Bhaja Govindam

Verse 5

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

Meaning: As long as the breath resides in the body, the family asks about one's welfare. Once the breath departs and the body falls, even one's own wife grows afraid of that same body.

Verse 6

बालस्तावत्क्रीडासक्तः तरुणस्तावत्तरुणीसक्तः । वृद्धस्तावच्चिन्तासक्तः परे ब्रह्मणि कोऽपि न सक्तः ॥

Meaning: The child is absorbed in play, the youth in the beloved, the old person in endless worries — but hardly anyone turns their mind toward the Supreme Brahman.

Verse 7

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

Meaning: Who is your wife, who is your son? This worldly existence is truly strange and wonderful. Whose are you, who are you, where have you come from? Reflect on this truth, O brother, right here and now.

Verse 8

सत्सङ्गत्वे निस्सङ्गत्वं निस्सङ्गत्वे निर्मोहत्वम् । निर्मोहत्वे निश्चलतत्त्वं निश्चलतत्त्वे जीवन्मुक्तिः ॥

Meaning: From the company of the wise arises detachment; from detachment arises freedom from delusion; from freedom from delusion arises steadiness in truth; and from steadiness in truth arises liberation while still living (jivanmukti).

Verse 9

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

Meaning: When youth has passed, what use is sensual desire? When the water has dried up, what remains of the lake? When wealth is exhausted, where is the family that once surrounded you? And when the ultimate truth is known, what remains of this worldly illusion?

Verse 10

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

Meaning: Do not take pride in wealth, family or youth — time snatches away everything in the blink of an eye. Renouncing this entirely illusory world, realise the truth and enter into the state of Brahman.

Verse 11

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

Meaning: Day and night, evening and morning, winter and spring keep returning in cycles. Time keeps playing its game and life keeps ebbing away, and yet the wind of worldly desire never leaves a person.

Verse 12

अग्रे वह्निः पृष्ठे भानुः रात्रौ चुबुकसमर्पितजानुः । करतलभिक्षा तरुतलवासः तदपि न मुञ्चत्याशापाशः ॥

Meaning: Fire in front, the sun behind, at night resting with chin upon the knees, begging with cupped hands, living beneath a tree — even such an austere ascetic often cannot free himself from the noose of worldly craving.

Verses of the Disciples (continuing in the same spirit)

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

Meaning: Who are you, who am I, from where have I come? Who is my mother, who is my father? Reflect on all of this as insubstantial, and see this world as no different from a dream.

गेयं गीता नाम सहस्रं ध्येयं श्रीपतिरूपमजस्रम् । नेयं सज्जनसङ्गे चित्तं देयं दीनजनाय च वित्तम् ॥

Meaning: Let the Gita be sung, let the thousand names of the Lord be recited, let the mind ever meditate upon the form of Sripati (Vishnu), let the mind be led into the company of the noble, and let wealth be given to the needy.

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

Meaning: For fleeting pleasure a person indulges the body, and later, alas, disease afflicts that very body. Even though every being in this world must ultimately surrender to death, one still does not give up sinful conduct.

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

Meaning: Understand always that wealth truly leads to trouble; there is not the slightest true happiness in it. Even a wealthy man fears his own son over his riches — such is the way of the world everywhere.

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

Meaning: Birth again and again, death again and again, and again lying in a mother's womb — in this vast ocean of worldly existence, so difficult to cross, O Murari, protect me through Your boundless mercy.

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

Meaning: One matted-haired, another shaven-headed, another with plucked hair, wearing saffron robes in many disguises — yet, even while seeing the truth, the foolish do not truly see it; all these many disguises are often adopted merely to fill the stomach.

कदा वाराणस्यां भवति वसतिः तटतरणी तीरे वारिनिधौ । गङ्गातीरे शिवसन्निधौ स्वयं कदा वा शयनं भवति ॥

Meaning: When shall I dwell in Varanasi, when shall I sit upon a boat crossing to its shores? When shall I rest on the banks of the Ganga, close to Bhagwan Shiva, having given up all worldly attachment?

भगवद्गीता किञ्चिदधीता गङ्गा जललवकणिका पीता । सकृदपि येन मुरारि समर्चा क्रियते तस्य यमेन न चर्चा ॥

Meaning: One who has studied even a little of the Bhagavad Gita, who has drunk even a drop of Ganga water, who has worshipped Murari even once with true devotion — such a person is not questioned by Yama, the lord of death.

पुनरपि रजनी पुनरपि दिवसः पुनरपि पक्षः पुनरपि मासः । पुनरप्ययनं पुनरपि वर्षं तदपि न मुञ्चत्याशामर्षम् ॥

Meaning: Again night, again day, again a fortnight, again a month, again a solstice, again a year comes and goes — and yet, desire and its restlessness never leave a person.

Every verse of Bhaja Govindam circles back to the same refrain, "Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam, Govindam bhaja moodhamate" — a call repeated throughout, as Shankaracharya's disciples continued composing further verses in this same spirit (the full traditional text runs to about thirty-one verses in most printed editions, together known as the Dvadashamanjarika and Charpata Panjarika Stotrams). The message throughout stays constant: worldly pursuits of wealth, youth, beauty and pride are temporary, but devotion to Govinda and knowledge of the Self are the true and lasting refuge.