Upasana Sastram – Bhaja Govindam Overview

Swamiji begins the discourse on ஶ்ரீ Adi Shankaracharya’s bhaja govindaṃ (also known as moha mudgara) by framing it deeply within upāsanā śāstram. The term upāsanā means sitting near (upa meaning near, āsana meaning sitting), which implies keeping the jīva constantly anchored in the blissful thought of bhagavan. The natural outward tendency of the mind traps the jīva in worldly attachments, making it falsely seek permanent joy in temporary physical comforts, rather than resting in the eternal peace of bhagavan. The entire text serves as a hammer blow (mudgara) to awaken the jīva from the delusion (moha) that material wealth, relationships, and the physical body are permanent.

brahma bindupaniṣad

मन एव मनुष्याणां कारणं बन्धमोक्षयोः। बन्धाय विषयासक्तं मुक्त्यै निर्विषयं स्मृतम्॥

mana eva manuṣyāṇāṃ kāraṇaṃ bandhamokṣayoḥ | bandhāya viṣayāsaktaṃ muktyai nirviṣayaṃ smṛtam ||

Commentary by Swamiji:

  • The Core Problem: The mind alone is the fundamental cause for both the bondage and the liberation of the jīva.
  • The nature of bondage: Swamiji explains that when the mind becomes deeply attached to worldly objects and sensory pleasures (viṣayāsaktaṃ), it is bound. He uses the modern analogy of air-conditioned rooms: people have become so addicted to ACs that they can no longer tolerate normal weather, proving how the jīva becomes a slave to physical comforts.
  • The path to liberation: True freedom (mokṣa) occurs only when the mind is withdrawn from these external dependencies (nirviṣayaṃ) and learns to find complete bliss within bhagavan.

thayumanavar padal 4

அண்டபகி ரண்டம் மாயா விகாரமே அம்மாயை யில்லாமையே யாமெனவும் அறிவுண் டப்பாலும் அறிகின்ற அறிவினை யறிந்துபார்க்கின் எண்டிசை விளக்குமொரு தெய்வஅரு ளல்லாமல் இல்லையெனு நினைவுஉண்டிங்(கு) யானென தறந்துரிய நிறைவாகி நிற்பதே இன்பமெனும் அன்பும்உண்டு கண்டன எலாம்அல்ல என்றுகண் டனைசெய்து கருவிகர ணங்களோயக் கண்மூடி யொருகண மிருக்கஎன் றாற்பாழ்த்த கர்மங்கள் போராடுதே பண்டையுள கர்மமே கர்த்தா வெனும்பெயர்ப் பக்ஷம்நான் இச்சிப்பேனோ பார்க்குமிடமெங்குமொரு நீக்கமற நிறைகின்ற பரிபூர ணானந்தமே. (தாயுமான பாடல்கள் – 4)

Commentary by Swamiji:

  • The Core Problem: The mind is incredibly stubborn and filled with ahaṅkāra (ego). Even if a person decides to sit quietly and close their eyes for just a single moment to meditate on bhagavan, their accumulated past actions (pāpa and karma) and worldly distractions immediately fight against them (“கண்மூடி யொருகண மிருக்கஎன் றாற்பாழ்த்த கர்மங்கள் போராடுதே”).
  • The story of the ashram construction: To illustrate how inescapable this mental agitation is, Swamiji shares an anecdote about a spiritual seeker who goes to a monastery seeking peace. Instead of meditating, the seeker is put in charge of constructing a building. Soon, their mind is entirely consumed by fighting with engineers over bad sand and bricks being stealthily delivered at 12:30 AM. This proves that merely changing one’s physical location does not grant peace if the mind is still trapped in worldly karma.

bhagavad gītā quotes

मयि चानन्ययोगेन भक्तिरव्यभिचारिणी । विविक्तदेशसेवित्वमरतिर्जनसंसदि ॥१३.११॥

तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च। मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्मामेवैष्यस्यसंशयम्॥८.७॥

mayi cānanyayogena bhaktiravyabhicāriṇī | viviktadeśasevitvamaratirjanasaṃsadi ||13.11||

tasmātsarveṣu kāleṣu māmanusmara yudhya ca | mayyarpitamanobuddhirmāmevaiṣyasyasaṃśayam ||8.7||

Commentary by Swamiji:

  • The Core Problem: The jīva must cultivate unwavering, one-pointed devotion to bhagavan (avyabhicāriṇī bhakti). This means the mind should not wander aimlessly into greed or lust while pretending to be spiritual.
  • Constant Remembrance: Swamiji emphasizes bhagavan‘s instruction to “remember Me at all times and fight” (tasmātsarveṣu kāleṣu māmanusmara yudhya ca). A jnani must live responsibly in the world, performing their daily duties without attachment, while constantly anchoring their intellect and mind on bhagavan. Only this guarantees ultimate liberation.

