Bhaja Govindam (Moha Mudagaram) - English

Oh fool! Give up your thirst to amass wealth, devote your mind to thoughts to the Real. Be content with what comes through actions already performed in the past.

nārīstanabhara-nābhīdēśaṃ
dṛṣṭvā mā gā mōhāvēśam ।
ētanmāṃsavasādivikāraṃ
manasi vichintaya vāraṃ vāram ॥ 3 ॥

Do not get drowned in delusion by going wild with passions and lust by seeing a woman's navel and chest. These are nothing but a modification of flesh. Fail not to remember this again and again in your mind.

nalinīdala-gatajalamatitaralaṃ
tadvajjīvitamatiśaya-chapalam ।
viddhi vyādhyabhimānagrastaṃ
lōkaṃ śōkahataṃ cha samastam ॥ 4 ॥

The life of a person is as uncertain as rain drops trembling on a lotus leaf. Know that the whole world remains prey to disease, ego and grief.

yāvadvittōpārjanasaktaḥ
tāvannijaparivārō raktaḥ ।
paśchājjīvati jarjaradēhē
vārtāṃ kō'pi na pṛchChati gēhē ॥ 5 ॥

So long as a man is fit and able to support his family, see what affection all those around him show. But no one at home cares to even have a word with him when his body totters due to old age.

yāvatpavanō nivasati dēhē
tāvatpṛchChati kuśalaṃ gēhē ।
gatavati vāyau dēhāpāyē
bhāryā bibhyati tasminkāyē ॥ 6 ॥

When one is alive, his family members enquire kindly about his welfare. But when the soul departs from the body, even his wife runs away in fear of the corpse.

bālastāvatkrīḍāsaktaḥ
taruṇastāvattaruṇīsaktaḥ ।
vṛddhastāvachchintāsaktaḥ
paramē brahmaṇi kō'pi na saktaḥ ॥ 7 ॥

The childhood is lost by attachment to playfulness. Youth is lost by attachment to woman. Old age passes away by thinking over many things. But there is hardly anyone who wants to be lost in parabrahman.

kā tē kāntā kastē putraḥ
saṃsārō'yamatīva vichitraḥ ।
kasya tvaṃ kaḥ kuta āyātaḥ
tattvaṃ chintaya tadiha bhrātaḥ ॥ 8 ॥

Who is your wife? Who is your son? Strange is this samsAra, the world. Of whom are you? From where have you come? Brother, ponder over these truths.

satsaṅgatvē nissaṅgatvaṃ
nissaṅgatvē nirmōhatvam ।
nirmōhatvē niśchalatattvaṃ
niśchalatattvē jīvanmuktiḥ ॥ 9 ॥

From satsanga, company of good people, comes non-attachment, from non-attachment comes freedom from delusion, which leads to self-settledness. From self-settledness comes the ultimate liberation.

vayasi gatē kaḥ kāmavikāraḥ
śuṣkē nīrē kaḥ kāsāraḥ ।
kṣīṇē vittē kaḥ parivāraḥ
jñātē tattvē kaḥ saṃsāraḥ ॥ 10 ॥

What good is lust when youth has fled?
What use is a lake which has no water?
Where are the relatives when wealth is gone?
Where is samsAra, the world, when the Truth is known?

mā kuru dhana-jana-yauvana-garvaṃ
harati nimēṣātkālaḥ sarvam ।
māyāmayamidamakhilaṃ hitvā
brahmapadaṃ tvaṃ praviśa viditvā ॥ 11 ॥

Do not boast of wealth, friends, and youth. Each one of these is destroyed within a minute of time. Free yourself from the illusion of the world of Maya and attain the timeless Truth.

dinayāminyau sāyaṃ prātaḥ
śiśiravasantau punarāyātaḥ ।
kālaḥ krīḍati gachChatyāyuḥ
tadapi na muñchatyāśāvāyuḥ ॥ 12 ॥

Daylight and darkness, dusk and dawn, winter and springtime come and go. Time plays and life ebbs away. But the storm of desire never leaves.

kā tē kāntā dhanagatachintā
vātula kiṃ tava nāsti niyantā ।
trijagati sajjanasaṅgatirēkā
bhavati bhavārṇavataraṇē naukā ॥ 13 ॥

Oh mad man! Why this engrossment in thoughts of wealth? Is there no one to guide you? There is only one thing in three worlds that can save you from the ocean of samsAra, get into the boat of satsanga, company of good people, quickly.

