Bhaja Govinda Stotram
Day 7, July 23
Today is the concluding day of the seven-day discourse on the Bhaja Govinda Stotram. Let us begin with a bhajan composed by Sadguru Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji on Ganapathi.
Bhajan: Gam Gam Ganapathi
Bhaja Govindam verses are so beautifully composed, sometimes moving gracefully like a swan, sometimes trotting like a horse, and sometimes moving majestically like an elephant. Guru always first draws the attention of the disciple towards himself, and then gives his teaching. Lord Krishna did the same with Arjuna before he gave him the divine message of the Bhagavad Gita. Here, Sri Bhagavatpada also does the same thing.
He is very happy that his disciples have grasped the subject of Vedanta and dispassion, and are also blessed with poetic talent to convey the message in a very attractive manner.
The poetry is amenable to musical tuning also. Step by step, Guru takes us, first giving worldly teaching useful for society, and gradually leading towards spiritual awakening.
Verse 25:
satrau mitre putre bandhau
maa kuru yatnam vigrahasandhau
sarvasminnapi pasyaatmaanam
sarvatrotsrija bhedaagynaanam
Vigraha is enmity. Sandhi is friendship. The advice here is to be neutral towards everyone, be they enemies, friends, children, or relative. Sri Krishna also, after giving his advice in full, finally said to Arjuna, do as you please. No force is applied. No anger is expressed if the advice is rejected. But when we revere someone, we feel that we should do whatever pleases Guru. The Guru shows this talent of non-compulsion. He neither boosts the ego, nor does he insult or make you sad.
Doctors also say the same thing, I have done my best, it is up to God. The patient will be fine. Everything is in God’s hands. When that attitude is developed, neutrality rules the mind. That leaves one in peace.
Be even-minded always with everything and everyone. How to treat everyone the same when there are so many differences in Creation?
In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says, view equally a learned scholar, an elephant, a dog, a cow, and a person who eats dog flesh. How is this possible? The consciousness within all is the same. Recognize that oneness in all. People may argue that this equal treatment is impossible. But only in a worldly sense, it is not possible. In the spiritual sense, it is possible. The all-pervasive supreme consciousness should be seen everywhere. Guru says, if you wish to share the bliss that I enjoy, then, be neutral. Engage in no deliberate enmity or friendship toward anyone.
First each thread is colored differently and then you make an embroidered design of a peacock on a piece of fabric. When all the colors are spun together, you see white. Once the threads are separated, the form of peacock does not exist. That example must be applied in seeing colorless God as the thread behind this fabric of Creation which appears very colorful with shapes, textures, and designs.
Great souls are always even-minded. They remain neutral whether they face praise or blame.
Suka Avadhoota went to visit King Janaka. Janaka wished to test his even-mindedness. The king ignored his presence at the gate, although he was informed by the guards of the Sage’s arrival. Suka simply waited calmly for over a week, unmindful of the negligence. Then King Janaka invited him and offered him all luxuries in exuberance. He was placed in a magnificent mansion with all kinds of services offered, dances, music, and so on, just to see if the Yogi would show any wavering of mind. Suka was unmoved. He remained completely unaffected.
We are our own meters. We must gauge for ourselves our even-mindedness. It is not for others to observe and comment. Heat and cold are immaterial to such yogis. Gita also gives the same message. One must remain unaffected in praise and insult. If that is achieved, bearing heat and cold becomes a small matter. Bhagavad Gita’s every single syllable conveys a valuable message.
People complain that 700 verses of Bhagavad Gita are difficult to read and understand. It is too long they complain. Recently, many children and adults, NRIs from USA, Canada, and Trinidad came to the ashram to chant the entire Bhagavad Gita. Most of them did it from memory. The entire group included people from a five-year-old to an eighty-year-old.
We think we cannot do something. It is wrong to think so. Mother Saraswati’s compassion is upon all of us. We all are eligible to receive her grace. Every single verse in the Gita is valuable. Bhakti Yoga with just 20 verses should be chanted every day. We always wish to think of God and become close to God. This chapter helps us to achieve that.
One old blind man used to visit a temple every day. Some youth who were sitting on the compound wall saw this and made fun of him daily making catcalls. This old, blind man one day had to pass near them. That day, the youth asked the man, in ridicule, why he goes to the temple daily, when he cannot even see. The boys had no devotion. They were simply loitering, irresponsible vagabonds, smoking cigarettes and wasting time.
The man politely answered: you are right in asking the question. It is true that I cannot see. But God is not blind. I go there with the hope that one day at least, His glance will fall on me and I will be blessed by His grace. How does it matter that I am blind? My seeing or not seeing is not significant.