thayumanavar padalgal 10

ஆசைக்கோ ரளவில்லை அகிலமெல் லாங்கட்டி ஆளினுங் கடல்மீதிலே ஆனைசெல வேநினைவர் அளகேசன் நிகராக அம்பொன்மிக வைத்தபேரும் நேசித்து ரசவாத வித்தைக் கலைந்திடுவர் நெடுநா ளிருந்தபேரும் நிலையாக வேயினுங் காயகற் பந்தேடி நெஞ்சுபுண் ணாவர்எல்லாம் யோசிக்கும் வேளையிற் பசிதீர உண்பதும் உறங்குவது மாகடியும் உள்ளதே போதும்நான் நான்எனக் குளறியே ஒன்றைவிட் டொன்றுபற்றிப் பாசக் கடற்குளே வீழாமல் மனதற்ற பரிசுத்த நிலையை அருள்வாய் பார்க்குமிட மெங்குமொரு நீக்கமற நிறைகின்ற பரிபூர ணானந்தமே. (தாயுமான பாடல்கள் – 10)

Commentary by Swamiji:

  • The Core Problem: Human greed is absolutely limitless. Swamiji explains that even if someone were to conquer the entire world, they would desire to rule the oceans. Even those as unimaginably wealthy as Kubera (aḷakecaṉ) will eagerly search for alchemy to create more gold. Similarly, those who have lived long lives will still desperately seek medicines (kāyakalpa) to live forever.
  • The Illusion of Desires: Swamiji points out the profound truth in the verse: when one truly thinks about it, all a jīva fundamentally needs is enough food to cure hunger and the ability to sleep peacefully. Yet, driven by ahaṅkāra (ego), people stumble blindly from one desire to the next, ultimately drowning in the ocean of attachment. The prayer asks bhagavan for a pure, desireless state of mind to escape this cycle.

1. Worship bhagavan.

भज गोविन्दं भज गोविन्दं गोविन्दं भज मूढमते । सम्प्राप्ते सन्निहिते काले नहि नहि रक्षति डुकृञ्करणे ॥ 1 ॥

bhaja govindaṃ bhaja govindaṃ govindaṃ bhaja mūḍhamate | samprāpte sannihite kāle nahi nahi rakṣati ḍukṛñkaraṇe || 1 ||

Word by word meaning: he mūḍhamate! — oh foolish mind! govindaṃ bhaja — worship bhagavan (govinda) kāle samprāpte sannihite — when the time of death is closely approaching ḍukṛñkaraṇe — the grammar rule (or mechanical actions) na hi rakṣati — certainly does not protect

English meaning: Oh foolish mind! Worship bhagavan, worship bhagavan, worship bhagavan. When the appointed time of death closely approaches, the rules of grammar will certainly not protect you.

Swamiji’s Commentary:

  • The Core Problem: The verse acts as a hammer (moha mudgara) to wake up the deluded mind. Swamiji explains that addressing the mind as “foolish” (mūḍhamate) is not an insult directed at someone else, but a rigorous self-instruction by the jīva to its own mind, recognizing its obsession with worldly affairs rather than bhagavan.
  • The meaning of govinda: Swamiji provides a profound breakdown of the name govinda. The root go represents the jīvas (living beings) or the Vedas. The root vinda means to know or to attain. Thus, govinda is the supreme bhagavan who knows all jīvas, is known by the Vedas, and is the ultimate truth to be attained. The root bhaj means to serve, to think of, or to worship.
  • The three repetitions: The phrase bhaja govindaṃ is intentionally repeated three times. Swamiji explains this is a plea for bhagavan‘s grace to conquer the three types of miseries (tāpatraya): ādhyātmika (internal suffering of body and mind), ādhibhautika (suffering caused by other entities), and ādhidaivika (suffering from divine/natural forces, like the coronavirus pandemic).
  • The reality of death: The physical body is wildly unstable. Mechanical rituals and superficial knowledge (ḍukṛñkaraṇe) will not save the jīva at death. Swamiji highlights the sheer foolishness of ignoring death by mentioning an 82-year-old man who files a civil lawsuit over property, entirely driven by ahaṅkāra (ego), without realizing he will likely be reborn in Argentina or America by the time the case concludes.
  • The story of the 3000 tons of gold: Demonstrating how the mind distracts itself, Swamiji recounts a rumor that 3000 tons of gold were found for a temple. Instead of focusing on bhagavan, people wasted their energy fiercely debating whether it was 3000 tons, 4000 tons, or zero.
  • Analogy of the Kumbhabhishekam (Maha Shanti): Swamiji details the sacred consecration science to counter people who ignorantly fight over which language to use in rituals. bhagavan is all-pervading, yet during a Kumbhabhishekam, elements like space, wind, and fire are invoked into a pot (kalaśa) using sacred gestures like mṛgī mudrā and dhenu mudrā. Fighting over linguistics completely destroys the true spiritual purpose of worshipping bhagavan.
  • Analogy of the hammer and the temple: Just as building the grand Thanjavur temple required meticulous planning drawn on buffalo skin and relentless, heavy hammer blows to carve out the massive stones, this verse serves as a necessary, severe hammer blow to shatter the jīva‘s deeply entrenched worldly illusions.

