Bhaja Govindam

Sri Adishankaracharya – Introduction

→ Great thinker and philosopher
→ Born in end of 8th century AD
→ When he was a sanyasi there was a problem regarding the caste and
creed, even he crossed those difficult time.
→ Life span – 32 years
→ Established advaitha vedantha philosophy (base of Hinduism)

Life Of Shankara
→ Birthplace – Kaladi, Village in kerala
→ Parents – Sivaguru, Aryamba
→ Completed the vedic studies at the age of 8
→ Crocodile incident
→ Shankara gave a promise to his mother that he would be at the side
during her last days and perform funeral rights for her

Life Of Being Sanyasa

→ Wandering through south india and reached narmada river
→ He met his guru Govinda bhagavat Pada
→ His guru tought shankara Vedanta philosophy

His Work
→ After seven years, he completed his sadhana (Vedic studies)
→ In 16 years, listening to his guru’s advice he went to kashi
→ He became well known scholar and philosopher
→ Disiciples came in large numbers for him
→ He went on a tour across the country to spread the teachings of Vedanta
(Truth of Upanishads)
→ His disciples accompanied him
→ Disciples – 1. Hastamalaka
2. Thotakacharya
3. Padmapada
4. Suresvaracharya
→ He established mutts at 4 places:Sringeri in south, Badri in north,
Dwaraka in west, Jagannathpuri in east
→ Her mother breathed her last days listening to hymns of Vishnu and shiva
sang by shanakara
→ Established sri chakras in various places such as Kanchi Kamakshi and
Nara naryana Badri etc.
→ Sarvajna Pitha
Stanza 1

“Bhaja Govindam……………Dukrinkarane”

Word Meaning: Moodhamathe- Fool

Samprapthe- When

Kaale- Time

Dukrinkarane– Grammar Rules

Overall Meaning:

Do not waste time reading Sanskrit Panini Grammar and do not be in greed of
money, instead of think of God so that it will help at the time of death

Stanza 2

“Balastavat Kreeda……………Kopi Na Sakthah”

Word Meaning: Tarunastavat: Youth

Vruddhastavath: old age

Tarunee: Young women

Chinta: anxiety

Parame: Supreme god

Overall Meaning: When we are children as youngsters and getting old we think
only the work to do at that time, in those days. Different kinds of worries at the
particular age. But we never get time to think of god.

(Question: can be asked as 3 phases of life)

Stanza 3

“Satsangatwe Nisangatwe……………..Jeevanmukthih”

Word Meaning: Satsangatwe: Good company

Nissangatwe: non-attachment

Nirmohatwe: Freedom from delusion

Nischallathatwe: Reality

Overall meaning:

• To have a good company as well as good people

• Automatically bad peoples connection gets disconnected
• Then it will remove delusion or desires from us
• Then it will take us to the state of Nirmohatwam
• Then we will be having a stead fastened faith and unwavering mind
• Then we would attain the state of mukthi or liberation
Stanza 4

“Twayi Mayi…………..Vishnutvam”

Word Meaning: Anyatra: In All the other place too

Vishnu: Pervading reality

Vyartham: Unnecessarily, Waste

Kupyasi: Getting angry

Twayi: in you

Mayi: in me

Overall Meaning:

→ In you and me and everywhere there is only Vishnu.

→ Always be equal minded
→ No caste, creed all is equal

Stanza 5

“Pranayamam prathiyaharam……….Mahadhavadanam”

Overall Meaning:

• Pranayamam:
→ State of mind and Breath control
→ Watching the good thoughts through our mind and by doing
meditation.
• Prathyaharam:
→ Food control
→ Certain food keeps mind self-control
→ Self-control at the same time keeping the mind active.
• Nithya Anithya Viveka Vivecharam:
→ Analysing what is wrong and what is right?
→ How to discriminate our actions?
• Japya Sametha Samdhi Vidhanam:
→ Jaapa: Meditation
→ Full happiness, Full concentration, Repeating of Mantra
→ Mind merges to mantra, then we would be in a state of Samadhi
(Deep silence)
• Kurvavadhanam Mahadhavadanam:
→ Pay attention (Kurvavadhanam)
→ Achieve the goal (Mahdhavadanam)