हिंदीOn this day
Shri Krishna

Bhaja Govindam (Moha Mudgara)

Adi ShankaracharyaAdi Shankaracharya509–477 BCE by the reckoning of the Amnaya mathas; 788–820 CE by another widely used reckoning

भज गोविन्दं भज गोविन्दं
गोविन्दं भज मूढमते ।
सम्प्राप्ते सन्निहिते काले
नहि नहि रक्षति डुकृञ्करणे ॥ १ ॥

मूढ जहीहि धनागमतृष्णां
कुरु सद्बुद्धिं मनसि वितृष्णाम् ।
यल्लभसे निजकर्मोपात्तं
वित्तं तेन विनोदय चित्तम् ॥ २ ॥

नारीस्तनभरनाभीदेशं
दृष्ट्वा मा गा मोहावेशम् ।
एतन्मांसवसादिविकारं
मनसि विचिन्तय वारं वारम् ॥ ३ ॥

नलिनीदलगतजलमतितरलं
तद्वज्जीवितमतिशयचपलम् ।
विद्धि व्याध्यभिमानग्रस्तं
लोकं शोकहतं च समस्तम् ॥ ४ ॥

यावद्वित्तोपार्जनसक्तः
तावन्निजपरिवारो रक्तः ।
पश्चाज्जीवति जर्जरदेहे
वार्तां कोऽपि न पृच्छति गेहे ॥ ५ ॥

यावत्पवनो निवसति देहे
तावत्पृच्छति कुशलं गेहे ।
गतवति वायौ देहापाये
भार्या बिभ्यति तस्मिन्काये ॥ ६ ॥

बालस्तावत्क्रीडासक्तः
तरुणस्तावत्तरुणीसक्तः ।
वृद्धस्तावच्चिन्तासक्तः
परे ब्रह्मणि कोऽपि न सक्तः ॥ ७ ॥

का ते कान्ता कस्ते पुत्रः
संसारोऽयमतीव विचित्रः ।
कस्य त्वं कः कुत आयातः
तत्त्वं चिन्तय तदिह भ्रातः ॥ ८ ॥

सत्सङ्गत्वे निःसङ्गत्वं
निःसङ्गत्वे निर्मोहत्वम् ।
निर्मोहत्वे निश्चलतत्त्वं
निश्चलतत्त्वे जीवन्मुक्तिः ॥ ९ ॥

वयसि गते कः कामविकारः
शुष्के नीरे कः कासारः ।
क्षीणे वित्ते कः परिवारः
ज्ञाते तत्त्वे कः संसारः ॥ १० ॥

मा कुरु धनजनयौवनगर्वं
हरति निमेषात्कालः सर्वम् ।
मायामयमिदमखिलं हित्वा
ब्रह्मपदं त्वं प्रविश विदित्वा ॥ ११ ॥

दिनयामिन्यौ सायं प्रातः
शिशिरवसन्तौ पुनरायातः ।
कालः क्रीडति गच्छत्यायुः
तदपि न मुञ्चत्याशावायुः ॥ १२ ॥

द्वादशमञ्जरिकाभिरशेषः
कथितो वैयाकरणस्यैषः ।
उपदेशोऽभूद्विद्यानिपुणैः
श्रीमच्छङ्करभगवच्छरणैः ॥ १२अ ॥

का ते कान्ता धनगतचिन्ता
वातुल किं तव नास्ति नियन्ता ।
त्रिजगति सज्जनसङ्गतिरेका
भवति भवार्णवतरणे नौका ॥ १३ ॥

जटिलो मुण्डी लुञ्चितकेशः
काषायाम्बरबहुकृतवेषः ।
पश्यन्नपि च न पश्यति मूढः
उदरनिमित्तं बहुकृतवेषः ॥ १४ ॥

अङ्गं गलितं पलितं मुण्डं
दशनविहीनं जातं तुण्डम् ।
वृद्धो याति गृहीत्वा दण्डं
तदपि न मुञ्चत्याशापिण्डम् ॥ १५ ॥

अग्रे वह्निः पृष्ठे भानुः
रात्रौ चुबुकसमर्पितजानुः ।
करतलभिक्षस्तरुतलवासः
तदपि न मुञ्चत्याशापाशः ॥ १६ ॥

कुरुते गङ्गासागरगमनं
व्रतपरिपालनमथवा दानम् ।
ज्ञानविहीनः सर्वमतेन
मुक्तिं न भजति जन्मशतेन ॥ १७ ॥

सुरमन्दिरतरुमूलनिवासः
शय्या भूतलमजिनं वासः ।
सर्वपरिग्रहभोगत्यागः
कस्य सुखं न करोति विरागः ॥ १८ ॥

