he realizes that it was untrue and not a real experience. With this understanding, he does not take it seriously. Everyone has had this experience.

This stanza asks us to adopt this similar approach towards events of the waking state. When seen from the spiritual point of view, even this entire waking state is not true (asatya). Although in experience, waking and dream states appear distinctively different, as per the theory of the self (atma siddhanta) they are indistinguishably similar and overlapping.

The knowledge of the objects perceived during the waking state as well as those experienced during the dream state are all illusionary.

Episode 25

tvayi mayi sarvatraiko viṣṇuḥ
vyarthaṃ kupyasi mayyasahiṣṇuḥ |
bhava samacittaḥ sarvatra tvaṃ
vāñchasyacirād-yadi viṣṇutvam || 24 ||

Meaning of the hymn- It is only Lord Vishnu who dwells within me, you and in everything else. He is Paramatma. Your impatience serves no purpose. If you seek to attain oneness with Vishnu, then it is essential to practise equanimity at all times.

The previous hymn asked the person to contemplate on thoughts such as – ‘who am I? From where did I come?’ We were taught to realize that this samsara is completely useless. In this hymn, the results of such contemplation are being explained.

This hymn preaches about the practice of equanimity. Kathopanishad declares-

anor aniyan mahato mahiyan
atmasya jantor nihito guhayam

Atma is subtler than even an atom; it is greater than the greatest. Atma exists within the heart of every being. He who is devoid of anger, jealousy and desires can, through mental purity (manas shuddhi) and purity of senses, experience the greatness (mahima) of this atma.

This same concept is being taught in this stanza. All our Vedas, Puranas and Shastras teach this bhavana (feeling, perception). Some of these however are very difficult to practice. This entire samsara originates out of likes-dislikes. To get hold of the snake that is hiding within his hole, the snake charmer puts lots of sand into the hole. In a similar manner, to get over these likes-dislikes, it is essential to cut out jealousy. Jealousy means to be unable to tolerate the prosperity of another person.

As the ability to see Paramatma in every being and in every object is a very difficult task requiring tremendous practice, it is essential to at first begin by giving up differentiation of every form. In other words thoughts/ feelings such as ‘he is ‘my’ person/ relative, hence he should prosper’ and/or ‘she is not dear to me, hence she should suffer’ should be completely given up.

‘Sarve ca sukhinah santu, sarve santu niraamaya’- In this prayer we pray for the welfare and prosperity of one and all. ‘Let every being be comfortable and disease- free. Let auspiciousness be showered upon every being. Let no being suffer in this creation’.

If we pray wholeheartedly in this manner habitually, then such feelings will remain permanently in the mind. This can also be addressed as ‘nishkāma karma’. The person who seeks the prosperity of even those who are not even remotely connected to him is a truly elevated being (uttama).

There is another important point in this stanza- Paramatma exists within every being; yet only that person who realizes this great truth is able to enjoy the supreme bliss. The person who cannot realize this truth suffers with feelings of jealousy (asuya). There are people who derive great satisfaction in thoughts such as ‘Along with my house, my neighbour’s house also collapsed. I am happy that he has incurred more financial loss than me.’ When the feelings of jealousy have peaked in the person, such thoughts will occur. Jealousy is that which comes in the way of prosperity and happiness. Even though we possess every comfort in life, that which does not enable us to enjoy it is ‘jealousy’.

It is imperative therefore that we should give up feelings of differentiation and develop feelings of equanimity.

Episode 26

śatrau mitre putre bandhau
mā kuru yatna vigraha sandhau |
sarvasminnapi paśyātmānaṃ
sarvatrot-sṛja bhedāṅñānam || 25 ||

Meaning of the hymn- Do not waste your efforts in fighting/ arguing with your enemy, friend, son or any other relative. If you are eager to understand the Supreme Essence, then at the earliest, try to develop feelings of equanimity towards one and all.

