Bhaja Govindam Verse 4

नलिनीदलगतजलमतितरलं तद्वज्जीवितमतिशयचपलं ।
विद्धि व्याध्यभिमानग्रस्तं लोकं शोकहतं च समस्तम् ॥
nalinīdalagatajalamatitaralaṃ tadvajjīvitamatiśayacapalaṃ |
viddhi vyādhyabhimānagrastaṃ lokaṃ śokahataṃ ca samastam ||

• The Limitation of Time: Swamiji points out that human beings have a very limited active time period for accomplishing their ultimate spiritual goal. Therefore, one should never postpone spiritual pursuits with the assumption that they can be easily started later in life.
• The Division of Human Lifespan: To illustrate how little time we actually have, Swamiji quotes a verse from Bhartrihari’s vairāgyaśatakam:
  आयुर्वर्षशतं नृणां परिमितं रात्रौ तदर्धं गतम् । तस्यार्धस्य परस्य चार्धमपरं बालत्ववृद्धत्वयोः ।
  शेषं व्याधिवियोगदुःखसहितं सेवादिभिर्नीयते । जीवे वारितरङ्गभङ्गचपले सौख्यं कुतः प्राणिनाम् ॥
  āyurvarṣaśataṃ nṛṇāṃ parimitaṃ rātrau tadardhaṃ gatam | tasyārdhasya parasya cārdhamaparaṃ bālatvavṛddhatvayoḥ |
  śeṣaṃ vyādhiviyogaduḥkhasahitaṃ sevādibhirnīyate | jīve vāritaraṅgabhaṅgacapale saukhyaṃ kutaḥ prāṇinām ||
  If we assume the maximum allotted human lifespan is a hundred years, fifty percent of that time is lost to sleep (rātrau tadardhaṃ gatam). Of the remaining fifty years, twenty-five are lost because we are either too young to understand spirituality (bālatvam) or too old and physically incapable of pursuing it (vṛddhatvam). The remaining twenty-five years are consumed by sickness (vyādhi), the emotional pain of losing loved ones (viyogaḥ), the heavy burdens of earning a living (sevādibhiḥ), or taking care of grandchildren. Because our time is so thoroughly occupied, the present moment is the greatest gift and the best time to pursue spirituality.
• The Fragility of Life: Swamiji compares the unpredictability of human life to a water drop floating on a lotus leaf (nalinīdalagatajalamatitaralaṃ). Just as a drop of water constantly moves and can slip away at any moment due to the wind disturbing the leaf, our life (jīvitam) is highly unstable and fragile (atiśayacapalam). Death can arrive unexpectedly at any time, making it incredibly unwise to delay our spiritual journey.
• Constant Disturbances: Even when death is far away, during our seemingly healthy youth, the mind is constantly troubled. The world is full of distressed people (lokaṃ śokahataṃ) who are continually afflicted by two primary types of suffering: physical sickness and injury (vyādhi) affecting the gross physical body, and mental hurt or ego-centric distress (abhimānam) affecting the subtle mind. Because the mind is perpetually disturbed by complaints about family, colleagues, or life situations, it becomes extremely difficult to concentrate on the scriptures. Therefore, whenever conditions are reasonably peaceful, we must immediately grab the rare opportunity to seek bhagavan.

Summary of the Initial Teachings

In reviewing the essence of the first four verses, Swamiji emphasizes a core foundational lesson: everything we possess in our life is merely a temporary gift from bhagavan.

• Because the Lord can take these gifts away at any time without advance notice, we must never claim ownership over them.
• We are meant to use our physical body, our relationships, and the world at large strictly as instruments for our spiritual growth and the attainment of mokṣaḥ.
• If we properly utilize these temporary gifts for spiritual evolution, we can happily return them to bhagavan with a note of deep gratitude when the time comes, rather than cursing the Lord for taking them away.
• Mistaking temporary means (like wealth, body, or worldly education) for ultimate ends is the root of human delusion (mohaḥ), whereas maintaining perfect clarity about the true means and ends of life is wisdom (vivekaḥ). An intelligent person lives with this constant wisdom and utilizes their human life to accomplish mokṣaḥ.