dvādaśa-mañjarikābhiraśēṣaḥ
kathitō vaiyākaraṇasyaiṣaḥ ।
upadēśō'bhūdvidyā-nipuṇaiḥ
śrīmachChaṅkara-bhagavachCharaṇaiḥ ॥ 14 ॥

This bouquet of twelve verses (2-13) was imparted to a grammarian by the all-knowing Shankara, adored as the bhagavadpada.
The following 14 form chaturdaśamañjarikā.

jaṭilō muṇḍī luñChitakēśaḥ
kāṣāyāmbara-bahukṛtavēṣaḥ ।
paśyannapi cha na paśyati mūḍhaḥ
udaranimittaṃ bahukṛtavēṣaḥ ॥ 15 ॥

There are many who go with matted locks, many who have clean shaven heads, many whose hairs have been plucked out; some are clothed in orange, yet others in various colors -all just for a livelihood. Seeing truth revealed before them, still the foolish ones see it not.

aṅgaṃ galitaṃ palitaṃ muṇḍaṃ
daśanavihīnaṃ jātaṃ tuṇḍam ।
vṛddhō yāti gṛhītvā daṇḍaṃ
tadapi na muñchatyāśāpiṇḍam ॥ 16 ॥

Strength has left the old man's body; his head has become bald, his gums toothless and leaning on crutches. Even then the attachment is strong and he clings firmly to fruitless desires.

agrē vahniḥ pṛṣṭhē bhānuḥ
rātrau chubuka-samarpita-jānuḥ ।
karatala-bhikṣastarutalavāsaḥ
tadapi na muñchatyāśāpāśaḥ ॥ 17 ॥

Behold there lies the man who sits warming up his body with the fire in front and the sun at the back; at night he curls up the body to keep out of the cold; he eats his beggar's food from the bowl of his hand and sleeps beneath the tree. Still in his heart, he is a wretched puppet at the hands of passions.

kurutē gaṅgāsāgaragamanaṃ
vrata-paripālanamathavā dānam ।
jñānavihīnaḥ sarvamatēna
bhajati na muktiṃ janmaśatēna ॥ 18 ॥

One may go to Ganga river, observe fasts, and give away riches in charity ! Yet, devoid of the true knowledge, nothing can give mukti even at the end of a hundred births.

suramandira-taru-mūla-nivāsaḥ
śayyā bhūtalamajinaṃ vāsaḥ ।
sarva-parigraha-bhōgatyāgaḥ
kasya sukhaṃ na karōti virāgaḥ ॥ 19 ॥

Take your residence in a temple or below a tree, wear the deerskin for the dress, and sleep with mother earth as your bed. Give up all attachments and renounce all comforts. Blessed with such vairgya, could any fail to be content?

yōgaratō vā bhōgaratō vā
saṅgaratō vā saṅgavihīnaḥ ।
yasya brahmaṇi ramatē chittaṃ
nandati nandati nandatyēva ॥ 20 ॥

One may take delight in yoga or bhoga, may have attachment or detachment. But only he whose mind steadily delights in Brahman enjoys bliss, no one else.

bhagavadgītā kiñchidadhītā
gaṅgājala-lavakaṇikā pītā ।
sakṛdapi yēna murārisamarchā
kriyatē tasya yamēna na charchā ॥ 21 ॥

Let a man read but a little from bhagavadgItA, drink just a drop of water from the Ganges, worship but once murAri. He then will have no altercation with Yama.

punarapi jananaṃ punarapi maraṇaṃ
punarapi jananījaṭharē śayanam ।
iha saṃsārē bahudustārē
kṛpayā'pārē pāhi murārē ॥ 22 ॥

Born again, death again, again to stay in the mother's womb! It is indeed hard to cross this boundless ocean of samsAra. Oh Murari! Redeem me through Thy mercy.

rathyācharpaṭa-virachita-kanthaḥ
puṇyāpuṇya-vivarjita-panthaḥ ।
yōgī yōganiyōjita-chittaḥ
ramatē bālōnmattavadēva ॥ 23 ॥

There is no shortage of clothing for a monk so long as there are rags cast off the road. Freed from vices and virtues, onward he wanders. One who lives in communion with god enjoys bliss, pure and uncontaminated, like a child and as an intoxicated.