As discussed earlier, the message contained in this Bhaja Govindam is applicable to everyone, be it a learned pundit or an ordinary being, who is entangled in the bondages of life. Those who are entangled in these bondages of samsara have to necessarily abide by the rules of communal living. In this world there are many elders who wrongly interpret the teachings of Gurus. Just because the previous stanza preached about discarding the feelings of love and hate towards family members, can a person neglect his family and instead try to inculcate feelings of love towards the neighbouring family? It will result in a lot of problems. Yet, there are many in this world who practise this. This stanza contains a message for such persons. It states- ‘My dear, you are living in this samsara and therefore you should be bound by its rules. Learn to treat your enemy, friend, son and relative with feelings of equanimity/ equality. Do not develop feelings of hatred and enmity towards anyone’.

This hymn emphasizes that it is impossible to reach God when the person is enveloped with feelings of hatred/ enmity towards another being. Isn’t this the essence contained in the story of Maharishis Vishwamitra and Vashishta? Vishwamitra was blessed with the divine vision of Lord Brahma yet he was unable to give up his feelings of enmity towards Sage Vashishta. For this reason he could not become a Brahmarishi. When Lord Brahma appeared before him for the second time, he asked the Lord, “Have I become eligible to be blessed with the title of ‘Brahmarishi’?” To this the Lord replied, “If Vashishta agrees, then it is possible.” Vishwamitra now approached Vashistha and enquired, “Have I become eligible to be called a Brahmarishi?” Vashishta replied, “That very moment when you gave up your enmity towards me, you had become a Brahmarishi”.

Vishwamitra had undertaken limitless sadhana and penance; yet he had forgotten this most important principle. Vashishta now reminded him of it. Among the crores of living species in this creation, the human being is unique. This is because only the human being is blessed with the ability to obtain the vision of the Lord. This is possible only if the person gives up feelings of love, hate, jealousy and enmity.

This same principle is explained in the Srimad Bhagvatam in this manner- Even after creating innumerable species such as mosquito, fly, ant, animals and birds, Lord Brahma was not content. He then created the human being and after endowing him with the abilities needed for obtaining the vision of the Supreme, Brahma felt peace and joy.

With this, we understand that the end goal of human birth is to obtain the vision of the supreme. We should put in the required efforts in that direction. Simultaneously along with the penance needed to reach this goal, feelings of jealousy, anger etc. should be necessarily given up. Isn’t the story of Vishwamitra a fine example of this?

Episode 27

kāmaṃ krodhaṃ lobhaṃ mohaṃ
tyaktvātmānaṃ paśyati soham |
ātmaṅñnāna vihīnā mūdhāḥ
te pacyante naraka nigūdhāḥ || 26 ||

Meaning of the hymn- Give up desires, lust, anger and greed. Ponder about your true self. Understand that fools i.e. those who fail to acquire self-realization (Atma Jnana) will be thrown into a secretive place in hell (naraka) wherein they will suffer terribly.

Giving up desire and anger is the essence that every good book preaches. This stanza teaches the adverse effects of failing to give up this desire and anger (kaama, krodha).

How could hell and our desires/ anger be inter-connected? In Devi Bhagavatam it is said that Lord Narayana while preaching Maharishi Narada about the course of karma (karma gati) explained about the results of bad karma. In this context He mentioned the 28 types of hell (naraka) that exist. Controlled by their 6 inner enemies of desire, anger, greed etc. (arishadvargas), those who proceed on the path of adharma (unrighteousness) will have to suffer dreadfully in Rourava and its associated 28 hells (naraka). Based on the type of the evil deed, the being will have to suffer in a different type of hell. On the other hand, those pious beings, who abide by dharma (righteousness) during their life, will enjoy the comforts of heaven. This is why it is extremely essential to abide by dharma.