योगरतो वा भोगरतो वा
सङ्गरतो वा सङ्गविहीनः ।
यस्य ब्रह्मणि रमते चित्तं
नन्दति नन्दति नन्दत्येव ॥ १९ ॥

भगवद्गीता किञ्चिदधीता
गङ्गाजललवकणिका पीता ।
सकृदपि येन मुरारिसमर्चा
क्रियते तस्य यमेन न चर्चा ॥ २० ॥

पुनरपि जननं पुनरपि मरणं
पुनरपि जननीजठरे शयनम् ।
इह संसारे बहुदुस्तारे
कृपयाऽपारे पाहि मुरारे ॥ २१ ॥

रथ्याचर्पटविरचितकन्थः
पुण्यापुण्यविवर्जितपन्थः ।
योगी योगनियोजितचित्तो
रमते बालोन्मत्तवदेव ॥ २२ ॥

कस्त्वं कोऽहं कुत आयातः
का मे जननी को मे तातः ।
इति परिभावय सर्वमसारं
विश्वं त्यक्त्वा स्वप्नविचारम् ॥ २३ ॥

त्वयि मयि चान्यत्रैको विष्णुः
व्यर्थं कुप्यसि मय्यसहिष्णुः ।
भव समचित्तः सर्वत्र त्वं
वाञ्छस्यचिराद्यदि विष्णुत्वम् ॥ २४ ॥

शत्रौ मित्रे पुत्रे बन्धौ
मा कुरु यत्नं विग्रहसन्धौ ।
सर्वस्मिन्नपि पश्यात्मानं
सर्वत्रोत्सृज भेदाज्ञानम् ॥ २५ ॥

कामं क्रोधं लोभं मोहं
त्यक्त्वात्मानं भावय कोऽहम् ।
आत्मज्ञानविहीना मूढाः
ते पच्यन्ते नरकनिगूढाः ॥ २६ ॥

गेयं गीतानामसहस्रं
ध्येयं श्रीपतिरूपमजस्रम् ।
नेयं सज्जनसङ्गे चित्तं
देयं दीनजनाय च वित्तम् ॥ २७ ॥

सुखतः क्रियते रामाभोगः
पश्चाद्धन्त शरीरे रोगः ।
यद्यपि लोके मरणं शरणं
तदपि न मुञ्चति पापाचरणम् ॥ २८ ॥

अर्थमनर्थं भावय नित्यं
नास्ति ततः सुखलेशः सत्यम् ।
पुत्रादपि धनभाजां भीतिः
सर्वत्रैषा विहिता रीतिः ॥ २९ ॥

प्राणायामं प्रत्याहारं
नित्यानित्यविवेकविचारम् ।
जाप्यसमेतसमाधिविधानं
कुर्ववधानं महदवधानम् ॥ ३० ॥

गुरुचरणाम्बुजनिर्भरभक्तः
संसारादचिराद्भव मुक्तः ।
सेन्द्रियमानसनियमादेवं
द्रक्ष्यसि निजहृदयस्थं देवम् ॥ ३१ ॥

मूढः कश्चन वैयाकरणो
डुकृञ्करणाध्ययनधुरीणः ।
श्रीमच्छङ्करभगवच्छिष्यैः
बोधित आसीच्छोधितकरणः ॥ ३२ ॥

भज गोविन्दं भज गोविन्दं
गोविन्दं भज मूढमते ।
नामस्मरणादन्यमुपायं
नहि पश्यामो भवतरणे ॥ ३३ ॥

Meaning

1. Worship Govinda, worship Govinda, worship Govinda, O foolish mind. When the appointed time of death draws near, the grammar rule "ḍukṛñ karaṇe" will not save you.

2. Fool, give up the thirst to pile up wealth. Turn the mind to the good and free it of craving. Whatever wealth comes to you by your own karma, be content with it.

3. Seeing the form of a woman's body, do not fall into infatuation. It is only a change of flesh and fat; think on this again and again.

4. Life is as unsteady as a drop of water trembling on a lotus leaf. Know that the whole world is gripped by disease and pride, and struck by grief.

5. As long as a man is busy earning, his family stays fond of him. Later, when he lives on in a worn-out body, no one at home even asks how he is.

6. As long as breath dwells in the body, people at home ask after his welfare. When the breath has gone and the body falls, even his wife fears that same body.

7. The child is absorbed in play, the youth in the young woman, the old man in worry. No one is absorbed in the Supreme Brahman.

8. Who is your wife, who is your son? This samsara is strange indeed. Whose are you, who are you, where have you come from? Think on this truth here and now, brother.

9. From the company of the good comes detachment; from detachment, freedom from delusion; from freedom from delusion, the unmoving Truth; from the unmoving Truth, liberation while still living.

