From Delusion to Reality (Bhaja Govindam of Sri Shankaracharya with Detailed Commentary)

DETAILS : 

Publisher : Central Chinmaya Mission Trust
Author : Swami Chinmayananda
Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 1, 2012
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback  ‏ : ‎ 127 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 8175975512
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-8175975514
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 150 G 

Preface

HISTORY has bequeathed many gifts to us. One such is the beautiful gift from Sri Shankaracharya-the peerless ascetic and lyric poet of surpassing excellence.

Apart from his classic commentaries on the Brahma Sutras, the Bhagavad Gita and the major Upanishads, monumental works remarkable for their wealth of learning, exquisite expression and lucid exposition of the sublime ideas of highest philosophy, the Acharya has written many poems explaining the basic tenets of Vedanta. They are called Prakaranas and are noted for their vigour and simplicity. Moha Mudgara-the original name by which Bhaja Govindam was known-belongs to this category. It contains within its small compass a clear presentation of the fundamentals of Vedanta.

Sri Shankara travelled as a teacher from Kashmir to Kanyakumari engaging in discussions with the leaders of other schools of thought. He radiated peace, grace and benediction wherever he went. During his unceasing travels, once he went to Benaras. One day, when he was going along a street in Benaras on his way to the holy Ganga for his ablutions and bath, he found a grammarian mechanically repeating the words of the Dhatupatha in that serene morning hour. In order to reveal to the old but immature pundit, and through him to all ignorant and erring mortals, the futility of all secular attainments, and to guide them on the eternal path to salvation, Bhagavatpada burst forth and sang twelve verses which became famous as Moha Mudgara. His advice to the old man-not to lose himself eternally in a feverish and pointless activity, forgetful of a more glorious state of existence-is an advice to the entire humanity.

Self-knowledge is vital, as it has a perennial interest and a universal value. All other forms of knowledge are of secondary importance. To stress this point, to make the ordinary man realize how foolish he is in his conduct and behaviour, to give him a real shake-up of his values and to show him the path for attaining Eternal Peace and Blessedness, here and now, these verses came out of the mouth of the Great Teacher.

The first verse is to be sung as a chorus at the end of each of these verses, which go in the name of Dvadasa Manjarika Stotram (a bouquet of twelve verses). The Acharya expounded the ideas so powerfully with eloquent expressions and poetic beauty that the whole atmosphere was surcharged with inspiration, and all the fourteen disciples who were with him at that moment added one verse each in an intense mood of dispassion. All these inspired and extempore outbursts from the depths of their being go under the title Chaturdasa Manjarika Stotram-a companion bouquet of fourteen verses. There are no conclusive evidences confirming the authorship of these verses; tradition has ascribed authorship to each verse as mentioned in the text.

At the end, the Acharya sings four more verses, adding a final piece of advice and giving blessings to all the seekers of Truth. Here again, there is a difference of opinion about whether these last four verses were composed by Sri Shankara himself. But looking at the style and grandeur of the verses, they seem to be his own compositions, and with nothing to disprove to the contrary, it has been taken as his own for deriving greater inspiration.

These 31 verses come under the heading of Moha Mudgara, as they relieve the hearers of moha (delusion). These verses have been set to music so that they can be sung as prayer songs even by children, thus injecting into their blood the essentials of the Vedanta Philosophy right from childhood.

Bhaja Govindam has a universal appeal as its music goes straight to the heart of the listeners. However, it gives a greater charm and a lingering joy to those who are not only thrilled by its ecstatic music but are also able to follow the reaches of its sublime and transcendental thoughts. Thus, it confers a double blessing, both by its music and by its meaning, to the discerning minds. It is as if a person should at once inhale the perfume and distill the attar of the rose.