Among the six inner enemies, desire (kaama) is the first. Everyone seeks that his desires should necessarily be fulfilled, but it is not always possible. From one desire stems another; fulfillment of one desire leads to the birth of another- in this manner desires are endless. Just as offering of ghee only increases the flames, the fulfillment of desires leads to the birth of endless more desires. Amongst them some are fulfilled and some are not. When a desire is not fulfilled, it instantly leads to anger (krodha). The person develops hatred (dvesha) towards those people and those circumstances due to which his desire could not be fulfilled. Wisdom as well as power of discrimination degenerates in such a person. As a result of this, dharma will not be visible to him. To ensure that his desire is fulfilled in some way or the other, he will torture others. He will retort to vile and despicable methods. He will thus be eligible to be sent to hell.

In addition, he will seek that he should exclusively enjoy all that he has earned/ acquired. This is greed (lobha). At every second he will worry that his earnings may get exhausted. The root of all this is moha (infatuation). Imagining the non-existing as existing and trying to acquire it is the quality of moha. The fire fly sees the burning fire and believing that it is something awesome, runs and falls into it. Thus it meets its end. In a similar manner, the human being falling into moha & enticed by this samsara, runs towards it and is caught in the huge fire called kaama-krodha. All this is caused due to ignorance (ajnana).

What exactly is ignorance? Not being able to understand his true self is itself ignorance. Not realizing the happiness (sukha) that inherently exists within, searching for it outside is ignorance. The person whose ignorance has been wiped away and upon whom knowledge (Jnana) has dawned is able to see the triviality of his desires. He understands the limitations of this world and all its comforts. He begins the search for truth.

That is why this stanza asks the person to give up desires and anger (kaama-krodha) and to begin the search for truth.

Episode 28

geyaṃ gītā nāma sahasraṃ
dhyeyaṃ śrīpati rūpam-ajasram |
neyaṃ sajjana saṅge cittaṃ
deyaṃ dīnajanāya ca vittam || 27 ||

Meaning of the hymn- Regularly chant the verses from Bhagavad Gita and the Sahasranama; at all times contemplate upon the form of Lord Vishnu (Sripati); let the mind always be in satsang with holy beings; give away in charity to the poor and needy people.

In this hymn, the relationship between speech (vak), mind (manas), intellect (buddhi) and wealth is being preached. Four easy paths are being taught here to the spiritual aspirants.

First is to recite the verses from the Bhagavad Gita. Bhagavad Gita contains the essence of all the Upanishads. This sacred Gita was made available to the world by Lord Krishna himself! At the time of the war, Krishna preached this holy Gita to Arjuna who was unwilling to complete his duty and thus the merciful Lord washed away his grief. When a person immersed in terrible grief or troubles conducts the regular parayana of Bhagavad Gita, he will begin to clearly understand his ‘duty’. His sorrows will be washed away and the mind rendered peaceful. Bhakti (devotion), jnana (knowledge) and vairagya (dispassion) have been explained in a very easy manner in Bhagavad Gita.

The term ‘reciting the Bhagavad Gita’ means ‘to practise what is preached in it’. Bhagavad Gita contains in it the solution for every single difficulty that we come across in life. Ignorance cannot envelop the person who diligently chants the Bhagavad Gita daily.

The term ‘reciting the Vishnu Sahasranama’ means ‘singing the glories of the Supreme Lord’. All of us are aware of the greatness and importance of ‘nama sankeertana’. Amongst the 9 forms of bhakti the simplest and easiest is ‘nama sankeertana’. Just as food energizes the body, bhajan energizes the mind. It purifies the mind. That is why it is said- ‘Kalou nama sankeertana’ which means, ‘In Kali Yuga, liberation can be achieved through singing the glories of the Supreme’.

The second path is to constantly contemplate upon Srihari. When the mind is completely filled with the Lord, then there will be no space for desire, anger etc. within it, isn’t it? The mind will not run towards the objects of desire. The human mind acquires only that upon which it constantly contemplates/ thinks. By constantly thinking about the Supreme Lord, it acquires that supreme bliss, which is an inherent trait of that Lord. If the mind focuses upon the materialistic objects of desire then it will imbibe traits such as anger, greed and the like.

