Bhaja Govindam

मूढ जहीहि धनागमतृष्णां कुरु सद्बुद्धिं मनसि वितृष्णाम्। यल्लभसे निजकर्मोपात्तं वित्तं तेन विनोदय चित्तम्

O fool, abandon the craving for wealth; cultivate noble understanding and contentment in your mind. Whatever wealth comes to you through your own actions, find satisfaction in that.

नारीस्तनभर नाभीदेशं दृष्ट्वा मागामोहावेशम् । एतन्मांसावसादि विकारं मनसि विचिन्तय वारं वारम्

Do not fall into delusion by gazing at the breasts and navel of a woman; reflect again and again in your mind that this is only a modification of flesh, fat, and other substances.

नलिनीदलगत जलमतितरलं तद्वज्जीवितमतिशयचपलम् । विद्धि व्याध्यभिमानग्रस्तं लोकं शोकहतं च समस्तम्

The water on a lotus leaf is extremely unsteady; likewise, life is exceedingly fickle. Understand that the world is afflicted by disease, pride, and is entirely struck by sorrow.

यावद्वित्तोपार्जन सक्तः स्तावन्निज परिवारो रक्तः । पश्चाज्जीवति जर्जर देहे वार्तां कोऽपि न पृच्छति गेहे

As long as one is engaged in earning wealth, so long is one's family attached; but when one lives on with a body worn out by age, no one in the house even asks about their well-being.

यावत्पवनो निवसति देहे तावत्पृच्छति कुशलं गेहे । गतवति वायौ देहापाये भार्या बिभ्यति तस्मिन्काये

As long as the breath remains in the body, the family inquires about one's welfare; but when the breath departs and the body falls, even the wife is afraid of that very body.

बालस्तावत्क्रीडासक्तः तरुणस्तावत्तरुणीसक्तः । वृद्धस्तावच्चिन्तासक्तः परे ब्रह्मणि कोऽपि न सक्तः

In childhood, one is absorbed in play; in youth, one is absorbed in the company of women; in old age, one is absorbed in anxiety—yet no one is absorbed in the Supreme Brahman.

काते कान्ता कस्ते पुत्रः संसारोऽयमतीव विचित्रः । कस्य त्वं कः कुत आयातः तत्त्वं चिन्तय तदिह भ्रातः

Who is your beloved? Who is your son? This world is indeed very strange. Whose are you? Who are you? From where have you come? Reflect on this truth here, O brother.

सत्सङ्गत्वे निस्स्ङ्गत्वं निस्सङ्गत्वे निर्मोहत्वम् । निर्मोहत्वे निश्चलतत्त्वं निश्चलतत्त्वे जीवन्मुक्तिः

Through association with the virtuous comes detachment; through detachment arises freedom from delusion; through freedom from delusion comes steadfastness in truth; through steadfastness in truth comes liberation while living.

वयसिगते कः कामविकारः शुष्के नीरे कः कासारः । क्षीणेवित्ते कः परिवारः ज्ञाते तत्त्वे कः संसारः

When old age arrives, where is the agitation of desire? When water is dried up, where is the lake? When wealth is depleted, where are companions? When truth is realized, where is worldly existence?

मा कुरु धन जन यौवन गर्वं हरति निमेषात्कालः सर्वम् । मायामयमिदमखिलं हित्वा ब्रह्मपदं त्वं प्रविश विदित्वा

Do not be proud of wealth, people, or youth; time destroys all in a moment. Having understood that all this is pervaded by illusion, renounce it and enter the state of Brahman.

दिनयामिन्यौ सायं प्रातः शिशिरवसन्तौ पुनरायातः । कालः क्रीडति गच्छत्यायुः तदपि न मुञ्चत्याशावायुः

Day and night, evening and morning, winter and spring return again; time plays and life passes, yet the wind of hope does not leave.

द्वादशमञ्जरिकाभिरशेषः कथितो वैयाकरणस्यैषः । उपदेशो भूद्विद्यानिपुणैः श्रीमच्छन्करभगवच्छरणैः ॥ १२अ ॥ काते कान्ता धन गतचिन्ता वातुल किं तव नास्ति नियन्ता । त्रिजगति सज्जनसं गतिरैका भवति भवार्णवतरणे नौका

Why do you worry about your wife, your wealth, or your possessions? O deluded one, is there no one to guide you? In all three worlds, the company of the good alone is your one refuge; it becomes the boat to cross the ocean of worldly existence.

जटिलो मुण्डी लुञ्छितकेशः काषायाम्बरबहुकृतवेषः । पश्यन्नपि चन पश्यति मूढः उदरनिमित्तं बहुकृतवेषः

One grows matted hair, shaves the head, or plucks out the hair; dons ochre robes and assumes many disguises. Yet, though seeing, the fool does not see; all these are done merely for the sake of the stomach.

अङ्गं गलितं पलितं मुण्डं दशनविहीनं जतं तुण्डम् । वृद्धो याति गृहीत्वा दण्डं तदपि न मुञ्चत्याशापिण्डम्

The body grows old, the hair turns gray, the mouth becomes toothless and the head bald. The old man walks with a staff, yet even then, the bundle of desires does not leave him.

अग्रे वह्निः पृष्ठेभानुः रात्रौ चुबुकसमर्पितजानुः । करतलभिक्षस्तरुतलवासः तदपि न मुञ्चत्याशापाशः

With fire in front and the sun behind, at night with knees pressed to the chin, begging with hands for alms and dwelling under trees—yet even then, the bondage of hope does not release him.

कुरुते गङ्गासागरगमनं व्रतपरिपालनमथवा दानम् । ज्ञानविहिनः सर्वमतेन मुक्तिं न भजति जन्मशतेन

One may go to bathe in the Ganges or the ocean, observe vows, or give charity; but without knowledge, according to all authorities, one does not attain liberation even in a hundred lifetimes.

सुर मंदिर तरु मूल निवासः शय्या भूतल मजिनं वासः । सर्व परिग्रह भोग त्यागः कस्य सुखं न करोति विरागः

Dwelling in a temple of the gods or at the foot of a tree, sleeping on the ground or wearing a deerskin, renouncing all possessions and enjoyments—what happiness does detachment not bring?

योगरतो वाभोगरतोवा सङ्गरतो वा सङ्गवीहिनः । यस्य ब्रह्मणि रमते चित्तं नन्दति नन्दति नन्दत्येव

Whether one delights in yoga or in sense pleasures, whether one enjoys company or lives without it—he whose mind rejoices in Brahman truly rejoices, rejoices, and rejoices indeed.

भगवद् गीता किञ्चिदधीता गङ्गा जललव कणिकापीता । सकृदपि येन मुरारि समर्चा क्रियते तस्य यमेन न चर्चा

He who has studied even a little of the Bhagavad Gita, drunk even a drop of Ganges water, or worshipped Murari even once—of him Yama has no concern.

पुनरपि जननं पुनरपि मरणं पुनरपि जननी जठरे शयनम् । इह संसारे बहुदुस्तारे कृपयाऽपारे पाहि मुरारे

Again birth, again death, again lying in a mother's womb; in this world-cycle, so hard to cross, O Murari, boundless in compassion, protect me.

रथ्या चर्पट विरचित कन्थः पुण्यापुण्य विवर्जित पन्थः । योगी योगनियोजित चित्तो रमते बालोन्मत्तवदेव

Wearing a patched garment made from rags found in the street, following a path beyond virtue and vice, the yogi, his mind absorbed in yoga, delights like a child or a madman.

कस्त्वं कोऽहं कुत आयातः का मे जननी को मे तातः । इति परिभावय सर्वमसारम् विश्वं त्यक्त्वा स्वप्न विचारम्

Who are you? Who am I? From where have I come? Who is my mother, who is my father? Reflect on this thoroughly; everything is unsubstantial. Abandon the world, consider it as a dream.

त्वयि मयि चान्यत्रैको विष्णुः व्यर्थं कुप्यसि मय्यसहिष्णुः । भव समचित्तः सर्वत्र त्वं वाञ्छस्यचिराद्यदि विष्णुत्वम्

In you, in me, and elsewhere, there is only one Vishnu. In vain you are angry with me, impatient one. Be even-minded everywhere, if you wish soon to attain oneness with Vishnu.

शत्रौ मित्रे पुत्रे बन्धौ मा कुरु यत्नं विग्रहसन्धौ । सर्वस्मिन्नपि पश्यात्मानं सर्वत्रोत्सृज भेदाज्ञानम्

Do not strive to create conflict or alliance with enemy, friend, son, or relative; see the Self in all, and everywhere abandon the ignorance of division.

कामं क्रोधं लोभं मोहं त्यक्त्वाऽत्मानं भावय कोऽहम् । आत्मज्ञान विहीना मूढाः ते पच्यन्ते नरकनिगूढाः

Having abandoned desire, anger, greed, and delusion, contemplate the Self, asking 'Who am I?'; those who lack self-knowledge, being deluded, are cooked in the hidden hells.

गेयं गीता नाम सहस्रं ध्येयं श्रीपति रूपमजस्रम् । नेयं सज्जन सङ्गे चित्तं देयं दीनजनाय च वित्तम्

Let the Gita and the thousand names be sung; let the form of the Lord be meditated upon constantly; let the mind dwell in the company of the good; let wealth be given to the needy.

सुखतः क्रियते रामाभोगः पश्चाद्धन्त शरीरे रोगः । यद्यपि लोके मरणं शरणं तदपि न मुञ्चति पापाचरणम्

Pleasures with women are enjoyed happily, but later disease arises in the body; though in this world death is certain, still one does not abandon sinful actions.

अर्थमनर्थं भावय नित्यं नास्तिततः सुखलेशः सत्यम् । पुत्रादपि धन भाजां भीतिः सर्वत्रैषा विहिआ रीतिः

Contemplate always that wealth is a source of misfortune; truly, there is not even a trace of happiness in it. Even the wealthy fear their own sons; this is the way of the world everywhere.

प्राणायामं प्रत्याहारं नित्यानित्य विवेकविचारम् । जाप्यसमेत समाधिविधानं कुर्ववधानं महदवधानम्

Practice breath control, withdrawal of the senses, and discrimination between the eternal and the transient. Along with recitation and the method of meditation, perform these with great attention and care.