Bhaja Govindam – A Timeless Composition by Adi Shankaracharya
Bhaja Govindam is a highly revered Sanskrit hymn composed by the great Indian philosopher and theologian Adi Shankaracharya. This composition is deeply rooted in Vedantic philosophy and devotional sentiment, emphasizing the transitory nature of worldly life and urging individuals to seek divine wisdom and devotion to Govinda (Lord Vishnu/Krishna).
Historical and Philosophical Background
Adi Shankaracharya (8th century CE) was a proponent of Advaita Vedanta, which advocates the concept of non-dualism, asserting that the individual soul (Atman) and the Supreme Reality (Brahman) are one. However, Bhaja Govindam takes a more Bhakti (devotional) approach, instructing seekers to abandon material attachments and dedicate their lives to spiritual pursuits.
The legend behind Bhaja Govindam states that Shankaracharya composed it when he saw an old man memorizing Sanskrit grammar rules. He realized that the man was investing his time in intellectual pursuits rather than spiritual realization. As a result, Shankaracharya spontaneously composed this hymn, urging him to worship Govinda instead of being entangled in worldly knowledge.
Bhaja Govindam’s Relevance Today
Despite being composed centuries ago, Bhaja Govindam remains highly relevant in the modern world. Its teachings encourage:
- Detachment from materialism in an era of consumerism.
- Mindfulness and self-inquiry amidst a fast-paced, digital age.
- The pursuit of spiritual wisdom rather than mere intellectual knowledge.
- A devotional approach to overcoming life’s anxieties and uncertainties.
Bhaja Govindam in English
bhaja govindam bhaja govindam
bhaja govindam müdhamate,
samprápte sannihite kále
na hi na hi rakshati dukrunkarane. ॥ 1 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ..
mūḍha jahīhi dhanāgamatṛṣṇāṃ
kuru sadbuddhiṃ manasi vitṛṣṇām ।
yallabhasē nijakarmōpāttaṃ
vittaṃ tēna vinōdaya chittam ॥ 2 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ
nārīstanabhara-nābhīdēśaṃ
dṛṣṭvā mā gā mōhāvēśam ।
ētanmāṃsavasādivikāraṃ
manasi vichintaya vāraṃ vāram ॥ 3 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ
nalinīdala-gatajalamatitaralaṃ
tadvajjīvitamatiśaya-chapalam ।
viddhi vyādhyabhimānagrastaṃ
lōkaṃ śōkahataṃ cha samastam ॥ 4 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ
yāvadvittōpārjanasaktaḥ
tāvannijaparivārō raktaḥ ।
paśchājjīvati jarjaradēhē
vārtāṃ kō’pi na pṛchChati gēhē ॥ 5 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ …
yāvatpavanō nivasati dēhē
tāvatpṛchChati kuśalaṃ gēhē ।
gatavati vāyau dēhāpāyē
bhāryā bibhyati tasminkāyē ॥ 6 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ …
bālastāvatkrīḍāsaktaḥ
taruṇastāvattaruṇīsaktaḥ ।
vṛddhastāvachchintāsaktaḥ
paramē brahmaṇi kō’pi na saktaḥ ॥ 7 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ …
kā tē kāntā kastē putraḥ
saṃsārō’yamatīva vichitraḥ ।
kasya tvaṃ kaḥ kuta āyātaḥ
tattvaṃ chintaya tadiha bhrātaḥ ॥ 8 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ …
satsaṅgatvē nissaṅgatvaṃ
nissaṅgatvē nirmōhatvam ।
nirmōhatvē niśchalatattvaṃ
niśchalatattvē jīvanmuktiḥ ॥ 9 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ …
vayasi gatē kaḥ kāmavikāraḥ
śuṣkē nīrē kaḥ kāsāraḥ ।
kṣīṇē vittē kaḥ parivāraḥ
jñātē tattvē kaḥ saṃsāraḥ ॥ 10 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ …
mā kuru dhana-jana-yauvana-garvaṃ
harati nimēṣātkālaḥ sarvam ।
māyāmayamidamakhilaṃ hitvā
brahmapadaṃ tvaṃ praviśa viditvā ॥ 11 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ …
dinayāminyau sāyaṃ prātaḥ
śiśiravasantau punarāyātaḥ ।
kālaḥ krīḍati gachChatyāyuḥ
tadapi na muñchatyāśāvāyuḥ ॥ 12 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ …
kā tē kāntā dhanagatachintā
vātula kiṃ tava nāsti niyantā ।
trijagati sajjanasaṅgatirēkā