The third recommended path is to maintain satsang with holy persons. Shankara Bhagavadpadacharya in an earlier stanza ‘satsangatve nissangatvam’ has already explained about the greatness of satsang. Society (sanga) causes attachment and other bondages. Yet, at the same time, it is not so easy to live without society. Living within the society is the natural character (svabhava) of the mind. (Man is a social being). Therefore, if at first satsang is practiced, then gradually the mind will reach the state of living without this social setup (nissanga). The story of Valmiki is the finest example of satsang.

The fourth path is helping the poor and the needy. It is very important to be charitable. Helping our own near and dear ones cannot be termed ‘charity’ (daana). Charity should be offered to a needy person in the society. A beggar, who went from door to door seeking alms, had the following message to those greedy persons who refuse to indulge in charity- ‘O man, do not be greedy. By not giving away in charity in this birth, do not take the risk of being born like me (beggar) in your next birth. Be charitable in this birth and once again be born in this good status itself”.

Episode 29

sukhataḥ kriyate rāmābhogaḥ
paścāddhanta śarīre rogaḥ |
yadyapi loke maraṇaṃ śaraṇaṃ
tadapi na muñcati pāpācaraṇam || 29 ||

Meaning of the hymn- He who craves for lustful desires and yields to it, will become disease-prone at a later date. He will also meet an early death. Even though he is aware of all this, he will not abstain from sins.

Excessive enjoyments (bhoga) always lead to diseases (roga). Excessively sleeping and overeating harm the body hugely. Even after eating endlessly, the tongue will still find food very tasty and seeks to chase it. But in the process, the stomach is harmed. In this way too much sensory pleasures cause great harm to both the mind and the body. The person who is completely in the grip of sensual pleasures loses his capacity to distinguish the good from the bad. Fulfilling his desire will be his sole aim. Therefore, he goes any length to fulfill them. The story of Ajamila is a fine example of this.

Ajamila, who was a great learned Veda scholar and a righteous person, developed a great infatuation for a prostitute and in the process completely stopped the performance of all his daily stipulated disciplines and worship. He even turned his back on his home and on his parents. He disowned his wife, whom he had married with the fire as a witness, and instead married this prostitute. He fathered many children. To fulfill the desires of this new wife and to sustain this family he committed many crimes such as looting and cheating others. When the villagers threw him out of the village, he shifted his residence to a dilapidated hut in the outskirts of the village. He spent his time hunting animals and birds in the forests and looting people.

Time went by and he was old. Although his body was diseased and he was incapacitated, desires continued to torment him. Once it so happened that a group of saints visited his home. Due to his past samskaras, Ajamila approached the senior-most saint, narrated his entire life story and asked him about obtaining salvation. He however stated that he could not disown his second wife under any circumstance. This is how the mind behaves.

This incident shows how a person, who entertains unrighteous desires falls to lower level. Ajamila a Vedic scholar was reduced to a wayside robber and a cheat only due to his unrighteous desires. Desiring a woman, other than the legally wedded wife, is the worst amongst all sins. Our tradition has a regulated arrangement in the name of marriage. A contented householder keeps himself, his family members and the society happy. On the other hand the person who indiscriminately chases his unlimited lustful needs will be left with a disease-prone body. We see this in today’s world.

Even though the person is aware that excessive and unlimited enjoyments will harm the body, he does not restrict his desires in any way. Such a person will meet an early death. Death to him will be his punishment. It will be like a result of all his sins.

Episode 30

arthamanarthaṃ bhāvaya nityaṃ
nāsti tataḥ sukha leśaḥ satyam |
putrādapi dhanabhājāṃ bhītiḥ
sarvatraiṣā vihitā rītiḥ || 30 ||

Meaning of the hymn- Understand that troubles arise from wealth itself. There is no real happiness that wealth can give.

Isn’t it true that all sins originate out of wealth? Fights, disputes and sins – all stem out of wealth. There is a very well known saying that ‘wealthy people are afraid of their own sons’. Many in this world believe that money can buy them anything and everything that they want. Very often we come across this statement ‘Sarve gunāh kānchanamāshrayanti’- which means ‘all virtues reside in gold (wealth)’. Such statements sound true when a person is in troubled times, yet the well-known truth is that money cannot achieve everything. In spite of this knowledge, the fascination for wealth retains its strong grip over man.

