Bhaja Govindam - Post 1

भज गोविन्दं भज गोविन्दं गोविन्दं भज मूढमते ।

सम्प्राप्ते सन्निहिते काले नहि नहि रक्षति डुकृङ्करणे ॥ १॥

BHAJA GOVINDAṀ BHAJA GOVINDAṀ GOVINDAṀ BHAJAMŪḌHAMaATE

SAMPRĀPTE SANNIHITE KAĀLE NAHI NAHI RAKŚATI ḌUKṚÑ KARAṆE

[Seek Govinda, Seek Govinda, Seek Govinda, O Fool! When the appointed time (death) comes grammar-rules surely will not save you.]

Govinda – Govinda is to be understood as:-

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

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

He who confers speech – or one who enlivens all sense organs 

He who is known through the Vedas – the supreme reality indicated by the Maha Vakyas 

In short, Govinda is the supreme Brahman or the Atman. 

The significance of repetition of Bhaja Govindam

This line conveys the remedy for all our ills, whether physical, mental or spiritual. The line is a refrain sung at the end of each verse. It therefore underlines the central message of the entire poem. Bhaja “Worship!” says the poet. Worship whom? – Govinda, the Lord!!!

Devotees, here, when we extend the expression “Bhaja” to our singing “Bhajans”, then what does it convey??

The true Bhajan is total subjective surrender in love and devotion at the altar of the Lord.  Every week when sit in the hall and the Bhajan starts, our entire identity must dissolve at the lotus feet of our Lord and we have to merge with our Lord, at least during that one hour duration!!

We sometimes end up praising our own bhajan rendering and lose sight of the very essence, very object of worship - BHAGAWAN!!!!

Govinda is gone, only interesting bhajans remains!!!!

Govindam Bhaja

To ensure that the message reaches to one and all, Sankara repeats the instruction, this time switching the words around so that the emphasis is on God.

To ensure that the devotee does not get caught up with the nuances of Bhaja and Bhajans and in the process, lose cognizance of the Lord, the poet repeats, placing the Lord’s name first and sings - GOVINDAM BHAJA!!

Exactly as a bhajan starts with “SAI OM SAI OM SAI OM” instead of starting with OM SAI or OM SAINATHA or OM IS SAI!!!

The purpose as though is, “NEVER LOSE SIGHT / REMEMBRANCE OF GOD, EVEN FOR A FRACTION OF A SECOND.”

Moodhamate:

If we are not turning towards God, then we are fools, says the poet. It is not time to be too polite. This is a wake-up call to sleeping mankind. We are so immersed in forgetfulness of God that only a harsh means can turn our minds Godward. 

In the language of Sankaracharya, Moodha has a Vedantic connotation. It does not mean “foolish” as we usually understand the word. It is referring to one who is spiritually ignorant. 

One may be highly intelligent, be successful in all his endeavor in his life, may be rich, powerful, influential etc., but may still be ignorant of the purpose of his life, may be ignorant of spiritual teachings and may be ignorant of need for Spiritual Sadhana.

 Kaale

“The appointed time”, also has an implied meaning. It stands for “death”. At the time of our birth, our death has already been decided. 

A reminder of death is appropriate to the awakening call of the poet. Only death has the power to knock some sense into our deluded minds. It has a sobering effect on us to curb our unbridled romp with indulgence. 

Man's life is but a short period and before the dissolution of his body, he has to find out the technique by which eternal freedom can be attained. 

He should not dissipate his energies in diverse mundane pursuits but should devote himself to God realization / Self Realization.

He has to pay only minimum required attention as is enough to lead a simple and decent life and devote the rest of his time in Spiritual sadhana

Dukrin karane

“Grammar rules”. The word comes from the ‘Kru’ Dhatu and is the root for Karma or action. It has to be taken to represent all secular forms of knowledge – i.e. Apara Vidya. 

The difference between secular and spiritual knowledge will be taken up in greater detail when we study the Upanishads, but here it is enough to know that ‘Apara’ Vidya is knowledge that will assist us only in getting on in the world. 

The higher ‘Para’ Vidya deals with knowledge of Brahman or the Self, and is of a totally different nature and purpose from the former. 

Not only that, but there is a suggestion that taking recourse solely to actions (from the root ‘Krn’, “to do”) will not help us spiritually; knowledge is what is needed. There is no escape from knowledge on the path to liberation. 

We may start with “doing”, but we have to end in our quest by “being”. 

Only actions cannot lead to moksha is perhaps the essence of the line “nahi nahi rakshati Dukrin Karane”. (A detailed explanation is given in Step 6 of this post Step 6: Avidya-Kama-Karma….)

Actions or, let us say, ritualistic actions / prayers / study of spiritual texts / monotonous chanting of Lord’s names etc.- all these may have some impact for some time but will definitely not help us when the call of death comes to us!!!

So, for moving from death to deathlessness, from mrtyu to amrtam, what is needed?

“BHAJA GOVINDAM”

(Engage in incessant prayers / worship of God / Self)

i.e., attaining Govinda, the chosen Lord in form, and dissolving ourselves in our Love for God in the path of devotion;

or 

Through sravanam, mananam and nidhidhyasanam, experiencing the inner subjective experience of   SELF / ATMAN in the path of Jnana.

Sankara's call through this verse, as though, is:-

"Seek, Seek, Seek the Self,

Seek, Seek, Seek the Self alone".

Love.