10. When youth has gone, where is lust? When the water has dried, where is the lake? When wealth is spent, where are the dependants? When the Truth is known, where is samsara?

11. Do not be proud of wealth, of followers or of youth; Time takes them all away in the blink of an eye. Leave this whole world made of maya, know Brahman, and enter that state.

12. Day and night, dusk and dawn, winter and spring come and go again. Time plays, life ebbs away, and still the wind of desire does not let go.

12a. This whole teaching, in twelve flower-clusters of verse, was given to a grammarian by the revered Shri Shankara Bhagavatpada, master of all learning.

13. Why worry about wife and wealth, you who are crazed? Is there no one to guide you? In the three worlds only the company of the good is the boat that crosses the ocean of becoming.

14. One wears matted locks, one shaves his head, one plucks out his hair, another puts on ochre robes and many other guises. The fool sees and still does not see; all these disguises are for the sake of his belly.

15. The limbs have grown weak, the head is grey, the mouth has no teeth left. The old man walks leaning on a stick, and still he does not let go of the bundle of hopes.

16. Fire in front, sun behind; at night he sits with his chin on his knees. He takes alms in his palm and lives under a tree, and still the noose of desire does not let him go.

17. One may go on pilgrimage to Gangasagar, keep vows or give in charity. Without knowledge, says every school, he does not reach liberation even in a hundred births.

18. Living in a temple or at the foot of a tree, sleeping on the ground, wearing a deerskin, giving up every possession and pleasure: whom does such dispassion not make happy?

19. Whether given to yoga or to enjoyment, whether in company or alone, he whose mind delights in Brahman rejoices, rejoices, rejoices indeed.

20. For one who has studied even a little of the Bhagavad Gita, drunk even a drop of Ganga water, and worshipped Murari even once, there is no dispute with Yama.

21. Birth again, death again, lying again in a mother's womb. In this samsara, so hard to cross and without a shore, protect me by your grace, O Murari.

22. The yogi wears a quilt stitched from rags picked off the road; his path is beyond merit and sin. His mind is joined in yoga, and he delights like a child or one carried away.

23. Who are you, who am I, where have I come from? Who is my mother, who is my father? Reflect thus, and see all this as without substance; leave the world as one leaves a dream.

24. In you, in me and in all else there is one Vishnu. In vain you are angry with me and impatient. Be even-minded everywhere, if you wish soon to attain the state of Vishnu.

25. Do not strive for quarrel or alliance with enemy, friend, son or kin. See the Self in everything, and give up everywhere the ignorance that sees difference.

26. Give up lust, anger, greed and delusion, and reflect on the Self: who am I? Fools without knowledge of the Self are hidden in hell and burn there.

27. Sing the Gita and the thousand names; meditate always on the form of Shripati, Lakshmi's Lord. Lead the mind to the company of the good, and give wealth to the poor.

28. Men turn easily to pleasures of the senses; later, alas, the body falls ill. Though in this world death is the end of all, still they do not give up sinful ways.

29. Always see wealth as trouble; in truth there is not a trace of happiness in it. The rich fear even their own sons. This is how it is everywhere.

30. Pranayama, pratyahara, discernment of the eternal from the passing, the practice of samadhi together with japa: do these with care, with great care.

31. Devoted wholly to the lotus feet of the guru, be free of samsara soon. By restraining the senses and the mind, you will see the Lord who dwells in your own heart.

32. Thus a foolish grammarian, lost in the rule "ḍukṛñ karaṇe", was taught by the disciples of Shri Shankara Bhagavatpada and his mind was made clear.

33. Worship Govinda, worship Govinda, worship Govinda, O foolish mind. Other than remembering the Name, we see no way to cross the ocean of becoming.

About this bhajan

Tradition tells that Adi Shankaracharya, walking through Kashi with his disciples, heard an old scholar loudly cramming Panini's dhatu rule "ḍukṛñ karaṇe". He sang the first verse on the spot, and the rest followed. The first twelve verses, the dvadasha-manjarika, are held to be his own; the next fourteen, tradition says, were spoken one by one by the disciples who walked with him, and the closing verses return to the Acharya. That is why the hymn is also called Moha Mudgara, the hammer for delusion. The language is the plainest Sanskrit Shankara ever used, rhymed like a folk song, so that a child can sing it and an old man can weep at it. The refrain ties the whole of Advaita to one practice: take the name of Govinda.

Adi Shankaracharya, Bhaja Govindam (Moha Mudgara), vv. 1–33 with the colophon verse after v. 12 (sa.wikisource "भजगोविन्दम्"); typing errors of that page corrected against the standard recited text