kastvaṃ kō'haṃ kuta āyātaḥ
kā mē jananī kō mē tātaḥ ।
iti paribhāvaya sarvamasāraṃ
viśvaṃ tyaktvā svapnavichāram ॥ 24 ॥

Who are you? Who am I? From where do I come? Who is my mother, who is my father? Ponder thus, look at everything as essence-less and give up the world as an idle dream.

tvayi mayi chānyatraikō viṣṇuḥ
vyarthaṃ kupyasi mayyasahiṣṇuḥ ।
bhava samachittaḥ sarvatra tvaṃ
vāñChasyachirādyadi viṣṇutvam ॥ 25 ॥

In me, in you and in everything, none but the same Vishnu dwells. Your anger and impatience is meaningless. If you wish to attain the status of Vishnu, have samabhAva, equanimity, always.

śatrau mitrē putrē bandhau
mā kuru yatnaṃ vigrahasandhau ।
sarvasminnapi paśyātmānaṃ
sarvatrōtsṛja bhēdājñānam ॥ 26 ॥

Waste not your efforts to win the love of or to fight against friend and foe, children and relatives. See yourself in everyone and give up all feelings of duality completely.

kāmaṃ krōdhaṃ lōbhaṃ mōhaṃ
tyaktvā''tmānaṃ paśyati sō'ham ।
ātmajñānavihīnā mūḍhāḥ
tē pachyantē narakanigūḍhāḥ ॥ 27 ॥

Give up lust, anger, infatuation, and greed. Ponder over your real nature. Fools are they who are blind to the Self. Cast into hell, they suffer there endlessly.

gēyaṃ gītā-nāmasahasraṃ
dhyēyaṃ śrīpati-rūpamajasram ।
nēyaṃ sajjana-saṅgē chittaṃ
dēyaṃ dīnajanāya cha vittam ॥ 28 ॥

Regularly recite from the Gita, meditate on Vishnu in your heart, and chant His thousand glories. Take delight to be with the noble and the holy. Distribute your wealth in charity to the poor and the needy.

sukhataḥ kriyatē kāmābhōgaḥ
paśchādanta śarīrē rōgaḥ ।
yadyapi lōkē maraṇaṃ śaraṇaṃ
tadapi na muñchati pāpācharaṇam ॥ 29 ॥

He who yields to lust for pleasure leaves his body a prey to disease. Though death brings an end to everything, man does not give-up the sinful path.

arthamanarthaṃ bhāvaya nityaṃ
nāstitataḥ sukhalēśaḥ satyam ।
putrādapi dhanabhājāṃ bhītiḥ
sarvatraiṣā vihitā rītiḥ ॥ 30 ॥

Wealth is not welfare, truly there is no joy in it. Reflect thus at all times. A rich man fears even his own son. This is the way of wealth everywhere.

prāṇāyāmaṃ pratyāhāraṃ
nityānitya vivēkavichāram ।
jāpyasamētasamādhividhānaṃ
kurvavadhānaṃ mahadavadhānam ॥ 31 ॥

Regulate the prANa-s, life forces, remain unaffected by external influences and discriminate between the real and the fleeting. Chant the holy name of God and silence the turbulent mind. Perform these with care, with extreme care.

gurucharaṇāmbuja-nirbharabhaktaḥ
saṃsārādachirādbhava muktaḥ ।
sēndriyamānasa-niyamādēvaṃ
drakṣyasi nijahṛdayasthaṃ dēvam ॥ 32 ॥

Oh devotee of the lotus feet of the Guru! May thou be soon free from Samsara. Through disciplined senses and controlled mind, thou shalt come to experience the indwelling Lord of your heart!

mūḍhaḥ kaśchana vaiyākaraṇō
ḍuḥkṛṅkaraṇādhyayanadhurīṇaḥ ।
śrīmachChaṅkara-bhagavachChiṣyaiḥ
bōdhita āsīchChōdhita-karaṇaḥ ॥ 33 ॥

Thus a silly grammarian lost in rules cleansed of his narrow vision and shown the Light by Shankara's apostles.

bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ
gōvindaṃ bhaja mūḍhamatē ।
nāmasmaraṇādanyamupāyaṃ
nahi paśyāmō bhavataraṇē ॥ 34 ॥

Worship Govinda, worship Govinda, worship Govinda, Oh fool! Other than chanting the Lord's names, there is no other way to cross the life's ocean.

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