By reading Bhakti Yoga daily, we will develop strong devotion. Lord Krishna describes there the type of devotee whom he likes the most.
Verse from Gita: Tulya nindaa stutir mounee
One, who treats blame and praise alike.
One day, in the Prasadam we receive at the temple, if salt is more, or less, we make a big complaint and noise about it. If even at the temple we complain about food gifted to us by God, it is needless to mention how we behave at home. We assume a Rudra rupa, a fiery aspect and we forget all the Upakara (help) received till then, and will only cling to our complaint about Uppu-Kaara (salt and spice). Such a pitiable behavior we engage in. We must always look for reasons to be happy and satisfied.
Aniketaha sthira matihi – are qualifications of a true devotee. For him, home is not important. A steady, undisturbed mind is important. What if there are 24 rooms in the house, if the person has no satisfaction? He can sleep in a different room each day. But he is not happy.
Krishna likes those who are at peace, contented, and even-minded at all times.
Feeling hatred towards anyone at the time of death is a terrible thing. That is what Yudhishthira prayed for, that he should harbor no feeling of enmity toward anyone. His title is Ajaata Shatru. He is free from enmity toward anyone, even those who have harmed him.
Sometimes a feeling of enmity occurs. It should be quickly resolved. It should not be prolonged. Sometimes when enmity begins over a trivial matter, it should be peacefully resolved. A neighbor may begin a complaint because your garden pot fell over onto his premises and the dirt spilled everywhere. Just apologize and clean up the mess. But instead, if you quarrel that the neighbor is fussing over a small matter, the issue will go all the way to a court case. We gain nothing by blowing up a small incident into a big fight. We don’t open the door when the neighbor comes. We don’t talk to him anymore. We hate him with a passion. Why? If one dies in such a state of mind, what kind of future birth will befall? That feeling of enmity must leave the mind. Otherwise, all the spiritual merit earned thus far will be a waste.
Only when gold is purified by melting and straining, it is fit to be made into new ornaments. Similarly, you must become fully cleansed in the mind of all impurities. Sphuta is purity. That is required. Even if the fault is with the other party, your feeling of enmity hurts you, not them. Its negative influence hurts you. Now, think in terms of spirituality, not social propriety.
In Sama Veda, there is Setu Sama. Setu means bridge. Sama is music. These mantras are very beautiful. With friendship, you conquer enmity. With peace, you conquer lack of peace. With truth, you conquer falsehood. Use these positive qualities as the bridge to cross over the troubled waters.
Sometimes we are advised to fight aggression with aggression. But in your mind, remain peaceful. This is the ancient Dharma of our country. Try always to bring about a transformation in the attitude of the enemy. Mahabharata teaches this lesson. Yudhishthira requested for only five villages, or at least five homes. He gave ample chances to Duryodhana to rectify his mistakes, to somehow compensate for his wickedness. Yudhishthira felt no enmity toward his cousin. He tried his best to keep Duryodhana from committing sin. But his efforts failed. He was least inclined towards fighting a war and causing bloodshed. But Duryodhana did not want to give even a needlepoint worth of land. Such was his hatred toward his cousins. Krishna also tried to save Duryodhana from terrible sin. Even when Paramatma Himself tried, Duryodhana did not yield. That is why one must be careful about anger and hatred.
In the Sundara Kanda, Hanuman speaks about anger, and how it makes people commit terrible things.
It is a turning point for Mother Sita in Lanka, when Ravana gives an ultimatum to her that she has only two months left to either change her mind or die. She prayed that she must never forget the remembrance of her lord. She suffered a lot but she acknowledged that those who do penance in forests are the ones who truly suffer without complaining, because they do not consider even the most calamitous situation as unbearable. When she thought of this, at once, she had the darshan of Lord Hanuman. The sages regard as equal what is pleasant and what is unpleasant. One must cultivate peace of mind at all times, in all situations.
Verse 26:
kaamam krodham lobham moham
tyaktvaa(a)tmaanam pasyati so’ham
aatmagyaana viheenaa moodhaah
te pachyante narakanigoodhaah
Give up lust, rage, greed, and delusion, and enquire about who you are.
What is the greatest among all Danas, someone asked. Another replied, Samadhana – reconciliation or being at peace.
Life is a search. We search for happiness. When we find it, we stop there. But we are not satisfied. We search some more.
Sita anveshana is searching for Sita. We search for Guru. Guru comes searching for us. Both happen. We must always be looking for the answer to the question, who am I? It might appear like a senseless question. If you ask someone, they will tell you your name, and will think you are lost, and will take you home.
