Workship Govinda

Worship Govinda, Worship Govinda, Worship Govinda.......

 The Acharya is said to have composed the Bhaja Govindam during his famous pilgrimage to Kashi(Benares).The fourteen disciples are said to have accompanied him. The story goes that when he was walking along the streets of Kashi, he was pained to observe an elderly man trying hard to learn Sanskrit grammar. At his advanced age, the remaining valuable little time of his life should have been used for worshipping the God, instead of wasting on learning a language. This prompted Sri Sankara to burst out this composition, a sort of rebuke to foolish way of living.

The Acharya urges the man to turn towards God and sing His glory instead of trying to learn a language. A censure is implied when the Acharya calls the man a fool(Mudhamathe). It may be added here that the tone of Bhaja Govindam is not at all soft, but somewhat striking, in spite of its exotic poetic beauty and perfection of composition. This is no wonder, because such a treatment is required to wake up man from his slumber. A milder approach would delay the matter. The matter is urgent, as the Acharya explains in the next verse, for, when the hour of death approaches without any forewarning; the hard-learned verses of grammar are not going to save the poor soul. Hence the song rightly starts without any preamble:

bhajagovindaM bhajagovindaM
govindaM bhaja muDhamate.
saMpraapte sannihite kaale
nahi nahi rakshati DukRiJNkaraNe .. (1)

Worship Govinda, Worship Govinda, Worship Govinda. Oh fool! Rules of Grammar will not save you at the time of your death.

mUDha jahiihi dhanaagamatRishhNaaM
kuru sadbuddhiM manasi vitRishhNaam.
yallabhase nijakarmopaattaM
vittaM tena vinodaya chittam. .. (2)

Oh fool! Give up your thirst to amass wealth, devote your mind to thoughts to the Real. Be content with what comes through actions already performed in the past.

naariistanabhara naabhiideshaM
dRishhTvaa maagaamohaavesham.
etanmaaMsaavasaadi vikaaraM
manasi vichintaya vaaraM vaaram. .. (3)

Do not get drowned in delusion by going wild with passions and lust by seeing a woman's navel and chest. These are nothing but a modification of flesh. Do not fail to remember this again and again in your mind.

naliniidalagata jalamatitaralaM
tadvajjiivitamatishayachapalam.
viddhi vyaadhyabhimaanagrastaM
lokaM shokahataM cha samastam .. ( 4 )

The life of a man is as uncertain as rain drops trembling on a lotus leaf. Know that the whole world remains a prey to disease, ego and grief.

yaavadvittopaarjana sakta H
staavannija parivaaro rakta H.
pashchaajjiivati jarjara dehe
vaartaaM ko.api na pRichchhati gehe .. ( 5 )

So long as a man is fit and able to support his family, see the affection all those around him show. But no one at home cares to even have a word with him when his body totters due to old age.

yaavatpavano nivasati dehe
taavatpRichchhati kushalaM gehe.
gatavati vaayau dehaapaaye
bhaaryaa bibhyati tasminkaaye .. ( 6 )

When one is alive, his family members enquire kindly about his welfare. But when the soul departs from the body, even his wife runs away in fear of the corpse.

baalastaavatkriiDaasakta H
taruNastaavattaruNiisakta H.
vRiddhastaavachchintaasakta H
pare brahmaNi ko.api na sakta H .. ( 7 )

The childhood is lost by attachment to playfulness. Youth is lost by attachment to woman. Old age passes away by thinking over many past things. But there is hardly anyone who wants to be lost in parabrahman(Supreme being).

kaate kaantaa kaste putra H
saMsaaro.ayamatiiva vichitra H.
kasya tvaM ka H kuta aayaata H
tattvaM chintaya tadiha bhraata H ..( 8 )

Who is your wife? Who is your son? Strange is this samsara. Of whom are you? From where have you come? Brother, ponder over these truths here.

satsaNgatve nissN ^ gatvaM
nissaNgatve nirmohatvam.h.
nirmohatve nishchalatattvaM
nishcalatattve jiivanmukti H ....( 9 )

From Satsangha(the companionship of realised souls) comes non-attachment, from
non-attachment comes freedom from delusion, which leads to self-settledness. From self-settledness comes Jeevan Mukti.

vayasigate ka H kaamavikaaraH
shushhke niire ka H kaasaaraH.
kshiiNevitte ka H parivaara H
G Y aate tattve ka H saMsaara H ...(1 0 )

What good is lust when youth has fled? What use is a lake which has no water? Where are the relatives when wealth is gone? Where is samsara when the Truth is known?

maa kuru dhana jana yauvana garvaM
harati nimeshhaatkaala H sarvam.h.
maayaamayamidamakhilaM hitvaa
brahmapadaM tvaM pravisha viditvaa .. (1 1)

Do not boast of wealth, followers, and youth. Each one of these is destroyed within a minute.
Free yourself from the illusion of the world of Maya and attain the timeless Truth.

dinayaaminyau saayaM praata H
shishiravasantau punaraayaata H.
kaala H kriiDati gachchhatyaayu H
tadapi na muJNcatyaashaavaayu H .. (1 2)

