Sunday, January 22, 2017

Baja Govindam - II

The second most attracted Stanza in Baja Govindam is,

This is a key note to awaken man from the desire to amass wealth. Money is the force full attraction, behind which every human runs. It is also one of the seven Mayas of the mind which restricts a man to look upward in searching the real truth of the spirit.










Sanskrit


मूढ जहीहि धनागमतृष्णां
कुरु सद्बुद्धिं मनसि वितृष्णाम् ।यल्लभसे निजकर्मोपात्तं
वित्तं तेन विनोदय चित्तम् ॥ २॥ 




This Stanza, advices reader to give up the passion in earning wealth.

Transliteration


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


Mudha jahiihi     

- Fool ! Give up. 

dhana agama

 Acquiring wealth

tRishhNaaM

Desire


So first sentence can be translated as

oh Fool! Give up the desire to acquire wealth here
kuru

 Do 

sadbuddhiM

Good to create consciousness 

manasi  vitRishhNaam

 mind desire less



So Second sentence can be translated as


Do Good to create consciousness in the mind and become desire-less.

yallabhase


Whatever you obtained



nija karmo paattaM


Through one's own karma gathered.








Face the karma of the actions already performed in the past

vittaM tena 



Give up Money gained on that account






vinodaya chittam. .. 





Divert one self and recreate true happiness


 By that means recreate happiness.





Summary



oh Fool! Give up the desire to acquire wealth here.Do Good to create true consciousness in the mind and become desire less .Be contented with the karma of the actions already performed in the past and recreate true happiness of the mind.












Meaning



Give up your passion for wealth and regain lost divine glory by practising the principles of Yoga in the right earnest.Be contented with the things of the present and start inquiry into the beyond (real truth)That looking upward and going upward and seeking perfection are what is called salvation; and the sooner a man begins to go higher, the sooner he raises himself towards this idea of truth as salvation. 
                    The true happiness does not consist in the amount of money in your pocket, or the dress you wear, or the house you live in, but in the wealth of spiritual thought in your brain. That is what makes for human progress, that is the source of all material and intellectual progress, the motive power behind, the enthusiasm that pushes mankind forward.



Friday, January 13, 2017

Baja Govindam

Advaitha Vedanta and Adi Sankara

Adi Sankara is the spiritual Philosopher who reconciled the vedanta doctrines and showed to the world that one could attain mukti (Absolute freedom ) and reach God with Advaitha Principles.

There are lot to be explored in vedanta principles. It provides all answers to the creation of the universe and why all of us are living a life and guide as in leading a efficient and happy life amidst miseries.

My first exploration begins here. With

Baja Govindam

Adi sankara composed this song when he sees an old man learning rules of grammar of sanskrit language.It contains the essence of Vedanta and implores the man to think,

Why am I here in this life ?
Why am I amassing wealth, family, but have no peace ?
What is the Truth ?
What is the purpose of life ?

The person thus awakened gets set on a path to the inner road back to the God principle


Let me start with the last stanza of the song.

Sanskrit


गुरुचरणाम्बुजनिर्भरभक्तः
संसारादचिराद्भव मुक्तः ।
सेन्द्रियमानस नियमादेवं
द्रक्ष्यसि निजहृदयस्थं देवम् ॥ ३१॥ 

Transliteration

gurucharaNaambuja nirbhara bhakataHsaMsaaraadachiraadbhava muktaH .sendriyamaanasa niyamaadevaMdrakshyasi nija hR^idayasthaM devam. .

 Before explaining the meaning of this stanza. I want to recall one of Upanyasam i have heard about Ramayana , where in this analogy is established,

Rama is the paramathama and Sita is the Jiva Atma and Lanka is the body. And it is explained that the Jiva Atma dwelling in the body needs to be freed and has to be reach paramatma with Guidance of Guru. Hanuman would act as Guru with whom guidance Sita could reach paramathma.

So, one can reach God by seeking Guru's Guidance and preaches and attain Mukti even as Samsari(one who engaged in worldly life as opposed to Sanyasi who renounced everything).

Now getting to the individual sentences ,

Meaning


Guru Charana Buja 

       - By being submitting ourselves to the feet of Guru

Nirbara baktah 

-  Dependent Baktha ( devotee).

Samsara 

   -     This worldly life

Achirad bava 

  - In no time (in a short while)

Mukta

-   Can be Freed .

Sendriya Manasa

   - Indriya (organs) , Manasa (Mind)

Niyama deva 

   -  Controlling regularly alone by practicing habits.
Niyama is one of the steps in Raja yoga following which one become successful yogi. There are
regular habits and observances one has to follow to get into spiritual life. The steps to pass through Niyama are 

  1. Tapas.-austerity. Fasting, or in other ways controlling the body, is called physical Tapas.
  2. Svâdhyâya - Study.contentment .Repeating the Vedas and other Mantras, by which the Sattva material in the body is purified, is called study 
  3. Shauch - purity 
  4. Ishvara-pranidhâna -worshipping God 


Drakhyasi 

 - Could able to see

Nija 

 - real truth

Hirdaya sath 

- dwelling in heart

Devam  

- God.

In summary :


       By Being submissive to the feet of Guru , a dependent Baktha can free him self from the worldly life and attain Mukti in no time .  By control of organs and mind regularly alone one can see the God who is dwelling in one's own heart.