bhaja govindam

Verse 10, 11 & 12

 
vayasi gate kaH kAma vikaraH shuShke nIre kaH kA sAraH

kshINe vitte kaH parivAraH j~nAte tattve kaH saMsaraH ---10

 
vayasi gate- passage of age (youthfulness); kaH kAma vikaraH= where is lust; shuShke nIre – when the water has dried; kaH kA sAraH- where is the lake; kshINe vitte- when wealth is exhausted;  kaH parivAraH- where is retinue;  j~nAte tattve- when the truth is known; kaH saMsaraH- where is saMsAra (misery)

 
With the passage of age, where is youth? When the water has dried up, where is the lake? Where is the retinue, when wealth is exhausted? When the truth is known, where is saMsAra (misery)?

 
There is a simply law that is being described here which is – ‘if the cause goes, the effect goes too’. Ignorance is the cause of misery (saMsAra). Once the ignorance, the cause, is destroyed, the effects of misery etc are no longer there. Hence, in this verse shrI shaMkara is pointing towards the glory of Atma j~nAnam. The ignorance of rope gives rise to the superimposition of snake and resultant fear. Knowing it as rope destroys the fear.

 
The vigor of sense organs in youth propels one to engage in sensual pleasures. Once the body starts growing old, the organs are not strong enough. They might be healthy but the vitality is greatly reduced. So, though the mind might carry desires, yet, the organs do not have enough strength to engage in pleasures. Youthfulness is the cause and the indulgence is the effect. The cause having gone, the effect is also not there.

 
A lake is so called, only due to the waters. The lotus, the algae, the plants, the fish, the duck, all are add- ons. If the water dries, it can no longer be called a lake. It is just dry land which was a lake bed earlier.

 
People give you respect only due to your appendages, i.e. your status, rank, degrees, job, money, accessories, etc. If these are lost, the same people leave you in a trice. It is evident what they give importance to, is what you have, not you.

 
Once the truth is known to be my own nature, the problems that we face as though fade away. How? Will I not have a headache, will I not feel hungry after self knowledge. Will I not talk to people? NO. All this will remain as before. Only the understanding changes after knowledge. Prior to knowledge one identifies with these, as the self. Post knowledge one knows oneself as association-less. The world shining in all its glory is in fact non substantial. Atma is the only truth; it is the core of one’s being and also the basis due to which the world enjoys existence. In essence, the truth of the world including me is Atma alone.

 
Our constant struggle is to get rid of misery that we face. We are looking for permanent peace and happiness. We are not at peace with ourselves and always are looking for an escape. This unrest with ourselves itself makes us look out into the world. We cannot bear this dichotomy that we love ourselves and yet cannot be at peace with our own selves. The cause is ignorance.

I identify with body- mind- sense complex. Whatever hardships this body equipment goes through, I come to think of these hardships as mine. After knowledge, the Atma is known as my true nature which is different from what I experience.

 
mAA kuru dhana jana youvana garvam harati nimeshAt kAlaH sarvam

mAyAmayamidamakhilam hitvA brahma padam tvam pravisha viditvA---11

 
mAA – do not; kuru- take; dhana- wealth;  jana- people;  youvana- youth; garvam- pride; harati- takes away; nimeshAt- in the blink of an eye; kAlaH- time; sarvam- all(of these) mAyAmayam- the apparently real nature; idam-this; akhilam-all; hitvA- having disregarded; brahma padam- abode of brahman; tvam-you; pravisha- enter; viditvA- having known

 
Do not take pride in wealth, people, youth. Time takes away all in the blink of an eye. Having disregarded them to be of an apparently real nature, know brahman and enter the abode of brahman.