Daylight and darkness, dusk and dawn, winter and springtime come and go. Time plays and life ebbs away. But the storm of desire never leaves.

dvaadashamaJNjarikaabhirasheshha H
kathito vaiyaakaraNasyaishha H.
upadesho bhuudvidyaanipuNai H
shrimachchhankarabhagavachchharaNari H .. ( 12a )

An Electrical Phenomenon -- Max Muller

Narasimha Avatar, an Electrical Phenomenon by MaxMuller

Max Mueller, a German describes this avatar as an ‘electric phenomenon’, Hiranyakasipu declared that God does not exist (Neti) whereas the child Prahlada states that HE exists (Asti). Again where Hiranyakasipu states that in this pillar I can’t see HIM (Sthambe Na Drishyathe), Prahlada says he can see (Sthambe Drishyathe) HIM. Thus the clash of positive (Yes) and negative (No) created sound and light. Just as lightning follows thunder, this avatar was preceded by a loud thud – the breaking up of the pillar. Vyasa Maharishi describes Krishnavatar as ‘wonderful’ (adbhutam) whereas Narasimhavatar as ‘most wonderful’ (adi adbhutam).  The sound that arose during this avatar merged with all the mantra sabdas that now resounds in and surrounds this universe. The universe was filled with such an uproar that it travelled to Brahma Loka and sent Lord Brahma hurtling from his throne. Why were others like Kubera not affected? Because it was Brahma who granted such an 'impossible' boon to Hiranyakasipu and he had to be duly punished for such an act. The purpose of this avatar was: To prove the Vedas’ declaration that HE is everywhere, omnipotent and omniscient. To prove Bhakta Prahlada’s words that HE exists both in pillar and dust. To protect the boon that Brahma gave to Hiranyakasipu that he should die neither at the hands of a man nor an animal, neither during day nor night, neither inside the house nor outside, not by any weapon, and so on.   Hence the Lord had to take the form of a man and an animal combined and destroy Hiranyakasipu during twilight.   This was an emergency landing with no early preparation and hence the entire universe was pregnant, ready for delivery at a moment’s notice. For the Lord to appear not only was a Hiranyakasipu required but also a jivatma, a bhakta like Prahlada. The question is why Narasimha, why could it not be a tiger or bear, etc. The reason was - Nara i.e. man to show the karunya of Prahlada and Simha to show the cruelty of Hiranyakasipu.    This avatar was liked by one and all. Rukminidevi loved this avatar. In Ramayana, Sri Anjaneya tells Sitadevi, “I shall bring Srirama on my back as Narasimhan.” Narayana Bhattadri (Narayaneeyam) asks the Lord about this avatar. He states (Sthambe Kattayath) and then not able to proceed goes on to sing in praise of Lord Guruvayoorappan (Gurupavanapura Pahimam).   Narasimhan is described as ‘BIG BIG GOD’ (Periya Periya Perumal) whereas Lord Ranganatha is described as ‘BIG GOD’ (Periya Perumal) by Sri Rama who worshipped him before leaving for Sri Lanka to get back Sitadevi. He is described as Periya Periya Perumal by Lord Venkateshwara of Tirumalai Hills in this Yuga. Even today the food prepared for Srinivasa Kalyanam is offered to Lakshmi Narasimhan in Ahobilam under orders of Lord Srinivasa to Brahma. Brahma seeking the orders of Lord Srinivasa can be seen depicted in a pillar in Tirumalai.   In Vishnu Sahasranama sung by Bhishmacharya a reference is made to Narasimha avatar. It may be seen that in the first 3 slokas mention is made to general names of the Lord like Vishwam, Vishnu, etc. The number of names is in the order of 9, 8, 7 (total 24). To the question ‘who is the Prathama Purusha’, the answer clearly is Narasimha vapuh. Again going back to the 1st sloka, the very first word ‘Vishwam’ refers to Vishwa yoni which points to Narasimhan. Coming back to the number 24, Narasimham stands like a burning torch in the middle of the Gayatri mantra which adds upto 24. Bargah means light. At the end of the Sahasranama where it is stated ‘Sarva Praharana Yuda’ it refers to Narasimhan who does not require any extra weapon as he uses his nails to cause the death of Hiranyakasipu. He is Mrutyunjayan.   When sage Bharadwaj spent the first 96 years of his life learning Vedas with further 2 extensions as granted by Indra and even then could not complete learning the Vedas, it is stated that Indra advised him to do tapas. Thus to sage Bharadwaj, while doing tapas in the forest of Mattapalli in Andhra Pradesh, Lord Narasimhan became Pratyaksham.   With his consort Sri Lakshmi, he is most beautiful (one eye – Tapana, 2nd Indu and third eye Agni). The Lord Narasimhan is so full of Kindness (Karunya) that even before he caused the death of Hiranyakasipu, he put him on his lap and searched his heart to find out whether his abuses came from his lips or from his heart. If it had been only from his lips, HE would have set him free. That is HIS KINDNESS (KARUNYA).