JOIN USThe saint philosopher Adi Shankaracharya, apart from writing profound philosophical treatises, also wrote many devotional hymns. The most famous among this latter group is the Bhaja Govindam. Known for its poetic excellence as also the lucid exposition of practical truths, it encapsulates the essence of the Vedantic approach. The Bhaja Govindam stresses on the path of devotion as a means to overcome the cycle of births and deaths, rather than acquiring mere theoretical knowledge and material wealth. Timeless truths, driven home in sharp, pointed language with lilting poetic cadence, add to the beauty of this composition. The purpose is to awaken man from his complacence, who, though he knows all the truths mentioned here, chooses to ignore them in preference to worldly pleasures and pursuits and to goad him into embarking upon the inner journey of self-introspection.
Shankara says all rules of grammar and theory will not help when death approaches man. It is only deep, unflinching devotion that will ferry man across this ocean of worldly life. But the obstacles in this journey are many. The lure of wealth, the greed to amass, the dangerous seductive charms of the female, all these are ever ready to distract man from his goal. “Be content with what comes your way without coveting others’ wealth, do not fall prey to the pleasures of the flesh. Life is as uncertain as a droplet of water on a lotus leaf. Quickly redeem yourselves through shedding your ego and acknowledging the supremacy of the Lord,” says Shankara.
As long as one is strong in body and mind and sound in resources, he is respected. When he becomes infirm or devoid of money, he is cast aside. The moment life exits from the body, ‘he’ becomes an ‘it’ with everybody trying to get rid of ‘it’ as soon as possible. “Wealth, friends, youth are all illusory, here now, gone the next moment. The only permanent one is the supreme Lord. Childhood is lost in playfulness, youth in brashness and romance, middle age in acquiring wealth, old age in disease and past memories. Where is the time to think of the Lord”? asks Shankara. “It is futile to resort to the Lord when death is at your door, just like desire when youth has disappeared or a lake without water. Desire is like a monster which clings to you even when the head has gone bald and the teeth have fallen. Many people don the holy robes, dip in the Ganga, do charity. But even after hundreds of lives, they are no better, for they have not shed their desires nor have they acquired true knowledge. Seek the company of the virtuous, develop non-attachment, cultivate steadiness of mind, control your senses and understand that it is only one divinity that dwells in all beings, your true nature. Chant his name, meditate on him and free yourself from repeated births. This is the only way to cross this ocean” says Shankaracharya.