 
Man becomes very arrogant once he has made money. Luxury, wealth, beautiful wife, relatives etc make him swell with pride. He becomes insensitive, passionate and greedy. He also starts believing that he has cushioned himself against all odds and problems, if he has temporary security.  Building up a facade of physical protection and emotional immunity, he lives in that shell, thinking that he is leading a normal human life. This security can be washed away in a moment. This world and all that one has is a product of mAyA. mAyA is undependable, and can never give security. The whole world is just apparent and non substantial. One has to start understanding that these do not provide one with permanent happiness. It takes a certain degree of maturity to realize that there is something higher to achieve in this human birth. shrI shaMkara reminds us to realize mAyA and its effects can only give us insecurity. Knowing this we need to choose a higher goal in life.

 
dinayAminyau sAyam prAtaH shishiravasantau punarAyataH

kalaH krIDati gachChatyAyuH tadapi na mu~nchati AshA vayuH---12

 
dina = day; yAmini – night; sAyam- evening; prAtaH-morning; shishira-winter; vasanta-spring; punaH – again; AyataH- come; kalaH- time; krIDati- sports; gachChati- ebbs away; AyuH – life; tadapi- yet;  na- not;  mu~nchati- leaves; AshA vayuH- gust of desire;

 
Day-night, evening-morning, winter-spring come (and go) again; time sports, life ebbs away; yet the gust of desire never leaves.

 
Time and tide wait for none. As time passes, the cycle of night – day etc continues. One dies to give birth to other. One moment dies to give birth to the next. One wave dies to give birth to next. Months roll by into the next year and in such a manner, many years pass by with seasons taking cyclic turns. Time plays its tune in this manner. One can see a lot of changes in the environment as well as oneself with the passage of time. The hair starts to gray, the body starts decaying. In spite of these, desires in man are as fresh as ever. Why does this happen?

 
This is because desires do not die by letting them express themselves in the form of indulgence. If a tiger tastes human blood, it will always eat human flesh. There is no looking back. So, though, we express a desire and indulge in a pleasure, we leave an impression in the mind, which will in turn give rise to a desire at a later date. This cycle will continue till those desires are managed properly.

 
Should one suppress desires? No. Suppression will only lead to mental turmoil and pressure. A dam has water stored up behind, in a suppressed state. Once the gates are opened, the gush of water is immense, unstoppable and uncontrollable. This is what will happen if one suppresses one’s desires. So, if one should neither suppress nor express; what has to be done then?

 
One has to understand with conviction as to why a thing is not good or ideal. For e.g., any bad habit; if one just controls and abstains for a few days, it is only going to hit back, next time with larger force. Hence, one has to check and see how a habit is helping him, if at all; knowing well it is not, one needs to know how it is harming him. Once this is known, one also needs to contemplate on the value of human life. The goal of human life is liberation. If the goal is clear, then one will definitely know that what one is doing is not the right way to live.

 
Once the spiritual journey starts, priorities fall in place, and slowly and gradually these sticky desires fade away. Below are a few methods to wash away bad habits and problematic desires.

1) Prayer is an essential vitamin in the spiritual diet. Will power can increase manifold by prayer. This will power is used to dilute the force of desires.

2) Auto-suggestion works in reminding oneself of what one needs to do. Auto suggestion is where one becomes one’s own teacher and judge.

3) The 16th chapter of bhagavad gIta talks about the positive virtues one needs to develop. If these are strived for, with an attitude of devotion to Ishvara, keeping the goal in mind, the habits and unhealthy values die away.

These are the ways that shAstra gives to get rid of unhealthy thoughts, values and habits. This is a way of sublimating the desires instead of expressing them or suppressing them. Suppressing now, will lead to an explosion of expression later. Expressing now, will cause new impressions to be formed which will be expressed again. So, no matter what, expression is inevitable. Hence, following what the shAstra says is the best option.

As a child we desire, as youth we desire. Even in old age, alas, we desire, or brood over the past. The mind is never made available for higher thinking. It is plagued by unhealthy thought patterns due to the past and future anxieties. The present is what we have, to change ourselves, by taking charge. Opportunity does not knock the door many times. One has to make hay while sun shines. So, making a wise choice, one has to work for it.

Connecting it to the previous verse, we see that wealth, relatives, spouse, youthfulness (mentioned in verse 11) all are susceptible to the onslaught of time. Time is invincible and the glories of all possessions ebb away in front of time.

Make no mistake about this ephemeral nature of the world. Without conceit, choose your goal and worship govinda. shrI shaMkara thus ask man to worship govinda and change one’s priorities in life.

Part 1, Part 5, Part 7 Coming Soon...