We never rest still. We keep committing sins. We do not return to our real home. We do not attempt to find that address to our real destination. We eat, sleep, and go about. But in the end, where do we go? When you are in ICU, no one will give you an answer. They will simply give you an injection to silence you, if you ask them, who am I?
We heard the story of Khatvanga, who attained Realization in an instant.
We must not just verbally ask the question. We must truly search internally. Do not think that this comfortable life is the be-all and end-all of life. You must understand that you are the eternal soul. If you do not experience that, you will get stuck in hell. Duryodhana’s intense desire for kingdom led him to disaster. He desired the kingdom of Yudhishthira, He resorted to the gambling game. Then he disrobed Draupadi. Lust, Rage, and Greed are the gateways to Hell.
One must avoid these. To make life happy and heavenly, give up these.
Bhagavad Gita gives the slow sequence of how one gets angry and then gets destroyed. In slow motion, how one falls, Lord Krishna shows us in these verses. How cleverly he explains! We just fall. But we must understand how we fall, step by step. That is why he explains step by step how the fall occurs.
When we dwell on the same subject of our desire for long, the desire intensifies. Kama is not just lust, it is intense desire for anything. It might even be a certain brand of chocolate for which a child throws a severe tantrum, screaming and kicking its legs. We must reduce the intensity of our desires. Then we get closer to God.
Desire leads to anger, when it is not satisfied. If the child is given another chocolate, it flings it aside in anger saying I don’t want this. A youth threw acid on a girl who refuses to satisfy him. That is so heart-breaking. Seven times he did it. It was in the newspaper.
What do we teach children in school? The curriculum/syllabus is covered. But morals are not taught. People are only concerned with grades and marks. People turn into demons. Compared to some cruel youth, Ravanasura seems like a better guy.
From intense rage, discretion is lost.
Hanuman burned the city of Lanka in intense anger. Then he was in remorse because he never gave a thought about the safety of Sita. What if my action has destroyed her? He lamented pitifully.
Ramayana teaches many valuable lessons in life. It is not only about Rama. Everyone must read and learn the teachings given by Ramayana. No matter how developed our scientific knowledge may be, our values in life must be preserved.
Sammoha is loss of discretion, total delusion. Ravana also would have gone to school. With ten heads, he must have learned ten times more. But he has not grasped proper values. He forgot what is right and what is wrong. Sometimes the mind does not work. One forgets everything in the exam hall, except his roll number. What is the use of having that kind of intelligence?
Krishna shows how, slowly, from dwelling on one subject with desire, it slowly leads to one’s total destruction. So many times the same teachings of Bhagavad Gita are repeated in this Bhaja Govinda Stotra.
Vedanta Dindima is a great work. One boy was given the job (small boy Dattatreya) of going around the whole town shouting the verses of Bhaja Govindam and alerting: Therefore, be careful! He shouted also at the royal palace, making the king angry with this disturbance. Swamiji had this play enacted in the ashrama.
You must keep a Guru camera inside us, who watches our bad qualities. The gem of wisdom is stolen by these thieves called vices and bad qualities.
Many Puranas also teach us these same lessons. Hiranyaksha was greedy. All the demons suffered from these bad traits and were destroyed. Lakshmee Nrsimha Karaavalamba Stotra also prays for release from the deep well called the six inner enemies.
Verse 27:
geyam geetaanaamasahasram
dhyeyam sreepatiroopamajasram
neyam sajjanasange chittam
deyam deenajanaaya cha vittam
Again, Gita is mentioned. One must keep reading and understanding the meaning of the Gita. Even Yatis have to do Parayana of Vishnu Sahasranama. Lalita Sahasranama must be chanted. Teach the children also to chant all of these. On auspicious days especially, it is good to chant them.
Shantakaram bhujaga shayanam ..This is a beautiful prayer about Vishnu. This verse should be understood. You will visualize the form of peaceful Lord Vishnu lying on the fearsome serpent Adi Sesha. The ocean is also turbulent and violent. All our faults will be removed if one dwells on the beautiful meaning of this verse. Don’t rush through it, chanting it mechanically. The descriptive phrases are so vivid. Similarly, chant the Hanuman Chalisa nine time slowly with eyes closed. You will see Lord Hanuman.
If Vishnu is praised, Lakshmi will bless us with wealth and wisdom.
Keep praising God. Visualize the divine form. Attention should be on the deity in the temple, not on the footwear left outside. The way we drag a child to the temple, we must drag our mind inside with us, to the temple, to the spiritual discourses.