manam pona pokkellam

மனம்போன போக்கெல்லாம் போக வேண்டாம் மாற்றானை உறவென்று நம்ப வேண்டாம் தனம்தேடி உண்ணாமல் புதைக்க வேண்டாம் தருமத்தை ஒருநாளும் மறக்க வேண்டாம் சினம்தேடி அல்லலையும் தேட வேண்டாம் சினந்திருந்தார் வாசல்வழிச் சேர வேண்டாம் வனம்தேடும் குறவருடை வள்ளி பங்கன் மயிலேறும் பெருமாளை வாழ்த்தாய் நெஞ்சே

Commentary by Swamiji:

  • The Core Problem: The mind is naturally inclined to flow outwards (bāhya pravṛtti) toward sensory experiences. Swamiji emphasizes that the jīva must firmly rein in this tendency and absolutely refuse to let the mind wander aimlessly wherever it pleases (“மனம்போன போக்கெல்லாம் போக வேண்டாம்”).
  • Discipline and Devotion: Our scriptures strictly advise against acting purely on impulse. A true jnani does not waste their life blindly chasing anger, hoarding wealth without enjoying or sharing it, or associating with the wrong people. Instead of destroying one’s peace, the jīva is instructed to practice dharma constantly and anchor its heart entirely on bhagavan.

1. Worship bhagavan

  • The Core Problem: In the provided audio discourse, Swamiji defers the detailed explanation of the grammar rules to his next session. He states, “I will explain nahi nahi rakṣati ḍukṛñkaraṇe in the next class” (“நகி நகிரகதி டுக்கம் கரணே அத அடுத்த வகுப்புல சொல்றேன்”). However, the provided PDF materials expand directly on this story of the grammarian and the instruction to chant through Verses 32 and 33.

मूढः कश्चन वैयाकरणो डुकृञ्करणाध्ययन-धुरीणः । श्रीमच्छङ्कर-भगवच्छिष्यैः बोधित आसीच्छोधित-करणः ॥ ३२

mūḍhaḥ kaścana vaiyākaraṇo ḍukṛñkaraṇādhyayana-dhurīṇaḥ | śrīmacchaṅkara-bhagavacchiṣyaiḥ bodhita āsīcchodhita-karaṇaḥ || 32 ||

mūḍhaḥ — a foolish person kaścana vaiyākaraṇaḥ — a certain grammarian ḍukṛñkaraṇādhyayana-dhurīṇaḥ — deeply engrossed in reciting the root ‘dukrun karane’ śrīmacchaṅkara-bhagavacchiṣyaiḥ — by the disciples of Sri Adi Shankaracharya bodhitaḥ — was taught / advised āsīt — became śodhita-karaṇaḥ — his mind became reformed / purified

  • The Foolish Grammarian: The PDF describes a foolish grammarian who was deeply engrossed in reciting and memorizing the grammar root “ḍukṛñkaraṇe“. He was advised by the disciples of Sri Adi Shankaracharya, and his mind became reformed and purified. Verse 1 strictly states that when the time of death closely approaches (samprāpte sannihite kāle), the grammar rule “ḍukṛñkaraṇe” certainly does not protect (na hi rakṣati).

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

bhaja govindaṃ bhaja govindaṃ govindaṃ bhaja mūḍhamate | nāmasmaraṇādanyamupāyaṃ nahi paśyāmo bhavataraṇe || 33 ||

bhaja govindaṃ bhaja govindaṃ govindaṃ bhaja mūḍhamate — Oh foolish mind! Worship bhagavan, worship bhagavan, worship bhagavan. nāmasmaraṇāt — than chanting the name (nāmajapam) anyam upāyaṃ — any other path / means na hi paśyāmaḥ — we certainly do not see bhavataraṇe — to cross over (the ocean of worldly existence / to attain mental purity in this age)

  • The Path of Chanting: Is Sanskrit grammar essential? The text explicitly instructs the foolish mind (mūḍhamate) to worship bhagavan (govindaṃ bhaja). To successfully cross over (bhavataraṇe), the text states, “we certainly do not see any other path than chanting the names (nāmasmaraṇāt).”