Maharishi Vashistha, who was the Guru for the Ikshvaaku clan, did not live in mansions. He did not chase money and earnings. Although Chanakya ensured that Chandragupta was crowned the king of the land, he himself chose to live in a dilapidated hut. This is a well-known fact. When asked about this choice, he replied, “If I decide to live in a palatial building, then my focus will be on wealth and money to be earned. I will stop thinking about the citizens and the needs of the kingdom. Hence I find this hut comfortable”.

We have heard many stories of people who have got completely ruined because of their arrogance of being wealthy. Yet, our attraction towards wealth does not lessen in any way. The reason behind this is not wealth in itself; our mind craves for the comforts and for the position (power) that wealth can grant. Wealthy people end up in having disputes not merely with their relatives but also with their own immediate family members. This is something that we come across often. The entire Mahabharata war took place for wealth.

Apart from Valmiki, many others have also composed Ramayana. In one of them it is mentioned that Ravana was aware of the fact that Sita was none other than Mother Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity. Therefore he believed that if She were to enter his kingdom, there would be no shortage of wealth ever in future. With this desire he kidnapped her. This led to his death. This and many other similar stories teach that desire/ greed for wealth is very bad. In this world we hear incidents about children murdering parents for wealth or parents killing their son/ daughter for wealth, people forging signatures so as to acquire the other person’s wealth and so on. Wealth will say, ‘You acquire me, then see what all I can shower upon you’. The truth is that it only leads him towards destruction.

This stanza therefore reminds us that wealth is very bad. Wealth is the cause of all troubles. Excessive wealth can take a person to a state wherein he has no food to eat. Once a person sought a boon that everything that he touched should turn into gold. What happened due to this? Heaps and heaps of gold were lying everywhere. He was very pleased. He was very hungry but when he touched his food, it too turned into gold. He couldn’t eat. He then thought, “Of what use is this money that cannot give me the ability to eat?” It is a myth that money brings joys; the truth is that it cannot grant even an iota of happiness and joy.

Episode 31

prānāyāmam pratyāhāram
nityānitya viveka vihāram |
jāpyasameta samādhi vidhānam
kurva vadhānam mahad-avadhānam || 31 ||

Meaning of the hymn- Pranayama, pratyaahara, nityanitya viveka vichara together with japam and samadhi are practices that should be mandatorily practised every day with total ekagrata.

In all the stanzas up to now, the way of this world and of its people was greatly elaborated. The various ways in which people get cheated by this samsara and thus get entangled in the web spun by it was explained. Now in this stanza, the daily disciplines that should mandatorily be followed by every single individual are being preached.

The external form (bahya roopa) of the life energy (prana shakti) is pranavayu (vital air). Pranayama should be practised as per the method taught by the Guru. Breath should be taken in from the left nostril, retained for some time and then exhaled through the right nostril. Thereafter it should be taken in from the right nostril and exhaled from the left nostril. Through the practice of Pranayama, absolute concentration (ekagrata) can be obtained. Gradually through practice, the spiritual aspirant is able to obtain victory over prana vayu. The longevity and illumination (tejas) increases in those who are able to obtain victory over this pranavayu. At that time, using their will power (mano balam) they are able to draw away their senses (indriyas) from the objects of desire and dissolve them into the mind. This is known as Pratyahara. The mind should then be focused upon the atma (self). This is dharana. At this point great caution is required. Mind tends to get disturbed very frequently. This cannot be achieved until stringent efforts are put in. In the mind that has thus stabilized with Pranayama, the Vedic and Shastric aphorisms by the Guru should be incessantly recollected without any alteration in the meaning (causing). This is the dhyana stage. With incessant practice of dhyana, the samadhi state is achieved. In dhyana, the triputis of dhyana, dhyatr and dhyeya exist. In Samadhi state only dhyeya exists. All these steps should be ascended in the manner taught by the Guru.

