Bhaja Govindam - Post 29

Verse 28

सुखतः क्रियते रामाभोगः पश्चाद्धन्त शरीरे रोगः ।

यद्यपि लोके मरणं शरणं तदपि न मुञ्चति पापाचरणम् ॥२८॥

Sukhataḥ kriyate rāmābhogaḥ

paścāddhanta śarīre rogaḥ,

yadyapi loke maraṇaṁ śaraṇaṁ

tadapi na muñcati pāpācaraṇam.

Very readily one indulges in carnal pleasures; thereafter, alas, come diseases of the body. Even though the ultimate end is death in this world, man does not give up his sinful behavior.

The worldly man wants to seize with all his might, every pleasure that the world might offer him and he readily chooses to revel in the frivolous, driven by the animal instincts in him.

He stoops lower than an animal in his mad rush for sense gratification. 

Pleasures of the senses do not bring real happiness. In fact, they only bring misery and ruin. 

Those who indulge in such excessive self-dissipating acts are unwillingly marching towards a bitter end. With the draining of all vitality and energy, the body becomes a prey to all sorts of illness, diseases, afflictions and sufferings.

The temporary nature of all sense objects, and therefore all sensual pleasures, is brought out in this verse. 

Sankara points out that even though man sees so many death all around him and is well aware that he has to die one day, still, he is not willing to give up worldly pleasures and hold on to the feet of Vishnu!!

If we do take the warning about approaching death serious enough, we will use every moment of our life carefully. We will prioritize our daily routine, do that which has to be done and leave out the unnecessary things. There will be no time to spend in sensual indulgence. 

Therefore, Sankara advises, 

“Resist the temptation of the senses, overcome their attractions and realize the truth. Conquer the mind and the sense lures and be a heroic soul. ”

“Aim only at immortality. Live for it. Exert yourself ceaselessly to reach and exist as IMMORTAL SELF”. 

“Let divine thoughts alone flood your heart at all times.”

Dear readers,

Bhakti yoga is not as ancient as the path of Jnana which is the subject matter of our vedantic treatise, our Upanishads.

Much after the Upanishads came into existence, sages and saints later on discovered man’s despair for sense gratification, for earning love, to love and be loved.

This despair, this hunger for love which takes him to lower sensual cravings, was beautifully channelized to Love for God. 

 

Saints like Meera bai, Jayadev, Tyagaraja, Kabir, Tulsidas, Tukaram etc. give to this world, through their own life, the message that all the love one has for this world, for sensual pleasures can be channelized wholly. Towards love for God and man can liberate himself through this PREMA YOGA.

Love.