Rest assured that God is there to care about us. Don’t shoulder all the burden upon yourself. Invite God into your heart. Make friends with the pious. Help the destitute and the disadvantaged. The poetry is so beautiful in this verse. The rhyme of geyam, dhyeyam, neyam, and deyam is very attractive.
Sri Swamiji sings a beautiful abhang (Marathi Bhajan). He has given it a melodious tune.
Bhajan: Santa sangati cha mahima adbhuta
The glorious benefit derived from the association with saints is indescribable. It develops noble qualities in one. In a moment, the mind gains concentration, courage, and peace. The messages, morals, and stories told by the saints awaken truth in the minds of the listeners. God makes His presence felt in one’s heart.
Victory to Sadgurudeva.
Verse 28:
sukhatah kriyate raamaabhogah
paschaaddhanta sareere rogah
yadyapi loke maranam saranam
tadapi na munchati paapaacharanam
Now, infatuation with a woman is addressed, which is the root cause of the Ramayana war. Ravana knew that he was in the wrong in desiring and abducting another man’s wife. Yet, he did not stop himself. That caused his destruction. Illicit affairs also cause diseases. Knowingly, it is like consuming poison. In the beginning it may seem pleasurable, but in the end, it will cause great pain. Bitter melon tastes bitter but is highly beneficial for health. Whatever is unpleasant to begin with, but yields a sweet fruit in the end, should be preferred.
Many people foolishly argue: death is inevitable. So, why not sin, enjoy and die? Will we live forever if we refrain from sin? Will we not die still, if we only earn merit?
Think of the future, your future life. You must fear sin, and have the desire to follow Dharma. The mind should always be drawn toward doing good deeds.
The strange thing is: no one wants to suffer the punishment of sin, and yet, everyone keeps committing sin. Everyone wants the rewards of merit but fail to engage in good deeds. Why?
It is caused by delusion, which keeps pulling down all human beings.
Verse 29:
arthamanartham bhaavaya nityam
naasti tatah sukhalesah satyam
putraadapi dhanabhaajaam bheetih
sarvatraishaa vihitaa reetih
Money leads only to grief. When there is too much money the mind is tempted to commit sin. Earn and keep just enough money for survival. Artha means usefulness. Rama tells Bharatha, his brother: Our life, our survival rests on the four pillars: Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha. In any country, this is true. There is nothing outside of these, for any creature.
Dharma and Artha should go together. Kama and Moksha should go together. They should be paired thus. Use Artha only to do Dharma. Use Kama/desire only to gain Liberation/Moksha.
Money alone yields absolutely no comfort.
A millionaire was stranded in a desolate place when his car broke down. There was no one around. There was no food or water with him. For many hours, he waited for help. No one came. He was going to die of hunger and thirst. He saw very far away a tiny lamp light in a hut. He finally went there and begged for some food and drink. All that an old lady who lived there had to offer him was some gruel, the excess starchy water from boiling rice. He accepted that and considered it nectar because it saved his life. Did his wealth save him? No. The compassion showed by the old woman saved his life.
A rich man is afraid of his son also, who will steal his money and squander it. A man has wads of money in his pocket as he sleeps. He hears his wayward young son enter the house at night. He knows he will pick his pocket and spend all the money on friends. The son sees no value in money. He parties and destroys the funds. We see much worse situations where children go to court to get all the family assets, grab everything, and kick the parents out into the streets. What is the benefit of all the wealth? Are people going to live for a thousand years? This is so commonplace all over the world. History shows that the son, a foreign ruler in our country put the father in jail and sat on the throne. We read such stories in schools. We do not learn about Rama, who left the kingdom to protect his father’s honor.
Earning should be ethical. Any ritual or noble deed should be performed only by properly earned funds. One should not earn by immoral or unethical means. Washing the body of dirt does not cleanse us fully. Our earnings should be clean. Then the household will run comfortably.
Two friends were there, Rama and Soma. They were middleclass householders. One day, walking along a forest. They found a chest with great wealth. It contained lots of gold and precious materials. These two were extremely good friends. They brought their food from home, and would sit together and eat. The presence of wealth changed their nature instantly. Their way of thinking changed when money made its presence. Each felt that the money should belong to him alone. At once, a feeling of enmity arose. They both discussed and decided that they would first eat the food that they brought from home, and then divide the wealth amongst them.
While Soma was not looking, Rama added poison to his own food. Soma also added some poison to his own food that he brought. Each one suggested to the other, that today, since they are so lucky to have found so much wealth, they should celebrate by sharing their food as well. What happened? Both died.
Wealth creates evil ideas in the mind. That is why Artham anartham is a fact. Wealth leads to disaster.
Next verse is about Pranayama, which is basically, controlled breathing. Taking long, deep breaths, inhalation and exhalation is Sahaja Pranayama. Surya Chandra Nadi Bhedana Pranayama is another. Every day Datta Kriya Yoga is taught at the ashrama. We have teachers giving lessons. Daily Pranayama is a must, before the prayer ritual. Achamana, sipping water is very essential. Prayer ritual involves invoking and worshiping the five elements. We light the lamp, worshiping fire. In dhyana, space element is worshiped. The image, in the form of turmeric paste, wood, metal, mud, or a pot of water represents matter. Water, air, are included as mentioned above.
Some wonder whether our Hindu Dharma will suffer decline. It will never happen. As long as Creation exists, our worship of the five elements will continue. We must not remain complacent. We must make every effort to preserve our culture and beliefs. Lord Krishna Himself has given us the responsibility to protect our traditions. We cannot be negligent. We cannot put the blame on God. We must not allow Adharma to override. We must practice and preserve our rituals. They have hidden messages. Daily Pranayama preserves good health. BP, heart will be regulated. You may even sit in a chair and take deliberate long breaths. The life energy will develop our lungs. Our whole body gets water and air which are much needed.
Pratyahara is self-restraint. Control the sense organs. Constant contemplation is required. Do Japa of mantra. Slowly, with practice, Samadhi state will be attained.
Verse 30:
praanaayaamam pratyaahaaram
nityaanityavivekavichaaram
jaapyasameta samaadhividhaanam
kurvavadhaanam mahadavadhaanam
With the japa of the mantra, gradually get into the Samadhi state. Avadhana is concentration. Mahad-avadhanam is fixing the mind on God. Some people do eight things simultaneously and perfectly. They achieve that level of concentration by constant practice. Daily, practice contemplation to attain the bliss of Samadhi.
Now the last lesson.
Some disciples approached a Guru to learn Dhyana/meditation. Guru said, when you begin meditation, be sure not to think of an overturned pot. Then what happened? The disciples sat in meditation and everyone remembered the upside-down pot. What you see, you remember. That is why see only good things. Say only good things. Listen to only good things. Serve God. That is why it is important to engage the mind in thoughts of God, to engage the senses and the limbs in the service of God. Then you will get the darshan or experience of God.
Now the last verse in this work Bhaja Govindam.
Verse 31:
gurucharanaambuja nirbharabhaktah
samsaaraadachiraadbhava muktah
sendriyamaanasaniyamaadevam
drakshyasi nijahridayastham devam
This describes the glory of Guru.
One must have unwavering devotion toward the divine feet of Guru. Then in this lifetime itself you can attain Liberation. Follow all these instructions thus far given, with concentration and sincerity. Then you will be properly rewarded. The form of Guru must be fixed in the heart. When we visit the temple, we take a mental photograph of the deity and save the image in the heart. We see the deity and then close the eyes for that reason. This is not a photo negative. This picture removes all our negativity. Deva is Paramatma, says the Svetashvatara Upanishad.
If we were to have the talent of rolling up space as if we were rolling up a carpet, then we will experience God. To gain such a talent, we must practice all the preceding instructions. Then we can transcend space and time and gain Self-Realization.
Those who are peaceful, great, and saintly, are there in this world. They give us as much joy as the beginning of springtime. One can cross over the ocean of this worldliness, this cycle of birth and death, by their help. They expect nothing in return. They help without any cause, but by sheer compassion. Such a Sadguru is Guru Sir Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji. He will help us to cross this terrible ocean called worldly life which constantly deludes us. We will be able to have the experience of God in our own hearts.
Bhaja Govindam Bhaja Govindam
Govinda Govinda Govinda Govinda.
This week went by very fast. The centenary celebration of Sharada Vilas was the occasion. This is the first Saptaha that I have conducted outside, in Mysuru city. Swamiji also gave permission.
Tomorrow, Shravana month commences. Every Monday during this month, there will be Abhishekam to Lord Shiva with 11 times recitation of the Rudra Mantra, at the ashrama. Please attend. Bring the youth.
If you have heard anything useful, those words are the blessings of Sadguru. If I have uttered anything wrong, those are my errors, kindly forgive, I pray to God.
I am very fond of the Bhaja Govinda Stotram. That is what the organizers Shri Keshava Murthy and others have requested me to expound on. I am very happy. I hope many similar beneficial programs like this take place frequently in Mysuru city.
Kayena vacha
Asato maa sadgamaya
Om Shantisshantisshantihi
Victory to Sadgurunatha, Sri Jayalakshmi Mata, and all gods and deities.
Sri Guru Datta