Pathanjali Yoga Sutras explains the eight fold steps of Yoga- Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and Samadhi.

Yoga is of many types. Yet it is said that there is no yoga without Pranayama. Due to the deep inhalation and exhalation performed in Pranayama, longevity and untold radiance is attained by the person. Towards this it is essential to practise deep and long breath. We in general take only very short breath, due to which we are disease-prone and also we fail to attain ekagrata. From a proper understanding of this stanza, we realize the importance of Pranayama which is the basis for attaining absolute concentration. Do not forget that Kriya Yoga is also a very important branch of Yoga.

Episode 32

guru caraṇāmbhuja nirbharabhaktaḥ
saṃsārād-acirād-bhava muktaḥ |
sendriya mānasa niyamādevaṃ
drakṣyasi nija hṛdayasthaṃ devam || 32 ||

Meaning- If total/ intense devotion is developed towards the lotus feet of the Guru, then the person can easily attain freedom from the shackles of this samsara. How is this possible? By restraining both the indriyas and the mind, vision of the Paramatma, who is seated inside can be had.

This is the last stanza of Bhaja Govindam. The way of the world, the illusions that cause attractions and trap the beings in this world were all detailed. In addition, the ways and means to exit from these traps were also elaborated.

This stanza states that developing implicit and unflinching faith in the feet of the Guru is the only means for the beings trapped within these sensory enticements and yet seek to attain salvation. Only when the mind and senses are totally restrained, then it is possible to gain exit from the cycle of births and deaths. It is the nature of the mind to be moving/ changing at all times. Where the mind focuses on sensory objects, there the senses (indriyas) gain strength and continue to chase these sensory objects. The mind travels and takes the indriyas along with it. At all times, the mind seeks to learn about new objects and thus gets infatuated (moha). The mind also experiences enthusiasm, happiness, distress and impulsiveness. Even though it is aware of the dangers within them, it cannot give up these experiences. Again and again it seeks to enjoy the same experience. For example, the person who chases business opportunities with the sole objective of earning more wealth, cannot stay away from it even if he were to make losses or gains. In the event he earns profits, he continues the business with the intent of increasing his profits even further. Where he makes losses, he seeks to recover the losses and with this intent he will continue the business. Thus, irrespective of whether he has fulfilled his desire or not, there is no question of happiness and contentment in him. In this manner, due to this vyamoha, the mind is the target of sorrows and unhappiness. The grip of these senses is so strong that even an all-knowing person gets trapped by them.

The one way to get out of this is by controlling the mind. However the strange quality of the mind is that- the more you try to control it, the more it chases the objects of this world. At this point the Sadguru helps. He makes us understand the triviality of the worldly experiences. With this realization, the mind will focus upon Paramatma. In turn, through this, it is possible to have the vision of the God who resides within. This is the satya darshana.

For every human being, just as breath is very critical, having a Sadguru is also equally indispensable. Only with the grace of the Sadguru, it is possible to get rid of the ignorance in life. Only with intent of showing this to the world, incarnations such as Rama and Krishna also served their respective Sadgurus.

In the word ‘Guru’ ‘Gu’ stands for the ignorance and ‘ru’ stands for its destruction. By whose grace the ignorance that arises out of self-identity and ego (ahamkara) is washed away and we are rescued from the bondages called samsara is itself Guru.

Shiva is Guru and Guru is Shiva. This is emphatically declared by the Guru Geeta. He who possesses the supreme knowledge of Vedanta, is totally established in Brahma (Brahma nishta), enjoys absolute peace (shanti), practices equanimity and sees no differences between beings and who out of total compassion strives to uplift His disciple, is a Sadguru. Here Shankara Bhagavadpadacharaya preaches that every person should take shelter under such a Sadguru, serve Him with implicit faith and strive to exit from this bondage of samsara.

Jaya Guru Datta. Sri Guru Datta.

Compiled by Parimala Eshwarla