• Source: Bhaja Govindam

"Bhaja Govindam" (Sanskrit: भज गोविन्दं, lit. 'praise/seek Govinda'), also known as "Moha Mudgara" (lit. 'destroyer of illusion'), is a popular Hindu devotional poem in Sanskrit composed by Adi Shankara. It underscores the view that bhakti (devotion) is also important along with jñāna (knowledge), as emphasised by the bhakti movement.




Legend


There is a legend related to the composition of this hymn. It is said that Adi Shankara, accompanied by his disciples, was walking along a street in Varanasi one day, when he came across an old aged scholar reciting the rules of Sanskrit grammar of Panini repeatedly on the street. Taking pity on him, Adi Shankara went up to the scholar and advised him not to waste his time on grammar at his age, but to turn his mind to God in worship and adoration, which would only save him from this vicious cycle of life and death. The hymn "Bhaja Govindam" is said to have been composed on this occasion.




Significance



This composition is a reminder that Adi Shankara, who is often regarded as reviver of the jnana marga, or "path of knowledge", to attain moksha, was also a proponent of the bhakti marga (path of devotion) to attain the same goal. As C. Rajagopalachari put in his commentary, "When intelligence (jnana) matures and lodges securely in the heart, it becomes wisdom (vignyana). When that wisdom (vignyana) is integrated with life and issues out in action, it becomes devotion (bhakti). Knowledge (jnana) which has become mature is spoken of as devotion (bhakti). If it does not get transformed into devotion (bhakti), such knowledge (jnana) is useless tinsel."
In this prayer, Adi Shankara emphasizes the importance of devotion for God as a means to spiritual development and to liberation from the cycle of birth and death. The prayer leaves one in no doubt that the renunciation of our egotistical differences and surrender to God makes for salvation. Many scholars hold that this composition encapsulates with both brevity and simplicity the substance of all Vedantic thought found in whatever other works that Adi Shankara wrote:
"The refrain "Bhaja Govindam", which defines the composition and gives it its name, invokes the almighty in the aspect of Krishna; it is therefore very popular not only with Sri Adi Shankaracharya's immediate followers, the Smarthas, but also with Vaishnavas and others."




Meter / Chandas


The metre is moraic (मात्राछन्दस्). Apart from the first verse, all other verses have 16 matras, which tend to fit the description of the padakulakam variety of matrasamaka [मात्रासमक] in vrtta-ratnakara.




Text and meaning






See also


Hari Stuti
Kanakadhara Stotra
Ashtalakshmi Stotra




References






Further reading



Bhaja Govindam Side by side translation in Hindi and English
Bhaja Govindam by C. Rajagopalachari (online book)
Bhaja Govindam by K. P. Rathnakara Bhatta (online book)
Bhaja Govindam : Follow Your Heart Archived 18 September 2021 at the Wayback Machine published by Vakils Feffer & Simons Pvt Ltd
Bhaja Govindam – Essence of Vedanta for Peace and Happiness by Br. Prasanna Swaroopa
Bhaja Govindam at sanskritdocuments.org
Bhaja Govindam, by Swami Chinmayananda, Chinmaya Mission, eshop.chinmayamission.com




External links


Complete Works of Shankaracharya
Bharatanatyam Rendition of Bhaja Govindam
Talk by Rajaji at carnatic.com
Listen to Bhaja Govidam at Raaga
Bhaja Govindam & its meaning at Kamakoti.org
An insightful commentary on Bhaja Govindam in a six-episode series by Om Swami.
[1]

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Bhaja Govindam
• Govindam
• Bhajan
• Govinda
• M. S. Subbulakshmi
• Attintlo Adde Mogudu
• Bichu Thirumala
• Adi Shankara bibliography
• Jahnavi Harrison
• List of Indian poets