bhavati bhavārṇavataraṇē naukā ॥ 13 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ …
dvādaśa-mañjarikābhiraśēṣaḥ
kathitō vaiyākaraṇasyaiṣaḥ ।
upadēśō’bhūdvidyā-nipuṇaiḥ
śrīmachChaṅkara-bhagavachCharaṇaiḥ ॥ 14 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ …
jaṭilō muṇḍī luñChitakēśaḥ
kāṣāyāmbara-bahukṛtavēṣaḥ ।
paśyannapi cha na paśyati mūḍhaḥ
udaranimittaṃ bahukṛtavēṣaḥ ॥ 15 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ …
aṅgaṃ galitaṃ palitaṃ muṇḍaṃ
daśanavihīnaṃ jātaṃ tuṇḍam ।
vṛddhō yāti gṛhītvā daṇḍaṃ
tadapi na muñchatyāśāpiṇḍam ॥ 16 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ …
agrē vahniḥ pṛṣṭhē bhānuḥ
rātrau chubuka-samarpita-jānuḥ ।
karatala-bhikṣastarutalavāsaḥ
tadapi na muñchatyāśāpāśaḥ ॥ 17 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ …
kurutē gaṅgāsāgaragamanaṃ
vrata-paripālanamathavā dānam ।
jñānavihīnaḥ sarvamatēna
bhajati na muktiṃ janmaśatēna ॥ 18 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ …
suramandira-taru-mūla-nivāsaḥ
śayyā bhūtalamajinaṃ vāsaḥ ।
sarva-parigraha-bhōgatyāgaḥ
kasya sukhaṃ na karōti virāgaḥ ॥ 19 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ …
yōgaratō vā bhōgaratō vā
saṅgaratō vā saṅgavihīnaḥ ।
yasya brahmaṇi ramatē chittaṃ
nandati nandati nandatyēva ॥ 20 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ …
bhagavadgītā kiñchidadhītā
gaṅgājala-lavakaṇikā pītā ।
sakṛdapi yēna murārisamarchā
kriyatē tasya yamēna na charchā ॥ 21 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ …
punarapi jananaṃ punarapi maraṇaṃ
punarapi jananījaṭharē śayanam ।
iha saṃsārē bahudustārē
kṛpayā’pārē pāhi murārē ॥ 22 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ …
rathyācharpaṭa-virachita-kanthaḥ
puṇyāpuṇya-vivarjita-panthaḥ ।
yōgī yōganiyōjita-chittaḥ
ramatē bālōnmattavadēva ॥ 23 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ …
kastvaṃ kō’haṃ kuta āyātaḥ
kā mē jananī kō mē tātaḥ ।
iti paribhāvaya sarvamasāraṃ
viśvaṃ tyaktvā svapnavichāram ॥ 24 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ …
tvayi mayi chānyatraikō viṣṇuḥ
vyarthaṃ kupyasi mayyasahiṣṇuḥ ।
bhava samachittaḥ sarvatra tvaṃ
vāñChasyachirādyadi viṣṇutvam ॥ 25 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ …
śatrau mitrē putrē bandhau
mā kuru yatnaṃ vigrahasandhau ।
sarvasminnapi paśyātmānaṃ
sarvatrōtsṛja bhēdājñānam ॥ 26 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ …
kāmaṃ krōdhaṃ lōbhaṃ mōhaṃ
tyaktvā”tmānaṃ paśyati sō’ham ।
ātmajñānavihīnā mūḍhāḥ
tē pachyantē narakanigūḍhāḥ ॥ 27 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ …
gēyaṃ gītā-nāmasahasraṃ
dhyēyaṃ śrīpati-rūpamajasram ।
nēyaṃ sajjana-saṅgē chittaṃ
dēyaṃ dīnajanāya cha vittam ॥ 28 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ …
sukhataḥ kriyatē kāmābhōgaḥ
paśchādanta śarīrē rōgaḥ ।
yadyapi lōkē maraṇaṃ śaraṇaṃ
tadapi na muñchati pāpācharaṇam ॥ 29 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ …
arthamanarthaṃ bhāvaya nityaṃ
nāstitataḥ sukhalēśaḥ satyam ।
putrādapi dhanabhājāṃ bhītiḥ
sarvatraiṣā vihitā rītiḥ ॥ 30 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ …
prāṇāyāmaṃ pratyāhāraṃ
nityānitya vivēkavichāram ।
jāpyasamētasamādhividhānaṃ
kurvavadhānaṃ mahadavadhānam ॥ 31 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ …
gurucharaṇāmbuja-nirbharabhaktaḥ
saṃsārādachirādbhava muktaḥ ।
sēndriyamānasa-niyamādēvaṃ
drakṣyasi nijahṛdayasthaṃ dēvam ॥ 32 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ …
mūḍhaḥ kaśchana vaiyākaraṇō
ḍuḥkṛṅkaraṇādhyayanadhurīṇaḥ ।
śrīmachChaṅkara-bhagavachChiṣyaiḥ
bōdhita āsīchChōdhita-karaṇaḥ ॥ 33 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ …
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ
gōvindaṃ bhaja mūḍhamatē ।
nāmasmaraṇādanyamupāyaṃ
nahi paśyāmō bhavataraṇē ॥ 34 ॥
bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ …
