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·-- BHAJA GOVINDAM by BHAGWAN SHRI SHANKARACHARYA CENTRAL Commentary SWAMI CHINMAYANANDA See Price Renungan MUNSHI XAM MANUHAN LA Oriental & Foreign Dewis-eters, P, ... 1165. Nai Sarak, DELHI-

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·-* ܕ ·INTRODUCTION powerful Bhagavadpada Acharya Shankara was not only a great thinker and the noblest of Adwaitic philosophers, but he was essentially an inspired champion of Hinduism and one of the most vigorous missionaries in our country. Such a powerful leader was needed at that time, when Hinduism had been almost broken up within the enticing entanglements of the Buddhistic philosophy, and consequently the decadent Hindu society came to be broken up and disunited into numberless sects and denominations, each championing a different viewpoint and mutually quarrelling in endless argumentations. Each pundit, as it were, had his own followers, his own philosophy, his own interpretation. Each one was a vehement and opponent of all other views. This intellectual disintegration, especially in the scriptural field was never before so serious and so dangerously calamitous as in the times of Shri Shankara. It was at such a time, when our society was fertile for any ideal thought or practical philosophy to thrive, the beautiful values of non-injury, self-control, love and affection of the Buddha came to enchant alike the kings and their subjects of this country. But the general decadence of the age spare the Buddhists also, and they among themselves precipitated different viewpoints, and by the time Shankara appeared in the horizon of the Hindu history, the atheistic school of Buddhists (Asadvadis) had enticed away large sections of the Hindu folk. It is into such a chaotic intellectual atmosphere that Shankara brought his life-giving philosophy of the Non-dual Brahman of the Upanishads. It can be very well understood what a colossal work it must have been for any one single man to undertake in those days,when modern conveniences of mechanical transport and instruments of propaganda were unknown. The genius in Shankara did solve the problem and by the tiine he had placed at rest his mortal coil he had whipped the false Buddhistic ideology beyond the shores of our country, and had reintegrated the philosophical thoughts in the then Aryavarta. After her centuries of wandering, no doubt richer 1 7th-9th A, D, Centuries. did not ·4 Shankara for her various experiences, but tired and fatigued, Bharat came back to her own native thoughts. In his missionary work of propagating the great philosophical truths of the Upanishads and of rediscovering through them the true cultural basis of our nation, Acharya Shankara had a variety of efficient weapons in his resourceful armoury. He was indeed pre-eminently the fittest genius who alone could have undertaken this self-appointed task as the sole guardianangel of the Rish-culture. An exquisite thinker, a brilliant intellect, a personality scintillating with the vision of Truth, a heart throbbing with industrious faith and ardent desire to serve the nation, sweetly emotional and relentlessly logical, in Shankara the Upanishads discovered the fittest Spiritual General. It was indeed a vast programme that Shankara had to accomplish within the span of about twenty effective years : for at the age of thirty-two he had finished his work and had folded up his manifestation among the mortals of the world. He had brought into his work his literary dexterity, both in prose and poetry, and at his hands, under the heat of his fervent ideals, the great Sanskrit language became almost plastic. He could mould it into any shape and into any form. From vigorous prose, heavily laden with irresistible arguments, to flowing rivulets of tilting tuneful songs of love and beauty, there is no technique in language that Shankara did not take up ; and whatever form he took up he proved himself to be a master in it. From masculine prose to soft feminine songs, from marching milita verses to dancing songful words, be he in the Falls Crishad commentaries, or in the temple of the Brahma-Sootra expositions, or in the amphitheatre of his Bhagawad Geeta discourses, or in the open flowery fields of his devotional songs, his was a pen that danced itself to the rhythm of his heart, and to the swing of his thoughts." Pen alone would not have won the war of culture for our country. He showed himself a great organizer, a far-sighted diplomat, a courageous hero and a tireless servant of the country. Selfless and unassuming, this mighty angel strode up and down the length and breadth of the country, serving his motherland ·Introduction S and teaching his countrymeni to live up to the dignity and glory of Bharat. Such a vast programme can neither be accomplished by an individual nor sustainedly kept up without institutions of great discipline and perfect organization. Establishing the Mathas, opening up temples, organizing halls of education and even establishing certain ecclesiastical legislations, this mighty master left nothing undone in maintaining what he achieved. Bhaja Govindam " is one of the scemingly smaller, but in fact cxtremely important work of Adi Shankara. Here the fundamentals of Vedanta are taught in simple, musical verses, so that even from carly childhood, the children of the Rishies can grow up amidst the melody of Adwaita. The musical rhythm in these stanzas makes it casy cven for children to remember and repeat these pregnant verses. For an intelligent young man, a sincere study of this poem, can remove all his delusions (Mola), and so the poem is also called as Moha- Mudgara. A popular story describes the circumstances in which this great poem broke out from the inspiring heart of the Teacher. It is said that once in Benares as Shankara along with fourteen of his disciples (followers) was going along, he overheard an old pundit repeating to himself grammar rules, and at this futilc cffort put forth for a mere intellectual accomplishment and thus wasting his time in life without realising the spiritual unfoldment in himself, Acharya is said to have burst forth into these stanzas, famous as Moha-Mudgara, now popularly known as Bhaja Govindam". Grammar rules will never help any one at the time of death. While living, strive to realise the deathless state of purity and perfection. Taking the opening stanza as a refrain, or chorus, to be anted for emphasis at the end of each of the following verses tradition has it that the immediately following twelve stanzas were given out by the Acharya himself. They, together go. 1 At the end of Dwadashn-Manjarika-Stotra, we read “DWADASHA MANJARI- KABHIRASESH KATHITO VAIYAKARANASHYAISHA UPADESO ABHUD- VIDYANIPUNAIH SHRIMAD-SHANKARA-BHAGAVAD-CHARANAIH”. 1 द्वादशमंजरिकाभिरेष: कथितो वैय्याकरण शिष्यः । उपदेशोभूद्विद्यानिपुण: श्रीमच्छंकरभगवच्चरणैः ।। !

·6 Shankara under the name of the “Dwadasha-Manjarika-Stotram”. “Very contagious must have been the Teacher's inspired mood, and the exploding poem, that each of his followers, at that time in his company, contributed a stanza of his own, and they together stand today under the title of the “ Chaturdasha-Manjarika-Stot- After listening to all the verses, Shankara blesses all truc seekers of all times in the last four stanzas, This set of thirty-one stanzas, together titled as Moha- Mudgara, had been there very popular in our country for a long period of time now. Whenever a chant becomes too popular in a country it is but natural that it gets published again and again by various institutions, and slowly different types of readings get to be equally popular. Some of the alternative readings we have noted here and there in our commentaries. In some editions of this poem Moha-Mudgara, we have less number of stanzas ; in some the sequence of stanzas is different ; in some the second half of one stanza is read with the first half of another stanza---sometimes lines are interchanged, and sometimes the words are slightly changed. And yet, in none of them, nowhere is the essential spirit of the verses found to have been noticeably tampered with The first 1–12 verses of this poem as it now stands is together called as the Dwadasha-Manjarika-Stotram (a bouquet of 12 stanzaflowers). A bouquet of fresh blooms is beautiful and rewarding even to look at from a distance. Similarly, even to hear these stanzas chanted is thrilling enough. And for the industrious bees, that are capable of courting the flowers and entering deeper into them, there is always the sweeter honey as a special and extra reward. So too, to the students, who are capable of entering beneath the superficial joys of the metrical rhythm and thus delve deeper into the philosophical implications suggested in these verses, there is real nectar-a consoling philosophy, a satisfying view-of-life in the poem Bhaja Govindam. Though it is classified as a Devotional Song (Stotram) the chorus alone can be truly designated as a prayer verse. The rest of the thirty stanzas, with scientific precision, dissect the shell of thoughtlessness, that veil the glory in man, and forces him to be helplessly stupid in his relationship with the world - ·Introduction 7 outside. The verses on the whole can be considered as a "book of categories ” (Prakriya), in the Science of Vedanta. Unlike the other manuals of Vedanta-Atma Bodh, Vivekachudamani, Panchadashi and others—"Bhaja Govindam gives, within the limited canvas of its composition, a more cloquent picture of the art of realization and a deeper diagnosis of the human unhappiness. It not only indicates to the students the goal and the path, but also reveals unto him the wretchedness of his present way-of-life, the horrors of his present values-of-life and the dire consequences that await him if he continues to pursue the path of ego and desire: This simple-looking Stotra 'is not addressed to other equally veheinent philosophers and · erudite disputants. Naturally, it contains, thereforc, no claboratc logical argumentations to prove Shankara's owu philosophical standpoint. Nor has the author wasted any labour in breaking other unhealthy and unholy misbeliefs. In short, there are no dialectics in these stanzas. These are addressed to seekers as a book-of-instruction to help them walk the path straight to their goal. It contains ideas that can refresh the seekors on their path. The students whom Shankara admonishes with these stanzas are already pilgrims, all of them, who, perhaps, are walking slow under the crushing load of their own fatigue. This is a text-book of advice (Upadesa) and not a book of disputation (Vada). In " Bhaja Govindam” we meet with a teacher who is softly advising his own beloved disciples, in the secret chambers of his own sacred retrcat. A disciple (Shishya) is (a)i orc who is taught by the tcacher, (b) is one who has become improved-has become now relatively more introvert, having left the extrovertedness that he had in the past--as a result of his study of the contents of I - - T 1 Sikshate Iti Shishyah. 2 Shishyat Vishishyate Shastradi Parijyanena Bahirmukha Apekshaya Iti Shishyah. 1 शिक्षते इति शिष्यः । शिष्यात् विशिष्यते शास्त्रादि परिज्ञानेन बहिर्मुखः 3792 sfa ficu: 1 2 ·8 Shankara ! the Shastras, (c)' onc who controls and curbs the activities of one's own sense-organs. ! Therefore, a true disciple is one who is bcing taught by the teacher, and who, as a result of the understanding so gathered, has now become more and more introvert than what he was before, and is one who has started independently to curb and control all his sense-appetites and the vagaries of his cmotions and thoughts. Such disciples were the audience to whom * Bhaja. Govindam " is addressed. If these stanzas are not silencing the arguments of the OPPOnents of Adwaita, they are not in any sense of the term a mild, soft, inusical chant that gurgles through a hcart of soft cmotions but generates a feeling of divinc sentiments tenporarily in a man-of-heart. There is no such softness about this. These thuirty stanzas have a crack-whip' style and effect about them. There is no softness, no delicate consideration in the approach to correct the erring man. It whips up-it slashes with a cruel cat's-tail on the back of man-because of the urgency. When the housc is on fire, 110 formalities necd be respected in waking up your respected parents, wife or children. The urgency of the moment needs that they must be awakened immediately. Thus, here, in Moha-Mudgara arc a few criminally sweet slashes, with a kindly cruel whip of horriblc impatience, coming with a hateful love for the welfare of the beloved disciples--still sleeping in Samsara-sorrows when the house of life is ablaze with death. Indriyadi Pravritiin Sikshyati Iti Shishiyah. -1.freefa safe fezfa sfa forca: 1 1 I' I!

·MOHA-MUDGARA भज गोविन्दम् SEEK GOVIND भज गोविन्दं भज गोविन्दं गोविन्दं भज मूढमते । संप्राप्ते सन्निहिते काले न हि न हि रक्षति डुकृञ्करणे ॥ [I] Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam Govindam Bhaja Mudhamate Samprapte Sannihite Kale Na Hi Na Hi Rakshati Dukringakarane भज-Seek, गोविन्दं-Govind ; भज-Seek, गोविन्दं-Govind ; गोविन्दं- Govind, भज-Seck ; मूढमते-Oh Fool ! संप्राप्ते-(when) comes, सन्निहिते- appointed, काले-tinue (Death) ; न हि-surely never, न हि-surely never, रक्षति-saves, डुकृञ करणे-Grammar rule (डुकृञ्-to do). Seek Govind, Seek Govind, Seek Govind, Oh Fooll when the appointed time comes (death), grammar-rules surely will not save you. This opening stanza is considered as a chorus and it is generally repcated at the end of each of the following verscs. Bhaja Govindain" is a chant that is generally sung in congregations. The leader sings each verse and the entirc audience takes up the refrain, " Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam". In this refrainverse the disciple is asked to pack up his heart with thoughts .

·IO Shankara -- know" of God rather than with his anxieties to acquire, hoard or possess secular accomplishments or even achievements. The grammar-rule that has been indicated herc stands for "all secular knowledge and possessions.” The grammatical forníula mentioned herein Dukrinyakarane is from Dhatoopad of Panini's grammar treatise, Sidhanta Koumudi. The import of this condemnation that all grammar, and such other secular sciences, cannot save the soul when death reaches to snatch the individual away from this limited ambit of temporary existence here in the world, reminds us of a similar situation in the Chandogya Upanishad, where Narada approaches Sanatkumara humbly begging for initiation into the Great Knowledge. The teacher rightly asks, tell me all that you already know, so that I may instruct you in what you do not Narada thereupon gives an endless and brilliant list of sciences that he had already mastered-from astrology and astronomy to literature and art, music and dance, all the varicd sciences, etc., at which Sanatkumara says, "these are all merc names. The Infinite (Bhumah) is to be realised. It exceeds all these”. It is interesting to note that in the list of Narada's accomplishments, grammar was also especially mentioned. Knowledge of Grammar is, no doubt, necessary. It is means to an end. To understand rightly the Shastra-declarations, and even to appreciate fully the advices of the teacher, grammar is useful. But to waste our precious life time in the pursuit of all these non-essentials, and never taking up seriously, the study of the greatest of sciences, which alone can save man from the thraldom of imperfections, is being condemned here by Acharya Shankara. For, when death comes to erase you out of existence in this manifested world, of what use is your science for you? Of what charm is the art that you have inastered ? Of what help is the knowledge of grammar then While living here man's greatest endeavour is to understand and master the secret of life, the Reality behind them, and to gain his perfect identification with it. He must be able to meet death, not as a moment of utter annihilation, but as a spring-board to rocket himself into an Eternal Existence, peaceful and divine. - n. .

·Moha-Mudgara II -- 66 There is a set of optimistic men of mere book-knowledge who quote Geeta and say that at the tiine of parting they shall remember the Lord and thus achieve all that is to be achieved ; in the Geeta it is said that one who leaves the mortal coil remembering Me, he is saved."1 Book-knowledge cannot save us from the unrelenting Law ; the Law is the Lord. Even in the Geeta it is said : ** Anthakalecha". The importance of the conjunction “chia” is not generally well realised. Shankara in his commentary explains that this conjunction " cha” stands for“ all the life through and at the time of parting. The terın Bhaja" means worship” It is not merely a ritualistic routine and monotonous flower-throwing or a mechanical chanting of some selected mantras or hymns. Sceking our identity with the Lord” is true Bhajan, true Seva Service”. Be it in your private chapel or in a public temple, the "services" conducted therein, no doubt, have been regularised, in all religions, with certain codes of instructions; this is only to bring a uniformity throughout the country. To through those movements is at best only a religious drill True Bhajan is a total subjective surrender, in love and devotion, at the Altar of the Lord, as conceived by the devotee. This process of self-liquidation at the Feet of the Lord has been classified under nine types, according to the means adopted : (1) listening to the glory of the Lord (Sravanam); (2) singing the glory of the Beloved of your heart (Keertanam) ; (3) constantly thinking about his nature and beauty (Smaranam); (4) adoring the Feet of the Lord in a spirit of self-obliteration (Padasevanam); (s) with the help of selected mantras and sacred vedic hymns, employing the necessary things prescribed for it, to worship the Lord (Archanam); (6) to pay obeisance to the Lord (Vandanain); (7) serving (Dasyam) ; (8) to invoke Him affectionately and to discuss with Him as a friend (Sakhyam); and lastly (9) to offer oneself, in a total self-surrender, as a Anthakale Cha Mameva Siaranmuktwa Kalevaram-Refer Swamiji's Geeta- Poorvamapi Anthakale cha. 1 अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेबरम् । गी. ७/५. पूर्वमपि अन्तकाले च । -- " Discourses : VII-s. 2 ·12 Shankara humble gift at His Altar (Atmanivedanam); In all of them there is a spirit of worship Bhaja' employed. The essence in all worships (Bhajanam) is service” (Seva). Ishwara Seva is Ishwara Bhajanan; no doubt, Jana-Seva is certainly Janardana-Seva. The term "Govind" to indicatc Vishnu appcars twice in the Vishnu Sahasranama. Shankara in his commentary explains ctymologically this term to mean in four different ways, the same Highest Reality, the Supreme Brahman. Hc dissolves the word “Govind" in the following four ways : (I) He who finds or knows the carth-incaning, one who has rcalised the substratuin upon which the world-play is going on ; () He who is the Lord of the Cattle-not only as the Divine Cowherdboy of Gokul, but as the very Life-giving Factor behind all animal-passions, and the very Essence behind the living kingdoin ; (3) He who confers specch-the very power because of which all living creatures, through the inedium of speech, convey knowledge mutually to cach other, be it in the braying of an ass, or in the barking of a dog, or in the thunderous eloquence of a speaker; and (4) Hc who is known through the Veda-texts the very Supreme Reality indicated by the Great Statements (Mahl-Vakyas). In short, Govind stands for the Essence, the Atman, which is the Truth behind the ever-changing flux of things that constitute the universe of our experiences. Govind is the Brahınári of the Upanishads. He is the Highest Reality, the Great God. Therefore, Bhaja Govindam "means seek your identity with Govind, the Supreme," and do not waste your time in mere gramınar hunting and in such other really unprofitable pursuits of secular knowledge, of worldly possessions, of ephemeral famc and of passing joys. 1 Used in both 33rd and 71st stanzas. Yena Vachanabhyuritam, Yena Vakabhyudhyatae, Tadeva Brahinattawam Vidhi, Naidam Yadidamupasate”–Refer Swamiji's Discourses on Kenopanishad. 2 यद्वाचानभ्युदितं येन वागभ्युथते । तदेव ब्रह्मत्वं विद्धि नेदं यदिदमुपासते । केनो १/५ w 17 ·Moha-Mudgara I3 मूढ जहीहि धनागमतृष्णां कुरु सद्बुद्धि मनसि वितृष्णाम् । यल्लभसे निजकर्मोपात्तं वित्तं तेन विनोदय चित्तम् ॥ (भज-गोविन्दं भज-गोविन्दं...) [2] Moodha Jahechi Dhanagamatrishnanı Kuru Sadbudhim Manasi Vitrishnait Yallabhase Nijakarmoppathan Vitham Tena Vinodaya Chitham (Bhaja Govindan, Bhaja Govindam........) मूढ-Oh Fool ! जहीहि-give up, धन आगम तृष्णां-the thirst to possess wealth, कुरु-crcatc, सद्बुद्धि-thoughts of Reality, मनसि-in (your) mind, वितृष्णां-devoid of passions, यत्-with whatever, लभसे-you get (as a reward of the past), निज कर्म-by your actions, उपात्तं-obtained, वित्तं- the wcalth, da—with that, fantaa-entertain, f#777-(your) mind. (H9--Seck, rifare-Govind..... Oh Fool ! Give up the thirst to possess wealth. Create in your mind, devoid of passions, thoughts of the Reality. With whatever you get (as a reward of the past), entertain your mind (be content). (Seek Govind, Seck Govind. .......) 1 5 - :) The extrovert personality wanders away from Reality to get himself enmeshed in the finite experiences of joys, and seeks his fulfilments in the world outside. Desire for possessing, acquiring, hoarding and enjoying is the only motive-force that takes man out of his own inner cquipoise into the stormy realms of lust and grccd. By so doing man gets himself involved in the sorrows of Samsar, although he is really the inheritor of endless peace and perfection. One who comes to suffer from one's own ignorance is ·14 Shankara 66 called a fool (Moodha). Shankara hits the nail on the head of the entire problem of the sorrows-in-life, when he appeals to man to give up the thirst to possess wealth ". Here the tcrm wcalth " (Dharam) is to be understood in the largest sense of the term. It includes in its embrace all worldly objects of possession with which the posscssor vainly feels a temporary satisfaction. Wealth in itself is innocent, Philosophy is not against wealth. It is not said hcrc : renounce wealth ", but only the insatiable thirst (trishna) for wealth that is to be given up. Desire-forwealth” is the relationship that the individual keeps subjectively with the objects of the world, which he belicves can probably give him happiness. The objects outside are not to be condemned ; but man's relationship with them is to be intelligent and chastc. When the mind is thus cleansed of passions, with a passionless mind (Vi-thrishna), one must meditate upon the Reality. If the mind is withdrawn from its present preoccupations, it becomes cmpty--and nature abhors vacuum. If the mind is withdrawn from the objects of its entertainment, it gathers in itself an infinite momentum, and if it cannot discover for itself a creative field of self-application, it is surc to dissipate itself again into a different set of objects. Cleansc the mind off its lust for objects, grced for possessions, covetousness for wealth, and apply the same mind in the fields of contemplation upon the Real, the Enduring, the Eternal. The practical man of the world at this advice of the philosopher asks a pertinent question : "If possessions arc not to be courted, if wcalth is not to be acquired, how are we to live :" philosopher is impractical, thic man of the world has got. cnough commonsense to throw up the philosophy and walk his path of joyous fulfilment. No honest philosopher can afford to preach something impractical and impossible. Shankara here indicates how we must live in the world. His advice to us is to live joyously in contentment and satisfaction at what we would get as a result of our actions". There is no limit to human imagination. An individual who has given reins to it can never stop at any conceivable point. Desires multiply the more we satisfy them. The more the desires are If a -- ·Moha-Mudgara IS ཟ་རྩ, > ས པ པས གཡཾ༔ ཨཱཡཱན་སཱཡཱ། ་ན satisfied, the more seenis to be the hunger, and the deeper gnaws into our peace a sense of tragic dissatisfaction. Man seeks satisfaction in life, but wealth can purchase for us only sense-gratifications. Temporarily, no doubt, the passion in us seems to get fulfilled, but erelong the thirst (trishna) rcturns back to our bosom to persecute us more ruthlessly, and that too with a inerciless tyranny. To discover a sense of contentment, and live on what we acquire with our honest labour, and not to feed our covetousness, scem to be the only method by which true happiness and inner peace can be gained. In such a bosom alone the higher contemplations and the conscquent discoveries of the new dimensions of the Spiritual Rcality are ever possible. Desirc for wcalth degrados man. Attachment brings cndless worries. There is strain in acquiring. There is struggle to preserve intelligently what one has acquired. There is pain when one comes to lose what one had acquired laboriously. There is anxiety to preserve what onc lias already gained. This is a game of restless sorrows only. In Kathopanishad' thc young boy Nachiketas in his answer to his teacher, Lord Death, has bcautifully expressed this idea : man is never satisfied with his possessions alonc." Again, Shankara in his Vivekachudamani? quotes the famous statement of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad and says that the Deathless and the Imperishable can never be hoped to gain through possession of wealth”. What we have to leavc in life is only our sense of covetousnless, and with this renunciation comes the truc enjoyment of thc world outside. This open promisc wc read in the Isavasyopanishad : * renounce and cnjoy, covet not others' wealth, 16 Na Vittcna tarpanceyo manushyah"-(Katho I) Read Swamiji's Discourses on Kathopanishad. " Amrutatvasya naasaasti vittenctyeva bi Sruthih "-Vivckachudamani. Tenatyaktena bunjectah 'ma gridha kasya sviddhanam "Isav. I-i. 1 न वित्तेन तर्पणीयो मनुष्यः । कन्ढ १/२७ 2 अमृतत्वस्य नाशास्ति वित्तेनेत्येव हि श्रुतिः । वि. च. ७ * तेन त्यक्तेन भुंजीथाः मा गृथः कस्य स्विद्धनम् । ईश. मं-१ ·16 Shankara -- .) नारीस्तनभरनाभीदेशं Egal at JTI HEFSTE I एतन्मांसावसादिविकारं मनसि विचिन्तय वारं वारम् ॥ (भज-गोविन्दं भज-गोविन्दं...) [3] Naarce Sthanabhara Nabheedesam Dhirishtiva Maa Gaa Mohavesam Yetari Mamsavasadi Vikarain Manasi Vichinthaya Varam Varamı (Bhaja Govindarn, Bhaja Govindani....... नारी-of maidens, स्तन भर-with the weight of their bosom, नाभीदेशtheir navel, çocar-having scen, #1~do not, (371) TT:-fall a prcy, मोह आवेशम्-the maddening delusion, एतन्—this (is), मांस-of flesh, 981-of fat, 371f-etc., facri-a modification, 749-in (your) mind, विचिन्तय—think well, वारं-again, वारम्-again. (9754Seck, rifare-Govind... Secing at the full bosom of young maidens and their navel do not, fall a prey to maddening delusion. This is but a inodification of flesh and fat. Think well thus in your mind again and again. (Scek Govind, Seek Govind....... In the previous stanza a truc seeker is advised to give up all covetousness for the wealth of the world, and here he is advised to give up lusty passions for women. From the days of the Upanishad, to our own times, we find in all masters this constant warning against wealth (kanchana) and woman (Kaminee). No insult is meant to either. This is a statement of a scientific truth. All intelligent living creatures have these two irresistible urges, to possess more” (wealth) and enjoy” (woman). .) ..) -- to ·Moha-Mudgara 17 '. All living organisins in the world move towards the one Grcat Harbour, seeking peace and harmony. All arc always instinctively whipped up by two definite urges (a) to escape paint and (b) to attain happiness. It is only to end all anxietics and sense of insccurity that man runs after" wealth"; to him possessions are barricades against his enemy, Fear”. Against the besieging troops of uncertainties in life man builds imaginary fortresses around him with nioncy and wcalth. Evcil al millionaire is found to be not really happy because he wants inore ! When he feels relatively a little secure from fears, he feels fully the other urge more and more power, viz., the attainment of happiness. It is under this urge that man readily falls to thc irresistiblc cnchantments of the flcsh and runs after the bosom of woman. Herc the statement of man's natural attraction to woman must be understood to include woman's equally natural attraction to man. In both the cases sorrow alone is the ultimate destination where they both reach hand in hand.!!! Biologically nature has made man and woinan with a natural affinity for the charms of thc opposite sex. This natural urge is to bc controlled, disciplined, purified and sublimated. An intelligent intellect" alone can achieve this. An animal cannot; to act according to its instincts and impulses is but its privilege. The glory of man is that he can, by his rational intellect, curb and control the flow of his instincts for carnal pleasures and redivert them, thus ultimately can sublimate himself into something nobler and more divine. Hi Seekers in their carly days of practice should find this rather difficult, since it is against the very nature of their flesh. Human body can seek its fulfilñent only in the ficlds of senseobjects. It is the intellect that always gets visions of the higher possibilities. For the attainment of these visions, with the help i 1 Dukkha-nivritti. 2 Sukhaprapti. 1 1 4 i दुःख निवृत्ति । सुख प्राप्ति । 2 2 ·18 Shankara upon this of a trained mind the intellect comes to curb the passionate flow of the flesh, and thus turn the entire current personality into the more rewarding channels of spiritual upliftment. It experiences, as time passes on, a diviner unfoldment, within. This technique of reversing the process of instinct to flow in the direction of rational contemplation is called in the Yoga Shastra as Pratipaksha Bhavanâ. Throughout among the scriptural texts, wc nieet with many advices based techniquc. Here Shankara gives us a line of thinking which can be an efficient antidote to the fanciful price that the body gives to the objects of the senses. The soft inviting bosom of your beloved, if scientifically analysed and mentally seen in its reality, will reveal to be composed of only abhorrent flesh and fat, packed in a scaly skin! If these component parts are brought before your mental vision, spiritually the mind shall iinmediately retreat from the disgusting ugliness of it all. Through the practice of this Pratipaksha Bhavana we can re-educate our mind not to run away with its imagined picture of happiness in the perishable softness of the filth-filled body. Shankara thus, with the very opening stanzas of Bhaja Govindam cures the student of his two most powerful fascinations his thirst for wealth and his instinctive hunger for flesh. When these two are eliminated from a personality, it will have no more fuel to jerk it out on to the outer fields of its enchantments. This cannot come about very readily ; even when it comes it cannot be maintained so easily. Millions of lives have we lived in the lower realm of evolution, and each one of us have gathered this powerful instinct of self-preservation : preservation of the individual and the race. To rise above them is an achievement in itself and for this, repeated (Varam Varam) practice is unavoidable. In Vivekachudamani also we meet with the same idea. The objects of the world exist and play their pranks upon 1 Dosha drishtya muhurinuhub. (Vivekachudamani). 1 दोष दृष्टया मुहुर्मुहुः । वि. चू. ७ विरज्य विषयत्राताद्दोष दृष्टया मुहुर्मुहुः । वि. चू. २२ I.

·Moha-Mudgara 19 ---- can us; but do we ever see them as they are ? Each one has a knack of throwing a veil of his own fanciful imaginations to decorate the objects with his private mental likes and dislikes. Thus, we see not the world as it is, but gaze at a world splashed all over with our own mental contents. Through close observation, diligent enquiry, scientific analysis we remove the unnatural colour that we have thrown upon the objects around us, and see them in their native beauty and in their natural forms. In the gathering dusk of a dusty evening, we may misunderstand the things we perceive in front of us at a distance ; but on moving nearer the objects, with an enquiring mind, we shall realise their true worth and learn to drop them as useless. Money and women in themselves are not a threat to man, but in our false imaginations we give them both a ridiculously inflated value, and striving for their sake, we come to lay waste our powers. It is this hallucination in man, and the consequent illusory fascination for the world which he entertains, that exile him from his own inner Kingdom of Joy. नलिनीदलगतजलमतितरलं तद्वज्जीवितमतिशयचपलम् । विद्धि व्याध्यभिमानग्ररतं लोकं शोकहतं च समस्तम् ॥ (भज-गोविन्दं भज-गोविन्दं...) [41 Nalineedalagatha Jalamatitharalam Tadwajjeevitamathishaya Chapalam Viddhi Vyadhyabhimanagrastam Lokam. Shokahatam Cha Samastham (Bhaja Govindan, Bhaja Govindam........)

·20 Shankara .) afferita VICT6753-the water (drop) playing on a lotus petal (is), 3faextremely, तरलं-uncertain (existence), तद्वत्-so, जीवितं-life, अतिशयever (greatly), चपलम-unstable, विद्धि--understand, व्याधि अभिमान ग्रस्तं-consumed by disease and conceit, लोक-the world, शोक-with pangs, eri-is (riddled) beset, 9-and, THTH--whole. (7757—Scek, mifare-Govind.. The water-drop playing on a lotus petal has an extremely uncertain existence ; so also is life ever unstable. Understand the very world is consuined by disease and conceit, and is riddled with pangs. (Seek Govind, Seek Govind....... ..) The previous two stanzas tried to help the student to make a correct judgment of the place' of money and woman in a healthy man's dynamic living. They are not to serve as trcacherous rocks, upon which one's ship of life should get smashed and foundered. In this stanza Acharya Shankara is helping us to realize how ephemeral, and riddled with painful iinperfections, is this uncertain existence as the embodied. With all the resources that are ever at the command of a great poet, Shankara sees a human life as uncertain as a minute particle of water trembling at the tip of a lotus petal. Life is uncertain ini itself, and even during its uncertain existence it is consumed by disease and conceits, persecuted by a hundred different voiceless In the first half of the stanza, he is painting the mortality of individual existence. In the sccond half of the stanza he paints the pain-ridden nature of the world itself. This is a typical example of Pratipaksha Bhavana upon the individual and the total life. Since life is so uncertain, and the world is in a sense nothing but sorrow, the general import of the verse is that there is no time for any one to waste. Death rarely announces his visit, and unannounced 'he enters cities and hamlets, flats and fields. He respects neither the person nör the place that he visits. Therefore, strive from right now. "Now” and “Here seems to be the urgency behind the stanza. We are reminded here 1 pangs! *.

·Moha-Mudgara 21 tary”. of Buddha's! cry on the same theme, with a very similar sense of urgency, “ All is misery, misery ; All is momentary, momen- Though I have by now indicated the beauty of the poeticpicture, in which Shankara symbolises the extreme uncertainty of life, the analogy of a drop of water trembling from the tip of a lotus pctal has a deeper vedantic suggestion. This is unavoidable because poct Shankara was at once the incomparable Adwaita teacher of the world. Thc lotus grows in water, exists in water, is nurtured and nourished by the waters. Ultimately it is to perish in water. Naturally the flower is nothing but an expression of the waters, sprung forth to manifestation due to the seed that was at the bottom ! Brahman the Infinite, the One without a second Itself expresses as the lotus of the subtle-body due to Its own Sankalpa. Existing in the Infinite Consciousness, Divine and All-Pervading, a minute ray of It (Atman) functioning in and through these equipments is the Individuality (Jeeva). Atman cxpressing through the lotus-of-the-intellect is the unsteady, over-agitated individual (Jeeva) and which, when it leaves and transcends the intellect comes back to merge with the waters of Consciousness around. Students of the Adwaita Philosophy can easily recognise in this picture an ampler suggestion than merely a poet's fulfilment in a beautiful picture. The return of the trembling drop, back to the waters of the lake, is the culmination indicated by the Maha Vakya, That Thou Art". 1 Sarvam dukham, dukham ; Sarvam kshanikanı, kshanikam." * The inner instruments of feelings and thoughts, constituted mainly of the mindintellcct equipment is called as the “Subtle-body " in Vedanta. 1 सर्वं दुःखं दुःखं सर्वं क्षणिक क्षणिकम् ।

·11 22 Shankara 1 "! -- यावद्वित्तोपार्जनसक्त- स्तावन्निजपरिवारो रक्तः । पश्चाज्जीवति जर्जरदेहे वाता कोऽपि न पृच्छति गेहे ॥ (भज-गोविन्दं भज-गोविन्दं...) [5] Yavadvittoparjana sakthah Tavannijaparivaro Rakthah Pachaajjeevati Jarjaradehe Vaartham Kopi Na Prichchathi Gehe (Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam. यावत्-as long as, वित्त-of wealth, उपार्जन-to earn, सक्तः-(is bent upon) has the ability, तावत्-so long, निजपरिवार:-your dependents, रक्त:- attached (to you), 92976-afterwards (later on), stafa-lives (comes to live), 7612-(in) infirm, e-body, ataf-word, isf9-any one, 17-not, gvegfa ca -cares to speak (asks), 7- at home... (77—Seek, fane-Govind........) As long as there is the ability to earn and save so long are all your dependents 'attached to you. Later on when you come to live with an old, infirm body, no one at home cares to speak even a word with you (Seek Govind, Seek Govind... ......) -- ' .) As an animal, man is essentially selfish. He will not generally give without hopes of getting. Nothing for nothing, seems to be the law that governs Nature. This being a universal law, ordinarily, even intimate relations and dear and near ones are deferential towards the earning-saving member of the family. This has been observed at all levels of relationship--man and wife, father and son, brother and sister. In short, in all human relationships, one who is capable of earning-and-saving alone is ·Moha-Mudgara 23 with due reverence respected and adored by others around, who have some hope of being benefited by a sharc of his saving! It is a popular cry that money is respect, and that money can purchase anything. And indeed this is true. But its corollary, which is generally overlooked is rather painful. For, if moncy is power, then a powerful nian of yesterday should necessarily become, when his carning capacity is accidentally broken up, a powerless man of today! ſf money can purchase happiness, the absence of money can procure only sorrow ! Here the capacity to earn-and-save" (vittaarjanasaktih) should be taken in its widest scope, since 'wealth' (Vittam) embraces in its meaning "all things that can add to human happiness". This power to earn-and-save should include all powers, spiritual and secular, cverywhere, at all levels in the society : the capacity of the scientist, of the politician, of a teacher, of a speaker, of a manufacturer, of an artist and so on. Human life being as it is, faculties and capacities must necessarily wane away ; since age must sap all physical and intellectual efficiencies. Keeping this fundamental in mind, Shankara says that one can be popular and beloved of the people around him only so long as one is capable of “ earning-and-saving". Then alone others can make use of, or make a prey of the “ rich When his capacities decay and he comes to live in his own old, infirm body, all his friends and dependants leave him as he is no more of any use to them. This is the sad way of the world. To be forewained is to be forcarmed. Knowing this natural tendency of all comfort-loving human hearts, let the man of intelligence earn as inuch as he can, distribute according to his abilities and enjoy as much as it is his desert-popularity, affection, consideration and even reverence from others. But let him not misunderstand this to be the very goal of life. Let him earn inner peace and self-sufficiency, and let him save the inner-peace and tranquillity, totally independent of all the clamouring crowd around him, ever trying to fatten his vanities and to feed at all times his conceits !! onc. 1 ·24 Shankara 06 120w 3 This stanza can be considered as providing for the socker the Pratipaksha Bhavana against vanities of life. Through such a contemplation, curb the mind away from these false values and deceptive sense of security, and turn it towards devotion to the Higher. This can be done only and "here" when one is young and one's faculties and mental cfficicncics are at the primc. No doubt, let all young men scck success in lifc. Let them strive, struggle and adventure forth. Let every onc, carn, savc, give and thus serve as many as possiblc around, in his community and nation. But these are to be considered only as hobbies ; the main occupation of life should be the Art of self-purification, the Craftsmanship of Secking Perfection. The real achievement is to be gained in oncs own personal inner contemplation, so that even long before the world comes to reject you, you can reject the world of activities and retire into a richer world of screner contemplation and more intense selfengagements. यावत्पवनो निवसति देहे तावत्पृच्छति कुशलं गेहे। गतवति वायौ देहापाये Hi farla aftfratare il (भज-गोविन्दं भज-गोविन्दं...) [6] . 1 Yavatpavano Nivasati Dche Tavatprichchati Kushalam Gehe Gatavati Vayou Dehapaaye Bharya Bibhyati Tasininkaye (Bhaja Govindanı, Bhaja Govindam ..... + 1 ·Molia-Midgara 25 1 यावत्-As long as, पवन:-the breath (life), निवसति-dwells, देहे--in (your) body, तावत्-so long, पृच्छति-enquires, कुशलं-of (your) welfarc, गेहे-at home, गतवति, वायो (सति)-when the breath (life) leaves, देह अपाये-(when) the body decays, भार्या-(even) your wife, बिभ्यति-fears, afety--that very (in that very), fritsbody. (7767–Seck, Tifara-Govind.. ...) As long as therc dwells breath (life) in the body so long as they enquire of your welfare at liomc. Once the brcath (life) leaves, the body decays, and cyen thc wifc fcars that very same body. (Scck Govind, Seek Govind. .......) A sense of detachment from thic blind affcctions for the world and froin the objects of hollow enjoyments is absolutely necessary in order to turn the mind towards, seeking through contemplation, thc Truly Highest. In certain texts this idca is sliglıtly overemphasized as in Buddhism, which is no doubt dangerous, inasımuch as it takes away thc pop of life and dullens the very enthusiasm in the sccker to live or to strive. Meditations on lifc should not land the student at the bottom of some dark pit of lifclcss pessimism. At the same time he should not be blindly optimistic about the worldly achievements and the brittle vanitics of life. Vedantic teachers are very very careful. While they try to dissuade man from over-indulgence in a totally cxtrovert life, they vehementally cxhort all to live in service of man, and to develop in themselves a healthy introvertedness. The Rishics, no doubt, with an ideal scientific detachment had observed life as it is, and with a relentless honesty had painted it all with shattering realism only to help the student to realize it all fully. This culminates only in a healthy optimism, and where the students' old values are shattered Vedantic teachers very careful to substitutc for him a sct of hcalthier and more enduring values of positive living. Western critics, not rcalising the implications of such stanzas, generally criticize adversely, because they jump into the conclusion that philosophers in the East paint life dark and dreary, and thus are trying to drive away from man all incentive to are ·26 Shankara live and to progress. In short, to spend one's entire life-time in sheer bodyworship, in carning more, so that this futile worship may be made more elaborate, is one of the abominable intellectual stupidities into which humanity readily sinks. For, if body be the altar of worship, it may not remain permanently there as the days of decay and old age are not far away even for today's young bodies. To sweat and toil, to fight and procure, to feed and breed, to clothe and shelter the body--are all in themselves necessary, but to spend the whole life-time in thcsc alone is a criminal waste of human abilities. For, erelong, it is to grow old, tottering, infirm, and in the end, die away. To live in the body, for the body, is the Cult of the Rakshasas--the Virochana Cult. Virochana, the King of the Devils, even after reaching the feet of the Lord of Knowledge could understand from his instructions only this much : "the body alone is the Self, the Atman, the Eternal. To worship it is the greatest of all religions”. Here, in the stanza, a line of contemplation is opened up, and to reflect in this direction is to end the attachment with the body and to blast all the futile vanities in man. * At least the animal body has some-value when it is dead ; a human body when once dead has only a nuisance-value. It is to maintain and to fatten such a bundle of despicable filth that wealth is earned, hoarded, many throats cut, low dissipation practised and cruel .wars waged ! ! Even the nearest and the dearest, your own life's partner," points out Shankara, dreads and fears the darling body of her beloved husband, when once life has ebbed away from it”. To meditate on this significant fact of life is to develop a healthy disregard- for, and a profitable spirit of detachment from the body-vanities. No doubt, the body is to be looked after, for it serves us. Keep it clean and beautiful, feed it, clothe it, wash it just as we serve all other vehicles that we make use of in the world. Serve the body-but always with a firm and steady understanding that this is only an instrument with which we may win the ampler fields. This will not remain for ever, nor will it serve with equal efficiency for all times. It will perish 1 ·Moha-Mudgara 27 । and it must. With this right knowledge, to live in the body is the healthiest life, where minimum sorrows can be expected. बालस्तावत्क्रीडासक्त- स्तरुणस्तावत्तरुणीसक्तः। वृद्धस्तावच्चिन्तासक्तः परसे ब्रह्मणि कोऽपि न सक्तः॥ (भज-गोविन्दं भज-गोविन्द...) [7]. Balastavat Kreeda sakthah Tharunastavat Tharuneesakthah Vriddhastavatchinthasakthah Parase Brahmani Kopi Na Sakthah (Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam...... ..) बाल: तावत्-so long as one is in his childhood, क्रीडा-(towards play) to play, आसक्तः-(one is) attached, तरुणः तावत्-a youth (so long as one is in youth), तरुणी-towards young women (towards passion) सक्त:-(one is) attached, za: 019-so long as one is old (an old man), farcti—towards anxiety, आसक्त:-(one is) attached, परसे-to the Supreme, ब्रह्मणि- Brahman, के: अपि any one (alas), कोऽपिन-no one is (seen), सक्त:- attached. (भज -Seek, tifare-Govind.. So long as one is in one's boyhood, one is attached to play, so long as one is in youth, one is attached to one's own young woman (passion) ; so long as one is in old age, one is attached to anxiety (pang). . (yet) no one, alas, to the Supreme Brahman is (ever seen) attached !! (Seek Govind, Seek Govind... an ..) . . .) Indeed life is short. Long is the pilgrimage. High above ·28 Shankara --- 1 the clouds, veiled by them, risc thc peaks of perfection that are to be scaled. And yet, the rational intellect is so powerful a mechanism that it can rocket a inan of purc hcart into the highest levels of incomparable divinity in a very short time, if only he is available for it. Alas ! He is not. He gets himself tied down to the passing sorceries of the flesh in the world. Deluded by his passions, he discovers an enchantment in the gold, a value in the baser things, a sweetness in the very bitter agonics of life. Hoodwinked with lust, drunk with passions, the tottering fool wanders away from the main road into the thorny bushes, and thcre, lacerated and blecding, soon fatigued, hic tumbles down into the bottomless pits of death. As the teacher realizes this universal folly of man, he feels a painful desperation, and the resultant song is the verse under discussion. Chronologically following the autobiographical story of man, Acharya says that the childhood days of man are wasted in his attachments with the toys and the gaines natural to that age. As he grows up, the youthful energies are dissipated in his passion for his beloved and in lusty sports. As age gathers up on him and forces him to bend upon his staff, the grcy hairs on him conceal a head heavy with anxieties and fears. All through life's pilgrimage the fool crawled upon the surface, attached to one thing or the other, never getting any chance, or finding the time to attach himself to the Supreme. Play, passion and pang- These seem to be the three cominon boundaries in every thoughtless man's life. No 'one born can struggle against the flow of time or against the law of growth. The days of ball and doll must yield thcir chances to the times of passion and woman, and then at the evening of life, he arrives to live his worries and anxieties regarding himself and others depending upon him. Strange enough-never did he get any leisure to surrender to Him, who is the Solc Protector of All, the All-giving Guardian at all times. This extreme sense of attachment to the world is to be given up intelligently, so that life may have a goal, a mission, or at lcast a purpose. This extrovertedness is natural to all living crcatures. But in man this is inexcusablc. The other ·-- w man is . Moha-Mudgara 29 crcatures live as commissioned by their instincts. Man has the freedom to rationally judge even his own inclinations, temperainents and tendencies, and reject thein, when they are found to be foolish and dangerous. It is in this special aspect that the roof and crown of things”. If well cmployed, he can raisc himself to the highest perfections. Around us in the world we find man is never idle, but is cver active. Play-pen and play-fields, lovc-arbours and romancc-world, hospital-beds and infirmaries-these, the usual ficlds of his achievements and industrious activitics ! All the time, lifc constantly cbbs away and there is no time for him to think of Him, the Supreme ! Kathopanishad indicates that the very Creator had made man's sense-organs turned outward, and so he lives generally at the sense-level, and can feel a sense of fulfilment only in sense-indulgences. some rare ones,” says the glorious Kathaka Rishi, “who, desiring to realize the Highest, withdraw themselves from the preoccupations of the senses and seek the Changeless and the Immutablc". To be attached to the Lord is to learn to withdraw from the usual fields of pain-ridden sorrows-the ephemeral gains, and the shocking losses. To turn to God is to attach ourselves to Him and by this attachment any sincere seeker can bring about an efficient detachment from the cver-changing realms of objects. - ? "It is only का ते. कान्ता कस्ते पुत्रः संसारोऽयमतीव विचित्रः । कस्य त्वं कः कुत आयात- स्तत्त्वं चिन्तय तदिह भ्रातः ॥ :. (भज-गोविन्दं भज-गोविन्दं...) [8] ·30 Shankara * 4**-*eam Kaa Te Kaantaa Kaste Puthrah Samsaroyamateeva Vichitrah Kasya Twam Kah Kutha Aayaatah Tatwam Chinthaya Tadiha Bhratah (Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam. .... ...) I~who is, a-your, orat-wife : fi—who is, à-your, gat:--son ? संसार: अयं-this samsara, अतीव-supremely, विचित्र:-(indeed) wonderful, कस्य-of whom, त्वम्-are you ? कः (त्वम्)-who are you ? कुतः--from where (त्वं-you), आयात:-have come ? तत्त्वं-of that Truth, चिन्तयthink, ac a:-that herc a lone, "TAT:-Oh Brother! (+37—Seek, Tifare-Govind. .......) Who is your wife? Who is your son ? Supremely wonderful indeed is this Samsar. Of whom are you : From where have you come ? Oh brother, think of that Truth here. (Seek Govind, Seek Govind.. n. *V no .) 1 1 F 1 There is no denying the fact that the institution of home, the bonds of family relations, etc., have all a beneficial influence on individuals, and they can certainly liberate man from his ego-centric selfishness. And yet, they are themselves even at their best very limited. They can never be an end in themselves. Man and woman living together, in mutual love and respect, as a couple, and growing to the dignified status of a father and a mother, have much to learn from cach other. Both get well trained by their mutual association, if they live in a true spirit of togetherness. But ordinarily in their folly, they grow into such an unhealthy state of attachment to each other that the very balm becomes a poison. According to the Hindu Shastras, man and woman in wedlock must live, no doubt, in a spirit of togetherness, but the Acharyas insist, let there be space between thc two”—let there be no clinging attachment to each other, which is unhealthy for both. Family is the field of trial and test, wherein the individuals can grow into healthier personalities—but it is not in itself the final destination. Live life with detachment at home. It is but life's college. Mistake it not as life's main field of C --- .

·Moha-Mudgara 31 achievement. If all philosophical declarations cannot be practically lived, philosophy itself becomes an utopian idealism, preached by a poetic visionary and, therefore, must fail to influence life' or culture. To live in attachment and to sink into the family mire seems to be natural for man and woman. Mind takes to it as readily as the duck to water. Therefore, the philosophy must prescribe a technique by which one can grow into the rcquired state of detachment. That technique is here described. Intelligent enquiry is the only antidote for the follies of delusion. The mcthod of cnquiry to be adopted is being indicated here. Acharya Shankara asks us to enquire Who is your wife ? Who is your soul ?!! On analysis we shall find that the beloved wife was a simple daughter of her father, until in marriage you were tied to her. Life being so uncertain, nobody can foresce who is to part first, and in case it is your lot to precede her in death, there again she will be living as a widow. Thus, in life man and woman arc born independently, and each one inust die and depart alone. In the pilgrimage from birth to death, in the travel from life to death, at a certain junction each met with the other, and thereafter travelled together, no doubt, serving each other--as all good-hearted travellers always do. The companionship parts when the destination is reached. By thus analysing one shall realise the right attitude one should have in maintaining a healthy relationship with the world. So too is the son. When you analyse your real relationship you shall sec that the son has become yours only after his birth. Before that it was a foetus. Before that it was only a seed in your loins, and that itself came from the food you assimilated. The food came from the earth. Thus a clod-of-earth" in its various manifestations became the fruit, the food, the seed, the foetus and the child, and, therefore, the child itself is nothing but an effect of the ultimate cause, the mud. If you analyse yourself as the father, you too are nothing but the product of a clod-of-mud” of another period of time and place. One piece of mud then gets attached to another ·32 Shankara no piece of mud! How strange! How powerful is delusioni- Maya ! The empirical life, the Samsara, is a fascination only to the thoughtless. Intelligently meditatc upon them. Enquire to whom do I belong? To what Factor Divine does my very cxistence owe its continuance ? From where have we all.come to play this passing-show in the field of this world Where are we going ? When once departed from here what is our destinations If there bc thus a source from which we have come and a destination to which we are going, what cxactly should then be our duty "now and "hcrc": What should be our attitude to things and beings, and the infinite happenings, that crowd around us and march through our cxistence "herc": Oh ! Brother (Bhrathah). Please contemplate ! Shankara is assuming now not the status of a teacher advising the taught, but he talks as an elder brother would to an erring younger brother. However, it is to be noted that there are several other readings: Instead of 'brother' (Bhrathah) there is a reading which means ' Mad-one' (Bhranthah). This is also quite appropriate, in the context of the stanza, because a madman is one who is not acting as he should. The deluded fool in his extreino attachment to things of the world outside, when he lives, cxpressing an incapacity to think rightly and act properly is also a mad-one in life. सत्सङ्गत्वे निस्सङ्गत्वं । निस्सङ्गत्वे निर्मोहत्वम् । निर्मोहत्वे निश्चलतत्त्वं निश्चलतत्त्वे जीवन्मुक्तिः ॥ (7757- Jan 757-utilang ،، ܀ [9] -- ·Moha-Mudgara 33 Satsangatwe Nissangatwam Nissangatwe Nirmohatwam Nirmohatwe Nischalatatwam Nischalatatwe Jeevanınıkthih (Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam.... ..) सत् संगत्वे-Through the company of the good, fa: a-(therc arises) non-attachment, far: arca-through non-attachment, fit: Htara-(therc arises) freedom from delusion, fahrera-through the freedom from delusion, निश्चल-Immutable, तत्वं-Reality, निश्चल तत्वे-through the Immutable Reality, 51197 uffa:-(comes) the state of " liberated-in-life". ( Scek, Tifara.Govind... Through the company of the good, there arises non-attachment; through non-attachment there arises freedom from delusion ; when there is freedom from delusion, there is the Imınutable Reality ; on experiencing Immutable Reality there comes the state of " liberated-in-life". (Seek Govind, Seek Govind. .......) . . . . . From all that has been said so far it is very clear that to live in the world, earning-and-saving, is not in itself a real profit. To live in attachment is, certainly, an ill-rewarding programme of existence. To waste our life in the lusts and passions of our flesh, is dissipating ourselves in all our faculties. Through Pratipaksha Bhavana, we must try to withdraw from them all and spend the energy so conserved, in seeking and serving Govind. It is easy to appreciate the logic of this philosophy, but not always so easy to appreciate its canons and, indeed, it is almost impossible all of a sudden to live its recommended wayof-life. This difficulty is experienced by all students of philosophy, everywhere, at all times. All true philosophers must appreciate this logical difficulty in the student, and provide for him various practical methods by which the poor sceker, in his frail spiritual strength at this moment, may be helped to walk the "path": Else philosophy itself would become an impractical utopia. Acharya Shankara talks directly to his devotees, at all times.

·34 Shankara а. His is not the style of the Rishi declarations, wherein the inaspired Seer, closing his eyes, roared and thundered in panting words of his Infinite Joy of the Impossible which he has rendered possible. These frightening commandments, gushing down from the soft-flowing hcarts of the peaceful Masters, constituto the Upanishads. Shankara, the commentator serving as a Inissionary in the country, with a definite goal of cultural revival to be achicved, never sccins to forget the quality and calibre of his listeners' intellect. In the stanza under review, Shankara gives a simple “ ladderof-progress ", by carefully climbing which a sccker can comfortably arrive at the highest reaches of perfection. In spite of our apprcciation of the rationale in the philosophy so far discussed, the fact still is that we are living cvery hour of our existence amidst temptations of life, where wealth and woman are the main enchantments. Artificially, I can build up an intellectual barricr against my passions and lusts. And thus I may restrain them from their onward flow for some time. But the objects of fascination are so numerous and their enchantments so powerful, that the mighty sorcery of the sensuousworld is too irresistible for an individual sceker to fight against. In order to reinforce the cfforts of a student in his carly days of seeking, and to give him more courage and strength, Shankara advises him to have plenty of the company of the good” (Satsangh). As a result of the practice of ' Pratipaksha Bhavana thc student is, no doubt, holding the company of good-thoughts within himself. This is to protect him from the rising waves of passions within. But in order to fight against the hordes of temptations in the every-day-world, he needs a fortress around him, which is drawn from his association with the good people. that we keep is very important. The worldly scekers are carelessly choosing their friends, and are indiscriminate in choosing their associations. The chances are that he, in spite of his knowledge and determination, will be snatched away, in bad company by the powerful waves of 1" Company of the good"-directly with living teachers, learned pundits cultured mcn, and sincere seckers ; if these are not available then indirectly, through great Books. C 1 The “company ·- Moha-Mudgara 35 blind passions. To be in the " company of the good” is to be with those who arc devotees of the Lord and are themselves seekers of the Highest. In such an assembly there is a powercreated, which in the congregation erects a powerful fortress, against the magic of the world outside. As a result of the influence of the “good company”, the human mind develops steadily a capacity to withdraw from the sensuous fields of attraction, and thus discovers in itself the secret of detachment (Nissangatiam). When the sense of attachment is sponged away from the inner bosom, delusion (Moha) and all the delusory false values that we give to the world can no more remain. It is always the mind that puts a value upon the objects, and thereafter, the inert objects of the world become capable of enchanting that mind. When once the mind has started seeing the things as they are--becausc the mind has redeemed itself from its own Vasana encrustations--the Immutable Reality is glimpsed by that mind. When this experience becomes more and more established in us that individual becomes a God-realized Saint, liberated-in-life” (Jivannukta). The stanza reminds us of the-ladder-of-fall” that Geeta describes. I Glancing over the contents of these two stanzas it is evidently clear that Geeta is showing the “ ladder of the downward fall while Shankara is showing the “ladder of the upward climb”. There is yet another reading of the stanza where instead of “Immutable Rcality.” (Nischalatwam) we have“ steadfastness” (Nischalitatwam). When the delusion of the mind is wiped away, mind gains a stcadfastness in meditation, and with this steadfast meditation, the experience of the Highest and the consequent state of “liberation-in-life” (Jivanmukti) is easily attained. 6 1 When a man thinks of objects, attachment for thein arises ; from attachment desirc is born"; from desire arises anger. From anger comes delusion; from delusion loss of memory; from loss of memory the destruction of discrimination ; from destruction of discrimination he perishes.”—Geeta II, 62 & 63.

·Shankara 36 वयसि Tā : frafaepit: शुष्के नौरे कः कासारः। क्षीणे वित्ते कः परिवारो ज्ञाते तत्त्वे कः संसारः॥ (भज-गोविन्दं भज-गोविन्द...) [10] Vayasi Gate Kah Kamavikarah Sushke Neere Kah Kaasaarah Ksheene Vithe Kah Parivaro Gynate Tatwa Kah Samsarah (Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam........) que ta (afat) --when the age (youthfulness) has passed, oti:—where is, कामविकार:-lust and its play, शुष्के नीरे (सति)-when water is evaporated (dried up), 7:—where is, THT:--the lake ; aut fa (afa) --when the wealth is reduced, 7:—where is, of art:-the retinue ? ta ara (afer ) -—when the Truth is realised, 7:—where is, fart:- the Samsar. (#—Seek; urtfara-Govind. .......) When the age (youthfulniess) has passed where is lust and its play When water is evaporated, where is the lake : When the wealth is reduced, where are the retinue : When the Truth is realized, where is Samsar : (Seek Govind, Seek Govind.. ..) In four epigrammatic statements, Shankara drives home to the student's understanding that where the cause has ended, the effects cannot continue. When age and its youthfulness have passed away, where is lust and its play ? The maddening lust of blindening passion can remain with one only so long as the skin is tight, the muscles are hard, the blood is stormy and the individual is young and hearty. Lust springs only from youthfulness. When the cause is removed, the effects cannot ·Moha-Mudgara 37 how can remain all by themselves. When the waters are dried up, the lake can no longer continue to exist. The dried up lake or tank can only express as the bed ; only when waters are there that they can express themselves as lake or tank, and serve the world as such." So long as the waters of desire are playing in the mind, the passionate youth vigorously strives to fulfil them. But when once these desires have dried up the man of action strive to acquire and court ? When the wealth is reduced, where are the relations, dependants, supporters—in short, ones entire retinue : They follow behind an individual only so long as he can look after them, and they can profit by him. When the capacity in the individual has ended, the retinue also disappears. And wealth is an uncertain possession. Nobody can say when and how she courts an individual, or when she will without regret, shamelessly push him into penury and starvation, and depart in another direction, towards another individual ! With these three examples, it is clear that when the cause is absent, the effect is also absent. Carrying this analogy into the subjective realms of spiritual perfection, Shankara asks the question, when the Truth is realised, where is Samsar The ignorance of the post gives us the delusory vision of the ghost and the consequent fears. At the non-apprehension of the Reality, misapprehensions start and they provide the hosts of sorrows for the deluded. Due to the Vasana-fumes, called " ignorance” (Avidya), the Perfection is not experienced and therefore, man, revolting against his own sense of imperfections, desires, plans, works and strives to acquire and possess orld, whereby he hopes that he can seek a fuller fulfilment in life.. Through the processes explained in the previous stanza when the Vasanas have been eliminated, meaning, when the "ignorance ” of the Reality is ended, all the misconceptions also must end. The delusory sense of individuality, arising from the myth of the mind and its dream-objects, constitutes the “ painful sufferer" amidst the finite objects. 6 1 ·T 38 Shankara 1 When once the Vasanas have ended, the cause has been eliminated, and naturally, therefore, the effects cannot exist by themselves. When the Truth is realised, where is the empirical phenomenon of finite objects and their unlimited tyrannies ? Herein then is the cause for our conditionings in our inner life, which in its turn created the chaos of an ego and its meaningless achievements and mad roamings of the individuality. When this inner Vasana-condition has been changed, the cgo has been eliminated, and where there is no ego, the world“ perceived, felt, and thought of” must necessarily reccde into nothingness. As the phenomenal play of enchantments gets obliterated, the experience of the Infinite Consciousness comes to reveal as the State of Truth, and at this experience the individuality ends and the Universal Consciousness becomes the very nature of the meditator. " The Knower of the Brahman becomes Brahman"1 and for this there is no other path other than that which was discussed in the previous stanza. मा कुरु धनजनयौवनगर्व हरति निमेषात्कालः सर्वम् । मायामयमिदमखिलं बुध्वा ब्रह्मपदं त्वं प्रविश विदित्वा ॥ (भज-गोविन्दं भज-गोविन्दं...) [II] 1 Brahmavit Brahmaiva Bhavati. 2 Naanyah Panthah vidyate ayanaya. 1 ब्रह्मवित् ब्रह्मैव भवति । मुण्डक ३/८/९ नान्यः पन्थः विद्यते अयनाय । श्वेताश्वतर ६/१९ 1 ·Moha-Mudgara 39 ..) Maa Kuru Dhanajanayohvanagarvani Harati Nincshatkalah Sarvan Maayamayamidamakhilain Buddhwa Brahmapadam Twam Pravisha Vidittwa (Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam.. मा-Do not, कुरु-take, धन-in possession, जन-in the people, यौवन-in youth, Ta-pride, exfa-loots way (takes away), fÀ017—in a moment, काल:-the 'Time, सर्व-all thesc, मायामयं-full of illusory nature, इदं-this, अखिलं-all, बुध्वा-after knowing, ब्रह्मपदं-the state of Brahman, त्वं-you, sfast-citer into, fafarat-after rcalising. (757-Seek, rifare-Govind. .......) Take no pride in your possession, in the people (at your command), in the youthfulness (that you have). Time loots away all these in a moment. Leaving aside all these, after knowing their illusory nature, realise the State of Brahman, and enter into it. (Seek Govind, Seek Govind... .) False vanities and hollow: conceits tie man to the whecl of woe in lifc-Samsar. The einpirical process of change and the consequent jerks affect man, only when he keeps the relationship of himself with the world of objects feelings and thoughts, through his body, mind and intellect. By this he creates a false attitude to things and beings around him, as my people” my things”, “my joys", my ideas”, etc. These false vanities throw man out of hiniself to suffer the storms of finitude and the floods of change. All these are really thc unavoidable contents of the objective-world. Wealth, social connections and family status, youth and its vigour--these form the töttering pillars upon which is built the platform of sense-enjoyment. This drama of passion and lust can end only in utter dissipation and personality-cxhaustion. These have been alrcady discussed and clearly shown in the earlier verses. Wealth is never constant. Nor can it cver remain faithful -she must move from hand to hand, visiting all ; youth can never last for long. Relationships in this world, the social ·Shankara 40 status, popularity and power--all these are indicated by the term people (Jana). All of them entirely depend upon the fancy of the moment, the mood of the hour. This world of illusory appearances is a field of preoccupation only to the delusory ego, which springs from one's own identification with the perceiver-feeler-thinker in oneself. Seek the knower of it all, the Principle that illumines all experiences—Sakshee Chaitanya—in the very core of ones own bosom. Rcalise that this Consciousness (Ayam Atma) presiding over all our inner experiences is the Consciousness Infinite cverywhere (Brahman). $ दिनयामिन्यौ सायं प्रातः शिशिरवसन्तौ पुनरायातः। कालः क्रीडति गच्छत्यायु- स्तदपि न मुञ्चत्याशावायुः ॥ (भज-गोविन्दं भज-गोविन्दं...) [12] Dinayamin you Saayam Praatah Shishiravasantow Punaraayaatah Kaalak Kreedati Gachchtyayuh Tadapi Na Munchathyaasaavaayuh (Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam.... ...) दिन यामिन्यौ-Day and night, प्रातः-dusk, सायं-dawn, शिशिर वसन्ती- winter and spring, पुन:-again, आयातः :-come (and depart) ; 71:-Time, क्रीडति-sports, गच्छति-cbbs away (goes away), आयु:-life (breath), तत् 37f9-And yet, --not; fa–leaves, 37TTT ary:~the gust of desire. (767-Seck, Tifara-Govind. Day and night, dusk and dawn, winter and spring again and again come (and depart). Time sports and life ebbs away. And yet, one leaves not the (Seek Govind, Seck. Govindi......) ..) gusts of desires. 1 ·Moha-Mudgara 41 > * past The day decays to end itself in the night. The night dies only to blossom forth into the following day. The dawn grows in vigour and heat to be the noon, but soon wanes away to be the mellow dusk. On the wheel of happenings, the months steadily glide along and in its soft-footed silent march, the irresistible floods of time roll up in waves of years, sweeping cvery thing in front of its relentless might. Hushed in the silence of its own wonderiment, the Age slips unperccived into its slushy grave. Time moves on. That which was futurc becomes the present, and itself rolls away to join the endless ocean of the past. Time never stops, on no condition, for no person ! It is ever on the march ! Man, gathering memories from his own barricades his present ’, sets them ablaze with his excitements in his day-to-day life, and the rising fumes of his bosom blur his vision to make his life rugged with his anxieties for the future'. As we thus waste ourselves with our endless manoeuvres, in the irresistible stride of Tine, all our hopes and plans get defeated and routed. The young courageous heart of the spiritual child Nachiketas realises this ridiculous tamasha, when he consoles his old father Vachashravas, by reminding him that? " things born must die and perish away only to be born again”-nothing is permanent. Later the same spiritual hero talking face to face with his teacher, Lord Death, at Death's own portico, with utter disdain rejected the gifts that Yama offered him, and there again we hear the same truth expressed in the vigorous words of the child“ cven the longest life that you can give is but a trifle ; may you keep to yourself the dance and the music". Life is at Time's mercy In not recognising this man desires to enjoy the sense-objects, strives, sweats and toils endlessly to acquirc, to possess and to aggrandisc—to hope, to . 1 Sasyamiva marthya pachyate, sasyamivaajayatac punah-Katho (I. i.). 2 Apih sarvam jivitam alpameva tavaivavaha tava nritya gceyata-Katho (I. i.). #rafha ra: qeyà affiagra gat: 1 76. 814 अपिसर्वं जीवितमल्पमेव तवैवह तव नृत्यगीयते । कढ. १/१५ 2 ·42 Shankara ! spend . . . . And dcath snatches away every thing from him . He is compelled to leave every thing here--and with painful bundles of Vasanas, acquired in his desire-ridden selfish life, the miserable creature departs. How sad ! Indeed, how tragic! The objects glitter with an illusory beauty and sing their dissipation-songs only because they are rendered so enchanting by our own mind just as the objects of flaming joys in our dreams ! This dazzling glow of joy in them conceals the Highest Rcality. “A golden disc covers the brilliant face of Truth declares Isavasya Upanishad, and therefore, the Upanishad student therein could not rcalise what the teacher declared.2 “Every thing that is here present is clothed by Isha. Sensuous passions alone make man blind to his own true State of Perfection. Desire for the fleeting, delusory, golden-deer is for the time being, seemingly more powerful for Sceta than her infinite love for Rama, her Divine Beloved. This is delusion at play Maya with a vengeance. Life steadily ebbs away, but desire fed by the sense-gratifications only grows the more by them. Body decays and becomes infirm. It has grown to have no more strength to enjoy, but the man hungers all the more for sense-enjoyments. Death crawls behind. Disease and decay accompany him. Piloted by worries and anxietics, this mournful procession reaches the edge of the grave still man wants the joys of the pain-ridden objects. Be wise. Give up desires. Seek the All satisfying Reality, that lies behind the mental show of change and sorrow. The Infinite alone will satisfy you. Seek it with a mind withdrawn from the fever of all passions. . 1 1 Hiranmayena patrena Satyasya apahitam mukham. 2 Ishavasyain idam sarvam yat kincha jagatyam-jagat. हिरण्मयेन पात्रेण सत्यस्यापाहितं मुखम् । ईश. २५ ईशावास्यं इदं सर्वं यत् किंच जगत्याम् जगत् । ईश. १ 1 2 ·Moha-Mudgara 43 - . -- ..) का ते कान्ता धनगतचिन्ता वातुल किं तव नास्ति नियन्ता । त्रिजगति सज्जनसंगतिरेका भवति भवार्णवतरणे नौका ॥ (भज-गोविन्दं भज-गोविन्दं...) [13] Kaa Te Kaantaa Dhanagatachintaa Vaatula Kim Tava Nasti Niyantaa Trijagati Sajjanasangatirekaa Bhavati Bhavaarnavatarane Noukaa (Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindan... का-Where is, ते-your, कान्ता-wife ? (का-where) धनगत-pertaining to wcalth, चिन्ता-worry ? वातुल-Oh, distracted one ! किं--is there, तव-to you, न अस्ति-not, नियन्ता the ordainer of rules (One who ordains or commandst), त्रिजगति-in the three worlds, सज्जन-of the good, संगति:-association (सज्जन संगति-the (Frotat infa--the association-with-the-good), एका alone, भवति-becomes (can serve as), भव अर्णव तरणे-to cross the sca of change (birth and death), नौका.-the boat. (भज-Seek, गोविन्दं-Govind. ..) Oh, distracted one! Why worry about wife, wealth, ctc.: Is there not for you the One who ordains (rules, commands ) In the three worlds it is the " association-witlz-the-good-people " alone that can serve as a boat to cross the sea of change (birth and death). (Seek Govind, Seek Govind........) Why worry about wife or wealth ?" There is yet another reading :1'" Why dissipate mentally over the lips of 1 Kanthaa-adhara-gata-chintaa. 1 कन्याधारगता चिन्ता ।

·44 Shankara - 1 your lady:" To worry over anything will not pay in life. To worry means to waste our mental cnergies and when once the mind is stormed with sensuous thoughts regarding any problem, the impoverished mind has no more any vitality left over in it, with which it may face effectively its challenge. Worry exhausts ; it saps out all the fluid-dynamism that the personality has, with which alone it can confidentially face the battle of life. Man fails, not because the world is strong enough to break him down, but it is always only because man becomes wcaker and thus relatively the world-of-happenings is rendered more powerful. Remember, the weak must perish”, is the law of nature. To dissipate oneself in the sensuous thoughts, as indicated in the stanza, is indeed unholy, and to do so upon one's own partner-in-life is, indeed, a self-insulting criminal-meanness. Wife is something more than a mere sensuous convenience. To consider her as only a chattel for your pleasure, and for your sense-gratification, is to pull down the institution of home and the sanctity of the motherhood in her. Such degrading, demeaning devolutionary thought-currents, when they arise in the bosom of the seeker, they should be curtailed and he must uplift his thoughts by conscious remembrance of the Lord. The entire stanza is addressed to the sensuous man, and the Acharya here calls him, “best among fools that constantly waste themselves in lascivious thoughts” (Vatula). But having fallen into this wrong rut of thinking, and having cultivated the habit of emptying one's personalityvitality through such mental kink, what is now thc remedy for coming out of this self-ruining habit. Constant and continuous association with the good people”, who are themselves well educated, self-controlled, men with vision and a mission, is the only known remedy. In the beginning, by such a continuous association, the mind will slowly take up new channels of thinking and ultimately will come to forget the old habits of thought. This alone can be the only remedy. This contact will develop in us a healthy attitude towards things, which, in their turn, will give a new purpose and direction for our thought-lifc. When the quality and the 1 ·Moha-Mudgara 45 66 1 texture of thoughts have changed for the better, the secker shall discover in himself a new inspiration welling within, pushing him on to greater effort in more rewarding fields. This new lease of life in the fresh atmosphere of healthy thoughts will encourage him day by day to strive for the Higher and will give him a clearer picture of the Goal of life. He develops a pair of mental antennae, extremely sensitive to feel his path, the means of achieving his own goal : a radar effect. Physical self-control (Dama) brings about mental peace (Shama), which crcates a satisfying inner joy (Santosh) of the spiritual heart. With such an inner instrument alone sincere self-study (Swadhyaya) and reflection (Vichar) can be undertaken with assurance of creditable profit. In fact, therefore, the earliest preparations to enter into this walk of life is “contact with the good (Sajjanasangathi)”. This association with the good" is not only helpful in the elementary stages of spiritual seeking, but it is beneficial at all the seeker's subsequent stages of selfdevelopment and growth within. “Good association (Sat-sangh) with the spiritual teachers and co-students” will help us throughout our pilgrimage. Therefore, Sajjanasangathi is metaphorically used here as the “ boat (Nauka) to cross the ocean-of-limitation” (Bhavarnava). A boat is not only useful just while leaving one shore, but until wc land safely at our destination, all through out the journey, the boat is that which kceps us afloat on the sea. As each wave lashes on it, thc boat absorbs the direct shocks and imparts to the traveller only a little tossing, perhaps. Atop the crest of the wave, on the ascending-slop of the waves, at all places, all through the passage, the boat keeps us dry, safe and relatively comfortable. “ Constant association with the wise", becomes thus a protective armour on the inner-equipments, which are the only armaments with which a seeker has to contend alone with the dire cnemies of his own false-values and acquiredhabits of sensuous living. This is the twelfth stanza, with which the bouquet of 12-verse-flowers (Dwadasha-Manjarika-Stotra) concludes. These are the twelve-stanzas directly given by Acharya Shankara, .

·Shankara 46 although, in truth, we cannot say it with any amount of finality, since we find in various publications, the stanzas are interchanged. In some publications we find the bunch of these 1-12 stanzas are concluded with a stanza describing the author and the circumstances under which this poem came to be composed. The following fourteen-verses together forms the companion bouquet of 14-verse-flowers called Chaturdasasa- Manjerika-Stotra. Each one of them is traditionally found to have been attributed to the fourteen followers of Shankara who had accompanied him on that day in Benares. “ " जटिलो मुण्डी लुञ्छितकेशः काषायाम्बरबहुकृतवेषः। पश्यन्नपि च न पश्यति मूढो युदरनिमित्तं बहुकृतवेषः ॥ (भज-गोविन्दं भज-गोविन्दं...) [14] Jatilo Mundee Lunchitakeshah Kaashaayaambara bahukritaveshal Pashyannapi Cha Na Pashyati Moodho Hi-udaranimitam Bahukritaveshah (Bliaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam ........) ffe:-One ascetic with matted-locks, Huet-one with slaven-head, लुञ्छित केश:--one with hairs pulled out one by one, काषाय अंबर बहुकृत वेष: parading with ochre-robes, पश्यन् अपि च-though seeing, Dwadasha-manjarikabhir-asesha Kathito vaiyakaranayaisha upadesoabbudvidyanipunaih srimad-shankar-bhagawad-charanaih." 1 द्वादशमंजरिकाभिरेषः कथितो वैय्याकरणशिष्यः । उपदेशो भूद्विद्यानिपुणः श्रीमद् शंकरभगवद्चरणैः ।। Camerone 1 " ·zisyre Moha-Mudgara 47 न-never, पश्यति-sees, मूढः fool, हि-indeed, उदर निमित्तं-for belly's sake ; sa àq:-these different disguises or apparels. (75T-Seek, Tifare-Govind. .......) One ascetic with matted-locks, one with shaven-head, one with hairs pulled out one by one, another parading in his ochre-robes--these are fools who, though seeing, do not sec. Indeed these different disguises or apparels are only for their belly's sake. (Seck Govind, Seek Govind........) We are told that Cain, the second son of the only father at that time, Adam, started inurder and destruction of life on the surface of the created world. When the world was first crcated, according to the Christian. nythology, the art of killing was inaugurated by Cain, because Cain never wanted to work. With minimum work he wanted food, so he found that with least effort, he can have plenty to fill his belly, if he stood behind the rocks and treacherously killed any animal, and ate it ! Minimum labour and maximum comfort is the dangerous philosophy of selfishness that started the destruction-civilization, Wherever there is this philosophy man must sink into immoral, unethical, uncultured, barbarous ways. As children and grandchildren of this great first father, this human instinct, to be idle has remained true to the type, and is seen even now in our own times. At all levels of society, and in all departments of activity, idlers and shans are plenty in all periods of history. Shankara's cra also was no exception to it; and even Mahatmas and Sannyasins were not totally above this law. There inust have been, in thc Acharya's own times, if not as many as they are available now, at least a fcw, who must have wandcrcd into Samyas as escapists from life, sceking and finding a happier lifc, in bluffing thc generation and playing upon the credulity of the people. Such abcrration of personality are more to be pitied than to bc condemned. But, whenever they appcar at important strategic points in society, as politicians, as governors or as priests, they are more dangerous to the society than when they appear and play out their life in a limited field of their own private life, be it at home or cven in society. With them we ·48 Shankara wearing the 1 have no choice but to suffer them as nobly as we do the great natural calamities as floods or blizzards or volcanic eruptions !! Thus, the author of this verse looks around and sees to his own utter amazement that cheats and self-deceivers are often very uniform of the highest vocation in life, Sannyas. Some of the samples of these cheats are being just hinted at in this stanza : one with matted-locks, one with shaven-head, another one has laboriously plucked his hairs one by one, another in spectacularly coloured ochre-clothes." They are not conscious of the goal, to reach which they have taken the robe, nor are they striving in the right direction. May be, every one of them takes to the sacred-cloth with real intentions and sure purposes, but alas, en route, as time passes on, they come to forget the very purpose for which they have made the sacrifice of their domestic life and their duties in the society as an individual citizen. These different disguises serve them not for their philosophical sceking of Truth but only serve them for filling their belly. If this was true at the time of Shankara, today when more bellies are more often empty, it is the logic of life that more people should take to different types of disguises for the sake of satisfying their own hunger. Thus guided by the self-preservation instinct and the lust for power and wealth, there are such false people in cvery walk of life even today-false leaders, false policemen, false artists and false preachers—untruthful men, feigning, by their cxternal dress and behaviours, to be what they are not actually by themselves. Falsehood, indeed, is as much a brilliant human capacity, as honesty is one of man's heroic perfections. Deception by matted-locks, ochre-robes, ctc., is universal and belongs to all times : the wolf in the tiger-skin is nothing new, but in other walks of life, such deceptions are not so dangerous as in the path of spirituality. We have them everywhere, in all creeds, political, economic, scientific and even spiritual. The classical example is the sensuous king of Lanka approaching the hermitage of Rama, with the basest of intentions of running away with Seeta dressed as he was at that time in the robes of a Sannyasi.

·Moha-Mudgara 49 Even such fraudulent persons, when they adorn the sacred garment, must be conscious of the glory of Sannyas, at least at moments when the large number of the faithful Hindus prostrate at his sacred feet ! Again, he is constantly reading about It. He has, of necessity, to talk about the glory of the Goal. Thus, intellectually, he must be “knowing” 'what is the noblest way-of-life (" he sees '') and yet, it seems, he fails to live up to it (" yet he sees not”). Then why has he left home, cultivated his matted-locks, or shaven off his head, etc. ? All we can say is that such low, despicable, insignificant, worms among mankind are a threat to the society, and in their incapacity to earn and live well by serving the community, they have taken to this well-paying profession of deception ! It is merely for the belly's sake (Udara-nimittam). To the unguarded mind, the whispers of the lower passions become suddenly more urgent than the call of the higher aspirations. Desire for enjoyment makes man slip from his own high values-of-life and his disciplines in it. I This stanza is traditionally attributed to Padmapada the famous disciple of Shri Shankara. 1 - अङ्गं गलितं पलितं मुण्डं दशनविहीनं जातं तुण्डम् । वृद्धो याति गृहीत्वा दण्डं तदपि न मुञ्चत्याशापिण्डम् ॥ (भज-गोविन्दं भज-गोविन्दं...) [15] Angam Galitam Palitam Mundam Dashanaviheenam Jaatam Tundam Vridhdho Yaati Griheettya Dandam Tadapi Na Munchatyaashaapindam (Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam. ........) 1 Bhagavad Geeta II-60 : snatch away the mind of even a 4 The turbulent senses, son of Kunti, do violently ise man, striving after perfection."

·50 Shankara अङ्गं-The body, गलितं-(has been) worn out, पलितं-has turned grey, 9054-the hair (the head), grafareta-toothless, FT-has become, qush-the mouth, qu:-the old man, alfa--moves (goes) about, गृहीत्वा-having taken (leaning on), दण्डं-(his) staff, तदपि-even then, न-never, मुञ्चति-leaves, आशापिण्डम् -the bundle of desires. (737-Seck, Tifara-Govind........ The body has become worn out. The head has turned grey. The mouth has become toothless. The old man moves about leaning on his staff. Even then he leaves not the bundle of his desires. (Seek Govind, Seek Govind........) :) That the power of desire to enjoy the sense-objects is irresistible and unending, is indicated in this stanza. The individual, if he is young, hale and hearty, brimming with energy, then the sense-passions are but natural, and if not entirely inexcusable, at least to an extent it is understandablc. We can very well appreciate how the world preys upon him. But this is not all. The author paints so beautifully, with a very few artistic strokes of his pen, the picture of a dilapidated, physical form tottering with age ! In a body worn out, hair grown grey, and mouth turned toothless, the old man moves on, leaning on his own stick. Thcorctically it inay be assumed that he has exhausted all passions, and feels no more any hunger or thirsty for flesh and pleasure ; but it is, very rarely so !! Thc bundle of his desires even then leaves him not. On the other hand, it persecutes hin all the morc because the inind thirsts, the intellect plans, and alas, thc body cannot cxccute ! It is like the sorrows of one suffering jail-lifc, where he remembers his home, the sweet joys in the gurgling laughter of his dashing children at home ; and yet, he cannot reach them, because physically this has been rendered in possible. Suffering thus thc grcater tyrannies of incxpressible desires that ever storm him within, the old man lives an agonising life of unimaginable sorrows. By the statement, the author indicates, that the only way to peace is to control desires, even while we are young, so that it becomes a habit. Thus, at least when the youthfulness has 14***** 1 ·Moha-Mudgara SI departed, the matured old man can come to live peacefully his time of retirement in tranquillity and inner joy. Desires grow in the mind as the body grows old, and the dissipated body becomes more decrepit. The capacity for enjoyment leaves the body, but the mind, which has developed habits of immorality, cruelly persecutes the emaciated body. In this stanza the picture of a young man growing old is beautifully screened. The sequence of the lines in the stanza is the very sequence in which age appears in man. First, the body becomes old ; then the grey hair appcar ; then the teeth start falling off and at last the back bone has no more the strength to hold the body erect, and he takes the help of a stick to keep himself erect. Leaning on his staff, painfully he drags himself on tottering legsma sad and pitiable sight indeed. And yet, man cannot get rid of his heavy load of desires ! They seem to multiply as the body moves nearer the grave. This is Maya, this is Moha. Thc stanza is attributed to Shri Totakacharya. अग्रे वह्निः पृष्ठे भानू रात्रौ चुबुकसमर्पितजानुः । करतलभिक्षस्तरुतलवास- स्तदपि न मुञ्चत्याशापाशः ॥ (भज-गोविन्दं भज-गोविन्दं...) [16] / Agre Vauhih Prishthe Bhanuh Rathrow Chubukasamarpitajaanuh Karatalabhikshastarutalavaasalı Tadapi Na Munchatyaashaapaasah (Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam ........) 4320 ·52 Shankara --the sun, at 1 अग्रे-In front, वह्निः-the fire, पृष्ठे at the back, HTT: रात्रौ- night, चुबुक समर्पित जानु: -with (his) knees held to (his) chin (He sits), Tato f7&T:-alms in (his own) scooped palm (he receives), pero at:--inder the shelter of the tree (He lives), naft-and yet, 7-never, -spares (leaves), 377TT TET-hoose of desires. (757—Scek, tlfarai-Govind... In front the fire, at the back the sun, late at night he sits with his knees held to his chin ; he receives alms in his own scooped-palm and lives under the shelter of some tree and yet, the noose of desires spare him not ! ! (Seek Govind, Seck Govind... .) . 2 14 In the previous stanza a householder suffering the persecutions of his own desires was painted exhaustively and it was held up to the ridicule of all thinking persons. Is then the wandering-monk in any way exempt from such subjective self-persecutions ? The tyrannies of desire are universal. "It is a law of nature. As all scientific laws it is also universal, and it respects no personality. The reactions of desires spare none. To bring home this idea, the picture of a true ascetic is brought out here. One may be having none of the elaborate comforts of life, and having renounced cverything, including even the minimum necessities of life, may come to live with no clothing, no shelter and with scarcely any food. Even such an individual, who, to fight the inclemencies of weather may resort to warming himself up, on cloudy wintry days, near the fire. And in the clear and bright daytime he may bask himself in the warmth of the sun, 1 When at night the fire goes out he may bend himself upon himself, and with his chin held tight to his own knees, he may spend the rest of the time of the cold night. He may not keep to himself any possession-not even a begging bowl. He may accept what is given unto him in his own palm. For shelter he may choose to be under any wayside tree. Thus, an individual may come to leave even the utter necessities of life and, for all practical purposes, may look a real man of renunciation, and yet, says the author of the verse, 1 Hence the stanza says " fire in front" and sun at the back".

·53 Moha-Mudgara we find "the chords of desire never leave him”. (Tadapinamunchati asha-pashah). While indicating thus a fact in life, all the pseudo-sannyasins are contemptuously laughed at, in this versc. Mcre asceticism, however impressive it may be, will not be sufficient in itself. Renouncing the objects of the world, is not real renunciation. To give up our desires for them is the real sacrifice, and to dry up this desire we must distill our personality off its contents of craving. No doubt, self-denial at the level of thc senses is the means, but the goal is the total climination of even the very thirst to enjoy. Shankara in Atma Bodha very vividly describes that thc spiritual student should give up, all his clinging attachments to the joys arising from the outer objects.”1 Self-denial even when it is real cannot produce true results unless it is accompanied by a high mental purity. The stories, in the Puranas, of Rakshasas doing tapas, are examples to illustratc this point. Out of all their tapas the Rakshasas ultimately got only their self-destruction, brought upon themselves by their own indulgence. Geetacharya calls such people, who so ostensibly practise asceticism but are in fact mentally spending themselves in sensuous self-dissipation, as hypocrites. Physical self-denial, it is now clear alonc in itself will not do. There must be elimination of desires from the mind without which all asceticism is a mental self-persecution. Through asceticism the vitalities that would otherwise have been spent in indulgence can be conserved. But without redirecting it for creative self-application, self-denial becomes a ruinous self-suppression. Reapplying the discovered in ourselves as a result of our self-denial, in the path of positive development and spiritual unfoldment, is called Sublimation of our instincts. Suppression is unprofitable. There is no profit greater than sublimation, This stanza is attributed to Shri Hastamalaka. -- 1 Baahya-anitya-sukha-asktim-hitwa-Atma Bodham-51. Mithyacharah sa uchyate"-Geeta III-6. बाह्यानित्यसुखासक्ति हित्वा । आ. बो. ५१ मिथ्याचारः स उच्यते । गी. ३/६ " .

·1 54 Shankara 1 कुरुते गङ्गासागरगमनं व्रतपरिपालनमथवा दानम् । ज्ञानविहीनः सर्वमतेन मुक्ति न भजति जन्मशतेन ॥ (भज-गोविन्दं 757-Tifare...) [17] Kurute Gangaasaagaragamanan Vrataparipaalananlathavaa Daanam Jynaviheenah Sarvamatena Muktim Na Bhajati Janamasatena (Bhaja Govindanı, Bhaja Govindam. .......) कुरुते-Goes to pilgrimage, गङ्गा सागर गमनं-to where the Ganges meets the ocean, व्रतपरिपालनं-observes the vows, अथवा-or, दानम् (कुरुते)- distributes gifts away, ज्ञान विहीन:-devoid of experience of Truth, सर्व मतेन-according to all schools of thought, मुक्ति-release, न-not, भजति- (he) gains, ARTC-even in hundred lifes. (975--Seek, rifare-Govind.. ...) One may in pilgrimage go to where Ganges meets the ocean, called the Gangasagar, or observe vows, or distribute gifts away in charity. If he is devoid of first-hand-experience-of-Truth (Jynanam), according to all schools of thought, he gains no release, even in hundred lives. (Seek Govind, Seek Govind... .) When Hastamalaka has thus mentioned and criticized the futility of unintelligent tapas by recluses, Sri Subodha contributes in this stanza an extension of the very same idea as contained in the previous stanza. What about Tapas in the life of devoted householders : Seekers of the true end of religion do go for pilgrimages, observe vows, and offer charities. All of them are wonderful exercises for developing healthy attitudes 1 ·Moha-Mudgara SS -- to life and in helping one on to the path of study and contemplation. But ordinarily, householders confuse these means as an end in themselves. This crroncous concept is being laughed at by the poet.1 Without knowledge of the Infinite Reality, liberation from our sense of finitude is impossible. In the Upanishads also we find often this idea that freedom from the thraldoni of life can never be gained unless one comes to experience the Infinite Oneness of Life. Here walking the path of the ancient teachers, Sri Subodha says that it is the unanimous conclusion, arrived at by all schools of thought in Vedanta, that liberation from the sorrows of life cannot be gained, without the actual first-hand experience of the One Infinitude. The Acharya is sure, and he asserts with emphasis that by merc practice of these noble exercises, one cannot reach one's destination even in hundreds of lives--(Janma-Shatena). In the text the phrase Gangasagar can mean the place where Ganges meets the Bay of Bengal, called in India as " Gangasagar". It can also mean Ganga and Sagar : meaning, pilgrimages to Kashi, where Ganga flows, and to Rameswar where bath in the Sagar, Setu, is the most important item. Pilgrimages to Kashi and Rameswar will bring a lot of vivid experiences for a person who is doing it with faith, dedication, devotion, and sincerity, specially when it is undertaken on foot, as thcy used to do in the past. Educating the Intellect to hold higher ideals, training the mind to obey the will, sharpening onc's will itself, and training it to be easily wielded by oneself, are the achievements gained by the practice of vows. Through firm determination and individual will, when one orders that one's sense-organs will not have, -- -- . 1 Sri Subodha. 2 Bodho-anya-sadhanebhyohi sakshaat mokshaika sadhanam Pakasya Vahnni-vat Jynanam vina mokslo na sidhyati--Atma Bodh. 2 Jyne-Naivahi Kaivalya.. 2 बोधोऽन्यसाधनेभ्यो हि साक्षान्मोक्षक साधनम् । पाकस्य वन्हिवज्ज्ञानं विनामोक्षो न सिद्धयति । आ. बो. २ ज्ञानेनैव तु कैवल्यम् । 3 ·56 Shankara 1 1 VOW for a fixed period of time, some of the things which they always liked the most--there we have all the contents of a And when it is undertaken in a spirit of dedication unto the Lord, and the entire mind is turned towards the Lord, it becomes a very efficient psychological training in recasting the mindand it becomes a “ Religious-vow However beautifully and claborately one may cook his food, until that food becomes one with himself, the sorrows of hunger cannot end. Pilgrimages, vows and charityl arc all exercises to prepare the seekers mind for the great path of meditation. Through meditation until the Highest is actually apprehended (Jyanam), total freedom (Mukti) from the natural human weaknesses can never be gained-not even in hundred lives (Janma-Shatena). The old teachers in Vedanta used to the snake-on-the-rope seen by your foolishness cannot disappear by Garuda mantra;' nor can " they used to add, the ghosts you have projected on the post, run away by ringing the bell”. Waking up alone is the remedy for all the sorrows of the dream. Wake up Oh, Limited Ego and come to apprehend your own. Infinite Nature, wherein there is neither Matter not Spirit. That Thou Art."2 This stanza is believed to have been written by Sri Subodha. --- . tell us, 66 सुरमन्दिरतरुमूलनिवासः शय्या भूतलमजिनं वासः । सर्वपरिग्रहभोगत्यागः कस्यसुखं न करोति विरागः ॥ (भज-गोविन्दं भज-गोविन्दं...) [18] 1 Sharing intelligently what you have with others around you, who arc in need of it is charity. 2 "Tat-Twam-Asi"-One of the Malavakyas found in Chchandogya Upanishad. 2 तत्त्वमसि । छां. ६/८/७ !

·Moha-Mudgara S7 .) Suramandiratarumoolanivaasalı Saiyaa Bhootalamajinam Vaasah Sarvaparigraha Bhogatyaagah Kasya Sukhanı Na Karoti Viraagah (Bhaja Govindan, Bhaja Govindain...... सुर #fat 5 A FARA:-dwelling (sheltering) in temples, under somc trees, 7241-bed (sleeping), Yao on the naked ground, 3f5a- (wearing) skin (deer’s), art:-cloth, a afe:-of thc possession, भोगः--of thirst to enjoy, त्याग:--rcnouncing, कस्य-(whose), सुखं- happiness, 7-not, olfar-brings, facrt:-dispassion. 757-Seck, ottfara-Govind... Sheltering in temples, under some tree, sleeping on the naked ground, wearing a deer-skin, and thus renouncing all idea-of-possession and thirst-toenjoy, to whom will not dispassion (vairagya) bring happiness ? (Seek Govind, Seek Govind........) Earlier," a hypocrite was painted by Sri Hasthamalaka and now, in this stanza a rcal renouncer, who has truly relinquished all his inner thirsts for enjoying the world outside, is being pictured by Shrcc Surcshwaracharya. Truc dispassion brings real happiness to all. In the world outside, we find even emperors sorrowing, the rich worrying, the powerful man anxious, the man of accomplishment jealous all are unhappy. Everyone points out to the other man, who, according to him, is happier. But the only one, who has the courage to declare and truly feel that he is happy, is he who has relinquished all his passions and hungers from within. One cried out : “I am Cæsar's Cæsar”, another thundered forth, "I am a Shah-in-Shah”. He alone is really rich who has no more any usc for the finite joys of this ephemeral world of delusory pleasures. Such an individual may have no shelter of his own more than the shade of a tree in the courtyard of a temple. He may sleep there under it on the naked ground. He may wear nothing 1 id: 16.

·58 Shankara but a decr skin. Renouncing thus the entire idea of possession, and relinquishing all attempts to seek one's fulfilment in life through objects of the world, he lives happily—ever selfsufficient unto himself. He is independent of the world outside. He has discovered an inexhaustible well of joy and a rich mine of true satisfaction in his own deep within. “Who will not be happy in this mental mood”, asks Sureshwaracharya in this verse. When renunciation is only external and when there is still the sense-of-attachment within, one cannot discover the true joy of living. This has been arcady said. It may be then suspected that there is no joy whatsoever to reward renunciation and tapas. This is not true ; to assess so would be positively against all our scriptural declarations. Here is painted the outer behaviour and the inner attitudes to life in a true relinquisher (Viraktah). He has reached the stage of desirclessness, not as a result of his deliberate running away from life, but due to a positive experience of intense self-sufficiency felt and lived within. It has been beautifully described in the picture of the Man of Steady Wisdom" in the Geeta.1 The inner riches must be the basis of the outer poverty, or else renunciation is, indeed, painful. The healthy outlook on life must be nurtured by an enduring in-look which the student must cultivate. Without insight into the Reality the outer man can never dare to give up the enchanting things of the outer world of beauty. Simple and unostentatious becomes the way-of-life of a true Master. The Emperor of Emperors in him lives on the luxurious roughness under some nameless tree, shading the courtyard of any wayside temple.? Generally, in a temple ground, late in the night, nobody wanders about, and so, under a tree there he is all alone, enjoying perfect solitude. And the sleep is comfortable, not because of the softness 1 When a man completely casts away, Oh Partha, all the desires of the mind, satisfied in the Self, and by the Self, then he is considered to be a nian of steady wisdom (Geeta II, 55). 2 Even in the temple-verandalı your presence may create jealousies in the mind of the Trustees ! 1 ·Moha-Mudgara 59 - of the bed, but becausc of the purity of the Man's heart. A true man of sccking being innocent has no mental worry and so, in his positive life of peaceful love to all, he sleeps comfortably on the rough ground, luxuriously cushioned by his own sense of purity and his hearts' essential goodness. Who will then be not happy? All others are unhappy, indeed. They may have a lot of possession, but their mind has the cancer of desire and their intellect has the carbuncle of conceits. The sanie idea is being described in the Upanishads also, “by renunciation alone, Immortality can be achieved.”1 Again, in another Upanishad the Teacher after discussing the glory of renunciation comes to the conclusion, “ renunciation alonc is the scat of fcarlessness". - - योगरतो वा भोगरतो वा सङ्गरतो वा सङ्गविहीनः। यस्थ ब्रह्मणि रमते चित्तं नन्दति नन्दति नन्दत्येव ॥ (भज-गोविन्दं भज-गोविन्दं...) [19] Yogarato Vaa Bhogarato Vaa Sangarato Vaa Sanggaviheenah Yasya Brahmani Rainate Chithanı Nandati Nandati Nandatyeva (Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam........) 11 3 Tyagena-ekena Amritatwain Anashuhu "-Mundakopanishad says : "By. renunciation alone, Immortality is gained." "Vairagyameva ablayain Dispassion alone is the shelter from fear." 1 त्यागेनैकेनामृतत्वमानशुः । वैराग्यमेवाभयम् । 2 ·60 Shankara TTTTT:-(Lct) one who revels in Yoga, at-or, TTCG:-(Let) one who revels in Bhoga, 97-or, 1975:-(Let) one seek enjoyment in company, at-or, Sfat:-(Let) one who revcls in solitude away from the crowd, यस्य-for whom, ब्रह्मणि-in Brahman, रमते-revels (sports), चित्तं-the mind, rafa-che) enjoys, Trafa-(he) enjoys, Tracia-only he enjoys. (457—Scek, tifare-Govind........ Let onc rcvel in Yoga or let him revel in Bhoga. Let onc scek cnjoyment in company or let him revel in solitude away from the crowd. He whosc mind revels in Brahman, he enjoys . verily, he alone enjoys. (Seek Govind, Seek Govind..... .) .) This is a verse glorifying thc State of Realization of Brahman as conceived by thc Scriptures of the Hindus. To one, who has awakened to this Great Truth it is immaterial thereafter whether he is in crowd, or living all alone, in bhoga or in yoga. In whatever condition he may live, his is thc real joy. Mind at rest is the Temple of Joy. So long as it is gurgling with its desires, passions and attachments, in its stormy surface, the signature of joy gets ruffled out. To one who has realized the Highest in himself, and has thereby recognised the nonexistence of the multiple-world of names and forms, and who has also rcalized the Infinite Bliss in the sense of Oneness, his indeed is the truc joy. This joy is true because it is not dependent upon things and beings, nor upon the arrangement of things around the individual. To a man of realization, after his experience of the Infinite, there is nothing more real to him than the Brahman. And, therefore, let him remain practising self-control, if he so chooses (Yoga), or let him live in seeming indulgence at the sense-levels (Bhoga); let him be in the company of the world, serving the world by joining himself at the head of the parade, or let him remain burying himself in lonely contemplation in the silence of some Himalayan cave -his alone is the true joy of the within. He no more seeks, from the outer world, any joy from his ? Ashantasya kutah Sukhain ? Geeta II-66. 1 अशान्तस्य कुतः सुखम् । गी. २/६६ 1 ·Moha-Mudgara 61 sense gratification. There are very many texts where it is said that cven the Vedas dare not prescribe rules (Vidhi-nishedha) to regulate a Perfect man's beliaviour. He has all freedom : he can do anything. In explaining this absolute freedom allowed to the Man-of-Perfection, Panchadashi goes so far as to say : “ Killing parents, destroying embryo, these sins even cannot destroy either the liberation achieved, by the saint or the joyous glow on his face."'1 This is not to be understood as a liccntiousness which the Brahmin has allowed himself through his Vedas. It is something very like the special powers we allow some great men in all walks of life even in our modern world : the Supreme Court Judge can finally decide whether a murderer is to be hung or not'; or the President of India is given the power to pardon the condemned and reduce his punishinent to a lifc-imprisonment. When these powers and the freedom to use them are allowed it is relegated not to everybody, but only to those members of the community in whom the civilized world has perfect faith that they will be ever just, good, and noble. A full-fledged doctor alone is given the freedom to use his knife on the body of another living member of the society, and the patient inay even die bleeding from the wound which the doctor had created. That which would have been a murder in any other member of the society, in the doctor it is considered as an "essential service ! ! Similarly, the Man-of-Perfection is one who will not and cannot act selfishly, nor has he any need to court his fulfilment of life in the objects of the world outside, and so this freedom is given to him. The father gives the key of his cash box to his son--only when he has grown up sufficiently. If the key is given in childhood or in carly youth the boy having not realized the sanctity > 1 Matapitror-vadha steyam Bhrunahatya-anyadidrisham Na Muktim Nashayet Papam Mukha-Kantir Na Nasyathi–Panchadasli. 1 मातापितोर्वधः स्तेयं भ्रूणहत्यान्य दीदृशम् । न मुक्ति नाशयेत्पापं मुखकांतिर्न नश्यति ॥ पं. द. १४/१७ ·62 Shankara of wealth, and understood the difficulties of earning, may misuse the freedom and so harm himself. Only when he has grown to a sense of responsibility and has some cxpcrience of the difficultics of life does he know the right use of moncy. Also, it is a fact that the father gives readily the key of his cash box to the son only when the Dad is confident that what the son earns and puts in there will be more than what he will be taking out of it !! By his very nature a Man-of-Perfection is incapable of acting against the moral harmony and the cthical goodness in society. “Having realised the Self he has become the Self in all","The Upanishad Rishis from their own experience assure us that a realized Saint thercafter lives“ sporting with the Self, revclling with the Self and ever in the service of the world”.? Such a Man-of-Perfection alonc enjoys in this worldof sorrows and tribulations, of contentious compctitions, and endless imperfections, of discasc and death-the spotless joy of the Perfect. “He alone enjoys, truly cujoys, verily hc alone cujoys, crics Sri Nityananda to wloin this stanza is gencrally attributed. Hotaquilas किञ्चिदधीता गङ्गाजललवकणिका पीता। सकृदपि येन मुरारिसमर्चा क्रियते तस्य यमेन न चर्चा || (भज-गोविन्दं भज-गोविन्दं...) [20] 1 * Brahmavit Braliniaiva Bhavati." Atma-Kridah Atma-Ratihi Kriyavan "Mundakopanishad. 1 ब्रह्मवित् ब्रह्मैव भवति । मुण्डक ३/२/९ • आत्मक्रीड: आत्मरतिः क्रियावान् । मुण्डक ३/१/४ ·63 Moha-Mudgara Bhagavadgeeta Kinchidadheetaa Gangaajalalavakanikaa Peetaa Sakridapi Yena Murarisamarchaa Kriyate Tasya Yamena Na Charcha (Bhaja Govindan, Bhaja Govindam ........) भगवत् गीता--The Bhagavad Geeta, किञ्चित्-(even) a little, अधीता-has studied, TFT TS sa afurahit drop of Ganges water, fat-has sipped, TFT 37f9-—at least once, aby whom, grift #Hai-worship of the Lord Murari (7F4 34fT:-The cnemy of Mura, a Rakshasa), fara-is done, Tyto him, Twith Yaina, the Lord of Death, 77- 78-quarrel (discussion). (957—Seck, tifare-Govind........) To one who has studiсd the Bhagavad Gceta cven a little, who has sipped at least a drop of Ganges-water, who lias worshipped at least once Lord Murari, to himn there is no discussion (quarrel) with Yama, the Lord of Death. (Seek Govind, Scek Govind. .......) 110ver, View Three divine exercises for spiritual unfoldment are being indicated hcrc : (I) the study of the Gecta, (2) the Gangabaptism, and (3) the worship of Murari. Srcemad Bhagavad Gecta, being the essence of all the Upanishads, a study of its cighteen chapters is an intellectual discipline, by which we can come to understand what exactly is the secret Essence of Life, what cxactly is the Goal of life, and what are the methods by which this Goal can be gained. The heavenly Ganges (Akasha Ganga) flowing so high above the human intellectual approach, was brought down to man's level of expericnce by the continuous efforts of King Bhagecratha, and today it is cmerging out from the pure intellect of Lord Shiva, who alone could stand the onslaught of Her devastating wisdom-descent. The Eternal Tapasvin, the Lord of Kailas, realized this great Knowledge Absolute Jynam) first, and, thereafter, at the request of Bhageeratha, He gave out that Knowledge, in a thin stream, which could perennially water the country's “hcart" rather than rape the land down with its irresistible delugc.

·64 Shankara Thus Ganga stands for the "spiritual knowledge” for the Hindu---the Eternal River of the Knowledge of the Self, that has been kept up till today, flowing from teacher to the taught, in an unbroken perennial stream. To sip a drop of this “spiritual flow" (Ganga) is to enjoy the serenity and fullness of the Inner Kingdom. Ordinarily, the modern child of this country, due to the power of tradition and faith, takes Ganga to mean the Himalayan river, and like the multitudes, they too have come to give à special potency to Her elemental waters. In their scientific outlook this is a faith and there is no convincing meaning. Naturally, they believe, and yet they believe not. Some positively decry this belief. what is there sacred in a river ? ask some ! What a colossal ignorance of the symbolism What is there in your national flag as such, except three coloured pieces stitched together with a wheelfigure in the centre ? The sanctity of my country's flag is not in the material contents or the form of it, but in its significance that I have given to it. So too Mother Ganga is sacred, for, she signifies the “Spiritual Wisdom" and the flow of it along the teacher-taught unbroken stream. To the ordinary folk, this eternal river and thc worshipping it. the ritualism itself is a great consolation, a wondrous achievement, a consoling action, a purifying religious pilgrimage. But to the seeker of the Highest Knowledge, who walks the Path of Knowledge more than the idol, the ideal interpreted in the idol is important. Thus, here, in the context of the stanza, the statement, who has sipped at least a drop of the Ganges water”, should mean “ those who have at least had a glimpse of the Infinitude and the higher possibility of the divine way-ofliving". If the study of the Geeta gives an intellectual and objective picture of the goal and the path to the scholarly student, a few drops of the Ganges sipped from the hollow of his palm, give to the ardent devotee the flicker of a joyous vision of the distant goal. To him the harbour is no more too far away, because he has seen the flashes from the Light House ! And yet, he is still in the open sea of life, buffeted by the stormy waves of sorrows 1 # ·Mona-Mudgara 65 93 around him. But he has hopes; he is now confident., The Harbour is not far, and he makes a dash towards it. 2. When a ship enters the harbour, it is not allowed to säil and enter in as she likes, but a pilot-ship must go out and pilot the guest-ship in. The ship that seeks shelter of the harbour must have the patience to stand out, constantly sending radioinessages to the harbour tower. A sceker who has thus become assured of the Harbour at hand must thereafter call out for help (Keertana), wait till the “pilot-ship" arrives (Guru), and implicitly follow the foams left by the guiding ship. This " piloting in is accomplished in spirituality "by the worship of Murari” The weighing the anchor" is meditation. Until the ego (Mura) is annihilated there is no hope of entering thc Harbour of Truth, the glorious State of Immaculate Peace. The body-consciousness and the ego-sense, arising out of a false identification with matter, can be rubbed off only by devoted worship and prayer, at the altar of the very-Destroyer of Ego (Murari). Withdrawing the inind from all other preoccupations, and surcharging it constantly with the inemory of the goal, the Nature of the Self, is the only method by which intellectual and mental limitations are battered down, when the individual realises that the life within is the Life everywhere present and in fact, in the supreme logic of the Shreemad Bhagavad Gecta this is fully endorsed. A seeker who has accomplished all these three-study of the Shastra, glimpsing the goal, and striving to reach itto him there is no more any fear of death. He is no more questioned by Lord Death, nor does the seeker care any longer to question about the phenomena of death. It is interesting to note that in Hinduism, Lord 'Death is called as the Great Controller, Yama. But for the principle of Death, so efficiently working all around, existence would have been impossible ; nor can creation ever take place. For, to create is to annihilate the present condition of a thing, and thereby making it into a new form and presenting it in a new condition. Thus viewed, -- -- -- 1 Refer Swamiji's Geeta Discourses on ]I-52-53. ;

·66 Shankara the very creation is a continuous process of annihilation. The question of change can arise only in the realm of death. Change is experienced through the vehicles of the body, mind and intellect. When a seeker through the processes of Yoga has transcended these threc vehicles, he rises above the realm of change, a realm where Infinite Existence alone is.1 There neither is he to question or to fear death, nor can the Principle of Change (death) can ever enter to question him ! There is an alternative reading, “not even death dares to question him."? This stanza is traditionally believed to have been given out by Sri Anandagiri. - पुनरपि जननं पुनरपि मरणं पुनरपि जननीजठरे शयनम् । इह संसारे बहुदुस्तारे कृपयाऽपारे पाहि मुरारे ॥ (भज-गोविन्दं भज-गोविन्द...) [21] Punarapi Jananamn Punarapi Maranam Punarapi Jananeejatare Shayanam Eeha Samsare Bahudustaare Kripayaa(a)paare Paahi Muraare (Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam........) . Ajo nithya shashwatoyan puranah, Na hanyate lianyamane shareerc"_Geeta HI-20. "Nithya sarvatgatah sthanuh achaloyaim sanatanah"-II-24. Kurute tasya yamo api na charcha”. (Text). 1 अजोनित्यः शाश्वतोयंपुराणः । न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ॥ गी. २/२० नित्यः सर्वगतः स्थाणुरचलोयं सनातनः । गी. २/२४ 2 कुरुते तस्य यमोपि न चर्चा ।

·Moha-Mudgara 67 ga: 37f9-once again, 771–birth, ga: 37f9m-once again, #Tui-death, पुनरपि (and) again, जननी जठरे-in the mother's womb, शयनम्-lying, इह-here, संसारे-in this Samsara (process), बहु दुस्तारे-(Samsara) which is very hard to cross over, 3797-Samsara which has no end, 5971-through The Infinite Kindness, 9fe-save, TRT-Oh! the Destroyer of Mura. (7757-Seek, tlfara-Govind. .......) Again birth, again death and again lying in mother's womb—this Samsar process is very hard to cross over. Save me, Murare (Oh ! Destroyer of Mura) through Thy Infinite Kindness. (Seek Govind, Seek Govind... .) The wheel of birth-and-death is never at rest, for the Jeeva. The individualised ego prompted by desires, -entertained by his imagination and cultivated by his habits, but not yet completely fulfilled --must seek ever fresh fields of experiences repeatedly. In each lifetime instead of exhausting the existing desires (Vasanas) each one gathers to himself a new set of Vasanas. We come here for a purgation-but due to our ignorance of the way and the goal, the extrovertedness in us compels us to get ourselves attached to the objects, which have a beauty and a charm created by the imaginations of our own minds! Maya at work ! We come with our own Väsanası into Våsanâs playing criss-cross ", which is the world of objects and beings, the actual field of man's cndeavour. To live up to the Sahaja Vasanas and to exhaust them through actions, undertaken without ego and ego-centric desires (aham-mama), so that no new Vasanas may precipitate in us, is really the “way”. By all means, act and achieve, but let your actions be in an attitude of dedication (Mai Sannyasya), with an idea to serve (Lokasamgrah), in a spirit of Yajyna (Yajyna-Bhav), says the Geeta. Thus, when the existing Vasanas are reduced, the thoughtdisturbances calm down, and thus, when the subtle-body 1 "Sahaja Vasana" of the Geeta XVIII. FESTATHAITI 1 4 ·68 Shankara inner tyrant (mind and intellect) dies a “ mystic-death", meaning, is transcended, the experience is of the Infinite Spirit. Thereafter since there are no Vasanas in the individual, there are no thoughts in him, and so no subtle-body to claim a new embodiment to function in any fresh environment. The causes for all rcpcated births thus totally cease. Birth is painful-- Death, of course, is excruciatingly soagain, to come to life in the horrid cell of the womb, there to be crushed, twisted, in prisoned and persecuted by the physical and mental strains and jerks of the mother, is indeed abhorrent, terrible, cruel. And yet, as we are today, we arc seemingly helpless. The momentum gathered by this great fall from Perfection is too powerful to be halted all by ourselves. The ego, born out of me, has now become a mighty power tuling over me relentlessly, and in front of this usurper of my bosom, I am but a slave. To free myself from this great I need now a mighty friend, a powerful and sympathetic friend. And who can It be Oh, the Destroyer of Mura, Lord Krishna, save me. help me, please" is the ardent prayer unto Him, and sceking His Feet of Love is the only way out. "And even here what right have I, the slave of my own passions, the non-believer all these years, to seek His help now ? True, I have no faith to meet Thee, Oh Lord. I have nothing to offer Thee except my own tears. I have nothing to claim for myself except the fatigue of my indulgence, the stink of my selfish acts, the sweat of my passions, the chords of my attachments. In fact, I don't deserve to be saved. Yet, Lord, I am tired—beaten out completely, exhausted thoroughly -repentant fully-helpless, wholly- I surrender myself to Thee and Thy Grace. I claim a hcaring and expect help from Thee. Are not Thou the Ocean of Kripå-of Grace, of Kindness, and of Love ? Are Thou not the Destroyer of the demon Mura ? Won't Thou, in Thy kindness, take pity on me and once more destroy the old enemy, Mura, in my bosom-the bundle of my own wretched. Vasanas ·ముందు - Moha-Mudgara 69 Thus, to surrender unto Him and to sincerely invoke His grace is to create in us divine and godly Vasanas, which are the only antidote to the ego and the ego-centric Vasanas that constantly clamour in our bosom for gratification. Once these are hushed, the Song of the Flute-Bearer shall be heard ; the Bluelight of His aura can be seen ; the Fragrance of His garland of wild-flowers can be smelt ; the Butter in His hand can be tasted ; the embrace of the Infinite can be experienced ! * 1 > रथ्याचपटविरचितकन्थः पुण्यापुण्यविवर्जितपन्थः। योगी योगनियोजितचित्तो रमते बालोन्मत्तवदेव ॥ (भज-गोविन्दं भज-गोविन्दं...) [22] Rathyaacharpata Virachitakanthah Punyaapunyavivarjitapanthah Yogee Yoganiyojitachitho Ramate Baalonmattavadeva (Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam........) 782 74€ farfalat po pet:—He who wears the godadi (shawl made pieces of cloth rejected by others on the road), TezT—the road, TÝC-pieces of old cloth, fa fa-made of, fr2|7--godadi (a shawl) (que 37907- merit and demerit, fa + afett-well left, Tre—the path). quer 37goy faraforat 972T:-Who walks the path that is beyond merit and demerit, योगी-the Yogin (sage), योग नियोजित चित्त:-whose mind is joined in perfect Yoga, The-sports (lives thereafter), atsaat 17—as a child (or), JFHEITT 19-as a madman. (767—Seek, Tifara-Govind....... up of ..) 1 ·70 Shankara The Yogin who wears but a godadi' who walks the path that is beyond merit and demerit, whose mind is joined in perfect Yoga with its goal, he revels in God-consciousness)--and lives thereafter--as a child or as a madman. (Seek Govind, Seek Govind. .......) A man of realization after achieving the goal and realizing the liquidation of his individuality and therefore, of his personal proprietorship over his body, it is described in our sacred books that he thereafter lives on as a child (balavat), as a madnian (unmattavat) or as a ghost (pishachavat). These examples are given to express one or the other aspect of his mental attitudes to the world outside. He is not a child or a madman or a ghostmand yet, he is like them. He has in him some qualities of these and so he is like a child, like a madman, or like a ghost. Love and hatred we find even in children. They express all emotions as and when they arise in their innocent minds. But the very next moment they have forgotten all about those feelings. Children are always found to be fully engrossed with their immediate mental mood. They have no capacity to past into the present and colour the present happenings with the dead past. There is perfect spontaneity both in children and in the Perfect Seer. A Man-of-Perfection also lives from moment to moment, and lives fully and entirely in the chaste present. He carrys no regrets from the past, nor has he any anxiety for the future- Right here and now, like the children ever do, the Man-of- Realisation lives and revel (" balavat”). A madman moving amidst us-His mind is full of his own thoughts, and the ordinary folks have no entry into the thought-world of the demented man. So too thé Man-of- Perfection, moves amongst us, and his inner experiences are too deep and strange for us to guage and understand. He lives Often he conforms to the discipline of our social actions. But even though his feet are amidst us in our own world, his head is held ever above the clouds of likes and drag the amidst us. - 1 A shawl made up of pieces of cloth rejected by others, picked up from the streets and stitched together is called the Godadi.

·71 1 -- 1 Moha-Mudgara dislikes, ego and its vanities, joys and sorrows (unmattavat). He revels in the peaceful state, the Samya Avastha, in the Great Equipoise. He, in his inner life, walks the path which is beyond both merit and demerit, good and bad, pleasure and pain. These opposites are experienced only when the empirical world it projected by the inind. Merit and demerit cannot affect the Perfect. And not even the Vedas prescribc or prohibit the actions of such Mahapurushas. The Upanishad exclaims : “For one who is moving above the three gunas, where is prescription, where is proliibition" Fearlessly he moves. Alone, in lonely jungles and in quiet places, by day and by night-fcarlessly he moves about. Others are afraid of him in due reverence--(pishachavat). The ghost is afraid of none : all fear it. Such a Man-of-Perfection, his mind totally plucked away from its usual fields of passion and lust, when it has reached a perfect Yoga with the Goal, it has reached its God-realisation. When such an individual transcends, his mind and intellect treads the surface of the globe, he is no more a slave to his body, and so his body dare not demand anything for itself. However, the Perfect-man allows his body a minimum of protection and this is indicated by the “ godadi In society cveryone has got duties; and duties go hand in hand with rights. If you are to enjoy the privileges in a nation, as a citizen under its constitution, you have also definite duties towards the community, in which you are living. The lesser the privileges, of course, lesser the duties. It is also very well-known that a dead man has neither any duty nor has he any privilege among the living. After the “mystic death" of the individual concept, the Ego, the Master no more has any “ rights" to demand, but out of his infinite love for the mankind, he cannot but take upon himself all " duties”. Thus, a true sage in India, according to our Scriptures, serves the society day in and day out, without relaxation, with as much sincerity and diligence as a selfish man would work for his own personal gains in the world's various departments of activity. And yet, a sage takes from the world only a minimum, 12. 1 ·-- Shankara very traditional the bearest need. This is indicated by the uniform of the Rishis in India. They lived in the jungles. And fed themselves upon wild fruits, roots and leaves. They sheltered themselves under the trees, preferably very near the burial-ground! They kept for themselves for their use only a shell called the Kamandalu. This attitude of taking from life the least, but giving back to life the most, is that which carned for the Mahatmas of this country the respect and reverence that we ever today show for them. All these ideas are indicated when Shankara describes here that this God-man moves in the world, covering, himself with only a godadi. This is called as a “patch-work-quiltı”? and it is a shawl made out of all sorts of available cloth-pieces, picked up by him from the wayside, as and when he came across them, and stitched them together at random to serve him as a multicoloured, many-designed shawl of variety-textures !! The idea being that since he has nothing more to gain from the world, he does not want to increase the competition of the world by demanding his rights even for the so-called utter necessities of life.... ... What a contrast ! Today the best ones among us strive under a philosophy of " minimum effort and maximum gain”, while the fathers of our culture lived in our land with the healthy philosophy of maximum effort and minimum gains to them- Sclves! The difference between these two philosophies are like izght and day; and the joyous life in a cultured society should necessarily be poles far removed from the sorrows of a barbarous, uncultured, immoral society. This stanza is traditionally attributed to Sri Nityananda ". 2 + -- 1 ·- Moha-Mudgara 73 कस्त्वं कोऽहं कुत आयातः का मे जननी को मे तातः । इति परिभावय सर्वमसारं विश्वं त्यक्त्वा स्वप्नविचारम् ॥ (भज-गोविन्दं भज-गोविन्दं...) [23] --- Kastivain Koham Kuta Aayaatah Kaa Me Jananee Ko Me Taatah Iti Paribhavaya Sarvamasaaram Vishwam Tyaktwaa Swaapnavichaaram (Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam. :-who, 697—(are) you, :—who, 3764-am I, 54:- :-from where, 37TATTT:--did I come, --who(is), 7-my, prit-mother ; : --who (is), मे-my, तात:-father, इति-thus, परिभावय-enquire, सर्व-all, असारं- essenceless, fan-the entire world of experience, 549791-Icaving aside, स्वप्तविचारम् -a mere dreamland (born of imagination). (TT-Seek, afara-Govind........) ? ? Who are you? Who am I : From where did I come : Who is my mother : Who is my father ? Thus enquire, leaving aside the entire worldof-experiences (Vishwam), essenceless and a mere dreamland, born of imagination (Swapnavicharam). (Seek Govind, Seek Govind........) An individual's life in this world is played out in an intricate web of mutual relationship. In the tapestry of existence, individuals and their relationship between each other are the warp and woof. A right relationship between me, and the objectsand-beings around me, can be maintained only from the standpoint of my awareness and understanding of myself. If I am drunk or mad, or by any other reason if I have come to forget ·74 Shankara myself, I will certainly keep an unhealthy, and even dangerous, relationship with things and beings around. In life we are called upon to keep intelligent contacts with the world around and, therefore, the most profitable knowledge is, indeed, to know ourselves. In our ignorance of ourselves, we become abnormal and act either as a lunatic or a drunken fool. The poison of ego renders us completely delirious, and hence, we are made to feel shattered and fall into utter dejection, an Arjuna-sthitih. Close observation and intelligent enquiry alone are the methods by which all misapprehensions are ended -be it about the outer world of objects, or about the inner world of experiences. In life it has been well noted that wherever there is a nonapprehension of a thing, misapprehensions about it arise. When things of the world are not understood as they are, they start playing their pranks upon the observer and, according to the observer's imaginations, the world becomes a caricature, at once vulgar and ugly, with exaggeration and lop-sided magnifications. Therefore, a spiritual student is advised, in Vedant, to exhaustively and scientifically enquire the “subject himself. Enquire the sources from which we must have risen. Let us not take things for granted. Let us make use of our rational intellect. Enquire wherefrom we have come and where are we bound to-whence and whither Who are you? Who am I? Where have we come from? Who is really my motherWho is the father :"-these are the lines of enquiry suggested in the verse along which we must try to investigate in order to end our misconceptions and reach the true apprehension of the Reality. This is not possible for us at this moment because our mind is not readily available to turn upon itself and make such subjective enquiries. Our minds are at present too much preoccupied with their cnchantments regarding the world-ofobjects outside. Until a mind gets relieved from these dissipating preoccupations that mind will not have the necessary freedom to apply itself totally in within. Vishwain” is a pregnant sanskrit-word with an endless ? in ·Moha-Mudgara 75 width and depth in it ; for, it contains in its meaning all the human possibilities of experiences--physical, emotional and intellectual.“ Leaving aside”, advises the author Yogananda, " the entire world of experiences (Vishwam) realize that it is essenceless and that it is a mere dreamland born of imaginations (Swapnavicharam)”. In the empirical field of experiences, everything perishes constantly and so all are unreal. In Mandukya Karika, Sri Gaudapada argues and shows us logically: that the waking state of cxperiences are as unreal as our experiences in our drcam. Thus having dismissed all the haunting sense-passions from our mind, turn it towards a close observation of our own sujective personality. Such enquiries will reveal, not only the hollowness of the world of names and forms of endless bewitching enchantments, but it will also reveal the empty vanities of the life as we now live. This stanza is attributed to Sri Yogananda. त्वयि मयि चान्यत्रैको विष्णु- र्व्यर्थं कुप्यसि मय्यसहिष्णुः । भव समचित्तः सर्वत्र त्वं वाञ्छस्यचिराद्यदि विष्णुत्वम् ॥ (भज-गोविन्दं भज-गोविन्दं...) [24] 1 Shankara in his commentary upon the Karika brings this out in a five-membered syllogism (anuman). Things seen in waking are illusory (pratijyna) ; because they are seen (hets); like the things seen in the dream (drashtanta); as in dream there is illusoriness for the things seen so even in waking the characteristic of being seen is the same (hetu-upanayana); therefore, even in waking the illusoriness of things is declared (nigamana). १. अनुमान २. प्रतिज्ञा ३. हेतु ५. उपनयन ६. निगमन ४. दृष्टान्त ·76 Shankara T'wayi Mayi Chaanyatraiko Vishnuh Vyartham Kupyasi Mayyasahishnuh Bhava Samachittah Sarvatra Twain Vanchhasyachiraadyadi Vishnutwam (Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindan... ..) cafu,in you, Aft-in me, mand, 377477-in all other places (too) ; 94:-(there is) but one, facut:-All-Pervading Reality (Vishnu); gyet. unnecessarily, कुप्यसि-you are getting angry, मयि--with me, असहिष्णु:- being impatient, 79-become, Taft:-equal-minded, Ha-everywhere (in all circumstances), त्वं-you, वाञ्छसि यदि-if you want, अचिरात्- soon, fatura-The Vishnu status. (159-Seek, TifareGovind........) In you, in me and in (all) other places too, there is but one All-Pervading Reality (Vishnu). Being impatient, you are unnecessarily getting angry with me. If you want to attain soon the Vishnu-status, be equal minded in all circumstances. (Seek Govind, Seek Govind........) >> The teacher here asserts thc Eternal Truth-that has been the experience of thousands of Masters, for thousands of years, in all the different spiritual paths in our countryand declares that "in you, in me, and in all other places too, there is but one All- Pervading Reality (Vishnum-the long strident) There are certain truths which are so fundamental in a science that a teacher in it can ill afford to avoid the monotony of their repetitions. Intellectual students thirst for knowledge cver hunger for variety, for new ideas for fresh ideals and evernew Truth-declarations. The inner man seeks variety even at the intellectual level. The laborious repetitions of the teacher sap out the patience of the student, and, perhaps, unconsciously on his face he expresses his restlessness. The teacher noticing it, openly says here, “ being impatient, you are unnecessarily angry with me". There is no other way in which this subtle knowledge can be conveyed to the seekers. Repetition alone is the way, for, if the student has alrcady understood, he would never have returned to the Teacher.

·Moha-Mudgara 77 When once he has realized the Perfection, there is no necessity for him to feel any more any sense of imperfection. Mandukya Karika? says : "Only in the realm of multiplicity there are doubts and explanations : in the experience of the Oneness there is no doubt and, therefore, no answer is needed." Therefore, so long as he has not realized the Highest, the Teacher has to talk of the same Truth again and again for purposes of emphasis, until, the student in a flash, comes to realise the Highest, all by himself, in his own heart. · Thus, “it is futile for you, in your impatience, to feel angry with ine", , says the teacher. “In case, you want to attain soon the great Realm of Peace, Vishnu-hood, then ”, the Teacher advises him, “ be equal-minded in all circumstances “Please don't get angry if you are not having the experience of the Infinite, even after studying all the voluminous tomes of scriptural literature. There is nothing for you to despair of. There is certainly a way to get at the Fulfilment in Knowledge," thus assure the teachers by the general import of their words. To know of love is indeed quite entertaining, but to experience love and be in it is altogether a different and highly enriching experience. Similarly, to know the Scriptural and to intellectually appreciate the Infinite Reality is a satisfying job, no doubt. But it is not the voiceless fulfilment of the all-shattering experience, the utter Atma-Sakshat-Karah. In order to gain this, it is not sufficient that we have intellectually followed the text-books, or have logically understood the arguments in the book. We have to accomplish it solely in our own bosom, for which certain deliberate preparations of the mind are unavoidable. It must be made receptive for the subtle influences from the higher planes-of-Consciousness. The secret is revcaled in this stanza : “practise equanimity of mind (Samachittatwani) While living in the world desirable and undesirable happenings will float-down upon the i Chodyam Va Pariharo Va Kriyatam Dwaita Bhashaya Adwaita Bhashaya Chodyam Nasti Naapi Tadúttaram.-- (Karika). 1 चोधंवा परिहारोवा क्रियतां द्वैतभाषय । अद्वैतभाषया चोद्यं नास्तिनापि तदुत्तरम् ।। पं. द. २/३९ contents 72 ·78 Shankara stream of Time to meet us, and in all these vicissitudes to learn to remain unshaken, is “the practice of even-mindedness” advised here. The external world of objects-and-happenings can disturb us only when we have the positive or the nagative Vasanas in ourselves. Objects, conducive to our existing Vasanas, will attract us, and objects, contrary to our Vasanas, will repel us. In order to develop the mental equipoise, one must strive to filter away from one's mind all the existing Vasanas. This is accomplished through (I) dedicated action, (2) devotion to the Lord, (3) service of mankind, (4) contemplation upon the Highest and (s) constant study and reflection. This reminds us of the Bhagavad Geeta which advises the cultivation of this trait as one of the most essential preparations for Jyna, constant even mindedness, both in desirable and undesirable circumstances ".1 This Samatwam, equal vision on all things and beings and in all circumstances, is declared by the Geetacharya’ as the very contents of Yoga. When once this equanimity of mind has been regained, erelong (Achirath), the experience of the Infinite shall descend on you and you shall come to gain the status of one “Liberated-inlife” (Jeevanmuktah). This is the experience of Vishnutivain. CC 3 TETT AT DET arth मा कुरु यत्नं विग्रहसन्धौ । Haftafa YICHTEN सर्वत्रोत्सृज भेदाज्ञानम् ॥ (भज-गोविन्दं भज-गोबिन्दं...) [25] 1" Nithyam cha samachitatwam ishta-anishta-upaapathishu " (XII-9). 2 Samatwam Yoga Uchyate-II. 48. 1 नित्यं च समचित्तत्वं इष्टान्निष्टोपपत्तिषु । गी. १२/९ * समत्वं योग उच्यते । गी. २/४८ .

·Moha-Mudgara 79 Shatrou Mitre Putre Bandhou Maa Kuru Yatnam Vigrahasandhout Sarvasminaapi Pasyaatmaanam Sarvatrotsrija Bhedaajynanam (Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam ........) शत्रौं-against an enemy, मित्रे-against a friend, पुत्रे-against a son, बन्धौ- against a relative, मा-never, कुरु-do, यत्नं-strive, विग्रहसन्धौ-for strifc and for making friends, सर्वस्मिन् अपि-in everything (everywhere), पश्यsee, आत्मानं-the Self, सर्वत्र-everywhere, उत्सृजlift भेद 375174-the sense of differcuce (born out of ignorance). (9757—Seek, fara-Govind... Strive not waste not your energy to fight against or to make friends with your enemy, friend, son or relative. Seeking the Self everywhere, lift the sense-of-difference (plurality), born out of ignorance' (Seek Govind, Seek Govind........) away, .) Nobody can afford to hate himself. Even when a part of the body is ulcerated and gives endless pain, and the doctor may advise an amputation, yet man hesitates. The leg that kills me with pain is one with me and I have no enmity with it. But if another one, even if it be my most beloved brother, gives me a little disturbance of mind, I hate him, his wife and his children ! Hatred can come only when we see the thing hated as something other than us. No doubt, my leg is my own. But even then I do not cultivate purposefully an intimacy with my leg. I never court my leg, nor develop a special friendship with it. It is not necessary. In and through cvery cell in my body, I live at all spots, at all moments. I am myself an artistic whole, and from the tip of my toc to the roof of my crown everywhere, at all times, I exist. It is ridiculous for me to give a greater love to any part of my body more than any other part. If my teeth unfortunately bitc my own tongue, justice is not meted out by ine by breaking the teeth. For the tongue is as much mine as the teeth arc. Automatically I feel total forgiveness for the teeth, and I comfort and console the tongue that has suffered the tyranny of the teeth.

·80 Shankara When the whole universe has emerged out from the Ono Womb of Reality, who is the other one whom I can afford to hate! Nor is there one whom I can afford to court particularly and love specially. All are His manifestations alone, including me. Thus, the author of the stanza, advises a true seeker of this Universal Harmony around,“ strive not (waste not your energy) to fight against or to make friends with anyone : be it an enemy, friend, son, or relative". It may be asked then what exactly is life' ineant for ? What cxactly be the direction in which one's emotional energy should flow out ? The Acharya gives the answer in the closing two lines of the versc. If you are a seeker of the Fuller Life, if you are thirsty to hear the Melody in the Harmonious Existence, if you are hungry to taste and enjoy the Essence of Life, seek to realise the One Reality, which holds together the whole universe into one garland of beauty. The universe is a cosinos and not a chaos. There exists a mutual affinity, a scientific law, a rhythm of mutual relationship in which the entire living world is held together, in one web of love. To assume differences in the world, is to belie this great Oneness in life. In a loveless life, of hate and meanness, of littleness of heart and limited view-point, there is nothing but suffocation, sorrow and agitation. Expand. Come in contact with the melody of the great Flute Player, who enchants us all to dance our life around Him. There is, in fact, nonc other. Shift your attention to this central Source of Beauty and Sonſ, the rewarding vision of this mass of Flaming Song. In the author's own language, “ see the Self everywhere, and rise above the sense of difference, boện out of stupidity”. When my beloved children play with mud, and with it look abominably ugly and dirty, do I not see my child in and through the mud and the dirt on him ? When my beloved changes her garments do I not see and recognize her always in and through what she wears ? Similarly, develop the vision to look far beneath the externals of life, and watch for to detect the One Substratum, the manifestations of which are the convulsions of society, the hysterical expression of love and hatred, together constituting the total world of play around. 1 ·Moha-Mudgara 81 Whatever be the language in which a music is sung, one who has got the knowledge of the Raga, can very easily detect the melody and enjoy it. For enjoying the tune the words need not be familiar. Couched in those words run the ravishing beauty of its melody. Similarly, beneath the surface of the flesh and its fatigues, behind the mind and its wretchednesses, hidden under the intellect and its vulgarities, there runs the enchanting chord of Beauty and Truth. Contact this Infinite Sclf, and thus, rise above the sense of difference—he, you, they, and I. These have a meaning only with reference to the equipments, but the One Vitalising Force, holds us all together. In case if any one in the world feels unhappy, miserable, neglected and wretched, it is only his fault and not the fault of the world. Geeta says :: you yourself is your own friend, and you yourself your own enemy". Happenings around, by themselves, cannot storm our within, but we, in our false-values, give them importance, open thc doors of our heart, and allow them to come in to ransack our own bosom with their relentless tyranny. We hate, and then we start recognizing hatred reaching us from all sides. The moment we start loving honestly, sincerely and unconditionally, love of the same depth and texture must reach us back. What we receive in the world is but an echo of our own heart's cry. What we see in others' face is nothing but a reflection of our own feature ! To recognize the One Eternal Source, as expressing through all the naines and forms, is to change the very nature of our environment, the very vision of our world around. Kathopanishad expresses this one cardinal Truth in the most poetic form and says : “just as one fure having reached various wicks expresses itself as different flames, so the One Truth, burning in different bosoms, expresses as the good, the bad, the wretched, the noble."? Ishavasya Upanishad declares that having realized Atmaiva Atmano bandhuh atmaiva ripu ratmanah."--Geeta-VI-s. Eko vashee sarva bhootantaratma, roopam roopam prati roopo babhuva Agniryathaiko bhuvanam pravishto roopam roopam pratiroopo babhuva."-Katho. 1 आत्मैव आत्मनो बंधुः आत्मैव रिपुरात्मनः । गी. ६/५ एको वशी सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा रूपं रूपं प्रतिरूपो बभूव । कढ. २/२/१२ अग्निर्यथैकोभुवनं प्रविष्टो रूपं रूपं प्रतिरूपो बभूव । क. २/२/८ 1. 1 14 26 2 6 4 ·82 Shankara this One Substratum in the Universe, the man of realisation has thereafter no occasion to feel repelled (Jugupsa) from anything or from any situation ".1 An incapacity in us to be in harmony with the situation, or with an individual, and the consequent discordant ruffle in our bosom, is called Jugupsa. This cannot take place when we see our own Self expressed everywhere—just as a mother cannot have any revulsion (Jugupsa) for her own child, because, to her the child is a part and parcel of her own life's essence. Isha Upanishad, while discussing this State of Realisation, goes to the extent of even exclaiming, “ there, what delusion, what sorrow, can reach where one experiences the Oneness everywhere ?" " कामं क्रोधं लोभं मोहं त्यक्त्वाऽऽत्मानं पश्यति सोऽहम् । आत्मज्ञान विहीना मूढा- स्ते पच्यन्ते नरकनिगूढाः ॥ (भज-गोविन्दं भज-गोविन्दं...) [26] है Kaamam Krodhani Lobhan Moham Tyaktwaa(a)tmaanam Pashyati Soham Aatmajyana Viheenaa Mudaah Te Pachyante Narakanigoodaah (Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam........) Tato na vijuguhsyate. "...Isha. " Tatra ko mohah, kah shokah, ekatwam anupashyatah."--Isha. ततो न विजुगुप्स्यते । ई. ९ * तत्र कोमोहः कः शोकः एकत्वं अनुपश्यतः । ईश. ७ ।

·Moha-Mudgara काम-Desire, क्रोधं-anger, मोहं-delusion, त्यक्त्वा-having left, आत्मानं- the Self, पश्यति |--see (the seeker), #: 36#- He ani I", TTCHETTO Faetat:-those who have not Self-Knowledge ; TTT:--the fools, #they, पच्यन्ते-are tortured, नरक निगूढाः---in hell as captives. 767-Seek, tilfare-Govind..........) Leaving desire, anger, greed and delusion, the secker sces in the Self, * He ain I". They are fools who have not Sclf-Knowledge and they (consequently), as captives in hell are tortured. (Scck Govind, Scck Govind..........) The conditions under which the sccker reaches the State of God-realisation is painted here vividly by the author, Bharathi Vamsha. So long as we are not able to get rid completely of all our unnecessary mental agitations and the natural extrovertedness, this subtle melody of the Infinite Bliss cannot be contacted or clearly received, in our bosom. Therefore, the Acharya says, “ leaving desire, anger, greed and delusion” the seeker must strive with an enthusiastic alertness, to feel the inspired experience of the Transcendental Reality. Such a true seeker when he realises this Eternal Harmony in life, he “ understands” the Truth—not as we generally understand things in the world outside. All our knowledges in the outer world arc objective and, therefore, we understand them as something other than ourselves. This Spiritual Truth being the very core of our own existence, the realization when it comes, it will not be that I have understood It (Him), but the experience will be, “ He am I.” (Soham)—" That am I” (Tadasmi). This is something like discovering, after a lot of searching the lost key, at last, in your own pocket ! No doubt the man will cry out “ I have got the key.?? "I have got the key". But, in fact, there was no" getting it”. It was only a process of discovering the key, that was already there in his pocket which was lying concealed under his own ignorance of its existence. So too, this Perfect State of Tranquillity is man's Real Nature Due to "desire, anger, greed and deħusion this bliss seems to be for him veiled from himself, and when his agitations are - 6-a ·84 Shankara 1 1 quietened, behind it stands the Truth, in all Its resplendency. Angry and impatient, restless and agitated, when Radha waits for the Lord under the tree, soine rough hand sweetly closes her eyes from behind. She protests. Gets angry. Gets worried. Really afraid. Holding the hand that covers her cyes, she fights, howls, curses. And in the end discovers that the very hands that covered her eyes belong to the very one for whom she was waiting for all the tiine ! Once the passions of the heart are removed, Truth, self-evident, stands revealed as the very Eternal sweetness of Perfection. He who has not gained this Self-Knowledge (Atma Jynana), who has not experienced this Infinito Perfection, comes to live iz a sorrowful misunderstanding that life is a stream of vulgar sorrows, perspiring passions, exhausting desires and endless sentiments; and he, indeed, is a crown jewel among fools (Moodha Shiroinani). In the non-apprehension of Reality, misapprehensions of Ego, and its desires, greed and anger, likes and dislikes, and such other misapprehensions arise and they create a self-made hell for man to live in and suffer continuously. Tortured by them, torn limb by. limb by the buffeting waves of passions in his own bosom, man cries as a sorrowful creature, eternally suffering in a self-condemned existence, in a hell, created by himself, for himself ! ! This stanza reminds us of another verse attributed generally to Shankarat which says desire, anger, greed are looters that stand within the body, ready to plunder the Knowledge-gemtherefore, be vigilant ! Be vigilant !" Therefore, to sum up, renounce desire, anger and greed, and come to experience in your own personal subjective experience, that“ He am I”; this alone is the fulfilment of a man's mission in life. In fact God alone is : the concept of “I” is a stupid dream. Surrender and realize. Through right Knowledge reject what you are not, and assert your Real nature, and come to realize the Oneness of the Life in you and the Life everywhere present. 1 Kamah Krodhascha lobhascha dehe thishanti taskarah Jyanarthan-apaharaya tasniat jagrata jagrata. 1 कामः क्रोधश्च लोभश्च देहे तिष्ठन्ति तस्करा: ज्ञानार्थान् अपहार्य तस्मात् जाग्रत जाग्रत ॥ जागृत जागृत १ ·Moha-Mudgara 85 - -- गेयं गीतानामसहस्रं ध्येयं श्रीपतिरूपमजस्रम् । नेयं सज्जनसङ्गे चित्तं देयं दीनजनाय च वित्तम् ॥ (भज-गोविन्दं भज-गोविन्दं...) [27] Geyam Geetaanaamasahasramı Dhyeyam Shreepatiroopamajasram Neyam Sajjanasange Chittam Deyam Deenajanaaya Cha Vittani (Bhaja Govindan, Bhaja Govindam........) गोयं-is to bc chanted (sung), गीता-Bhagavad Geeta, नामसहस्र- Sahasranamam, ध्येयं-is to be meditated upon, श्रीपति रूपं.-the form of the Lord of Lakshmi, अजस्रं-always ; नेयं-(the mind) is to be led, सज्जन- सङ्गे-in the association (company) of the good, चित्तं-the mind ; देयं-is to be distributed, दीनजनाय च-to the needy, वित्तम्-wealth. (भज-Seek, गोविन्दं-Govind... ...) Bhagavad Geeta and Sahasranama are to be chanted ; always the form of the Lord of Lakshmi is to be meditated upon ; the mind is to be led towards the company of the good ; wealth is to be distributed (shared with) - the ncedy. (Scck Govind, Seek Govind........) . This verse represents the conclusion of the “ Bouquet of 14-Verse-Blossoins ",1 and it is attributed to the last of the fourteen followers of Shankara who were with him in this particular Kashi-pilgrimage of the Acharya. The author is named, 1 Chaturdasha-Manjarika-Stotram. 1 चतुर्दश मंजरिकास्तोत्रम् ।

·86 Shankara f traditionally, as Sri Sumati. It is indeed a fitting last-stanza inasmuch as it declares a spiritual, programme which a student can follow when once he is convinced of the necessity of realizing the Highest. Advices of all spiritual preceptors are worded the same, but very rarely the students try to understand thcir significance. Here also there is nothing new in the advice as such. It only. cnumcrates four unavoidable“ musts ” in the daily programmic of a sincere secker : (1) Gecta study, (2) worship of Narayana, (3) company of the good, and (4) serving the needy. Bhagavad Geeta is' a summary of the Upanishadic Truths with special reference to their practical application in man's everyday conduct in life. To study them intelligently is to bring about a reorientation in our intellectual outlook on life, and in our attitudes to the world of happenings around. It explains both the goal and the path, and also gives different techniques of living religion in our everyday life. Study in itself cannot accomplish self-unfoldment in the seeker, although study is absolutely necessary for the intellectual satisfaction of the seekers. The ideas which are rationally appreciated may not bring by theniselves their promised glow to life, unless one lives them diligently and thus brings them within the subjective experience of oneself. Philosophy enumerates ideals and supplies the logical sequence of thinking by which contemplative minds can come to appreciate the entire implications of the philosophers' viewpoint. But without a definite technique of living up to those values the best philosophy can only be a mere utopian dream. All the practical methods, by which philosophical ideas are woven into our cveryday life, together in their entirety constitute the very essence in all true religions. Hence teachers of the past, like Vivekananda and others cried, that religion without philosophy is superstition and philosophy without religion is a lunatic dream! When a seeker has studied the Geeta and has understood its logic, he has to plough those perfections into himself, and this is done through religion, indicated here by the term “ worship of the Lord of Lakshmi”. To contemplate upon the thousand- !

·Moha-Mudgara 87 1 and-one glories of Narayana” (Sahasranama), and to thus learn to surrender ourselves at His altar, and thereby get ourselves attuned to Him is true worship. This helps to integrate the inner personality, lifting our mind high above its ordinary fields of self-polluting agitations. By tuning the mind with the Higher it imbibes unto itself the noble qualities of the very Lord of Nobility”, Shree Lakshmipati. All our efforts at study and worship can be washed down in a single moment's high-tide of passion in the bosom. To protect the fields of our heart from such tornadoes, “ company of the good” (Sajjanasangam) is very essential. To be in the company of noble spiritual leaders, cultured men of inspiring vision, will keep us constantly warmed up in our enthusiasm to live up to our ideals. Again, Satsang helps us to walk the path with an assuring self-confidence, wherein fear and hesitation, despondency and despair have no chance to despoil our sincerity and eagerness. In the constant association with the noble souls alone can our knowledge of the Scriptures become clear and the devotion of our hearts can beconie really deep and firm. An individual seeker may (1) study the Geeta, (2) practisc religion and (3) pursuc the “ company of the good”, and yet, his evolution cannot be assured unless in his daily contacts with his fellow men he has got the heroism to live the spiritual ideals of the One Infinite Life everywhere. The Lord of my heart is the Onc Indweller in all bosoms. If I fail to revere the Lord in the heart of all, but worship Him elaborately with flowers and bells only in the inert, metal or wooden idols, I am to be certain, not a very sincere and true devotee. Therefore, the teacher here insists that the seeker of the Lord must practise “charity”; this is very often misunderstood by cven those who diligently, practise it. Charity” must flow from one's own abundance. Thus, the first requirement would be efforts to earn sufficiently in order that it with those who have a need for that commodity which they 66 - you may share 1 -- Kshetrajyam chaapi mam viddhi sarva kshetreshu Bharata-Gecta XIII-3. 1 क्षेत्रज्ञं चापि मां विद्धि सर्वक्षेत्रेषु भारत । गी. १३/३

·88
Shankara
have not got now with themselves.
Charity” is an attempt wherein I try to expand and
bring into the ambit of my life all others around me and grow
to consider the other man's needs and requirements as important
as my own personal needs. To live seeking an identity thus
with at least those who are immediately around me is to live
away from the suffocating selfishness and the throttling grip
of my body-consciousness. To ignore the needs of others
around, is not religion. Religious unfoldment can reach only
a heart that has steadily unrolled itself to invite into its chambers
a wider circle of loving brotherhood.
gea: fra TATHIST:
पश्चाहन्त शरीरे रोगः।
यद्यपि लोके मरणं शरणं
तदपि न मुञ्चति पापाचरणम् ॥
(भज-गोविन्दं भज-गोविन्दं...) [28]
,
Sukhatah Kriyate Raamaabhogah
Paschaddhanta Shareere Rogah
Yadyapi Loke Maranam Sharanam
Tadapi Na Munjchati Paapaacharanam
(Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam..... ...)
सुखत: For sake of happiness, क्रियते–(is done) or one indulges in ; रामा
भोग:-carnal pleasures, पश्चात्-later on, हन्त-alas, शरीरे-in the body,
रोग:-disease (comes), यद्यपि-even though, लोके-in the world, मरणं-
death, T70-(is) the ultimate end, agfa-even then, 7-(he) does not,
मुञ्चति-leaves, पाप आचरणम्-sinful behaviour.
भज-Seek, गोविन्दं-Govind.. ..)

·Moha-Mudgara 89 - --- 1 I Very readily one indulges in carnal pleasures, later on, alas coine discases of the body. Even though in the world the ultimate end (Sharanam) is death, even then man leaves not his sinful behaviour. (Seek Govind, Scck Govind.... ..) In the scheme of the development of thought in this sacred philosophical chant (Stotram) we have the first twelve-verses attributed to Shankara and the following fourteen-verses attributed to the fourteen great followers, who accompanied the Acharya in one of his trips to Kashi. We have now in these concluding four tail-end-stanzas a fitting conclusion for the entire sacred chant. Here, the spiritual sceker is directly addressed to and he is encouraged and blessed by the Acharya. In the absence of any evidence to disprove, it will not be very wrong, for the purposes of our own inspiration, if we accept these closing stanzas as the declarations made directly by the Teacher of the Adwaita. In fact, the vigour of expressions employed, the anxiety with which the impatient words flow down each verse, the depth of significance, and the breadth of their philosophical embrace-all definitely point out that it must be the enchanting words of the Master from Kaladi himself. To live in the animal instincts is no strain at all for man, because it is a devolutionary process : to fall and slip down the slopes of a mountain is much easier than to climb across the summits to its very peak. Evolution is the result of effort and struggle, sweat and suffering. There is no new birth ever possible without its own delivery pains. Thus, to live in the flesh, implicitly obeying its wretched biddings, is universally easy for all. This is simply because the flesh craves constantly and, therefore, to live in sense gratification no practice is necessary; everybody seems to be very competent and extremely adept in it. The aniinal in us is yet to fight against its own low instincts and come to win the divine mastery over the flesh. One who thus freely indulges in excessive self-dissipations soon comes to suffer, alas (Hanta), the persecutions of an invading army of merciless diseases. Physically suffering many pains and disabilities, his faculties slowly decaying, and he ultimately - ܕ ܫ ·90 Shankara comes to tumble down into some unwarranted grave Even when death is thus inherent and implicit in the very birth and existence of the individual, man leaves not his sinful behaviour. Actions, that bring about dissipation of thc personality-strength at all levels are called sins (papas). This verse is not merely an uncoloured observation of man, as he lives now in the world, but there is a strain of sorrow in thc very cadence of the versc. Even those who realize that the ultimate destination is death and complete obliteration thereafter of the individual from the surface of the globe, yet, hic finds it difficult to take himself away from his temptations to do the wrong actions. This is Maya--the vigorous push-and-pull of the Vasanas to express themselves. They push us into sin, and pull us away from our attempts to live the nobler and the diviner virtues of spiritual living. T अर्थमनर्थ भावय नित्यं नास्ति ततः सुखलेशः सत्यम् । garela ETHIFI Hifa: सर्वत्रैषा विहिता रीतिः (भज-गोविन्दं भज-गोविन्दं...) [29] Arthamanartham Bhavaya Nithyam Naasti Tatah Sukhalesah Sathyam Puthradapi Dhanabhajaam Bheetih Sarvatraisha Vihita Reetih (Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam.. 3724-Wealth; 377724-(is) calamitous, *194-(thus) reflect, first-constantly, 738ffa—there is not, 79:-from it, 107T:-(even) a littlc happiness, .)

·Moha-Mudgara 91 सत्यं-truth, पुत्रात् अपि-even from his own son, धनभाजां-to the rich, भीति:-there is fear, सर्वत्र-everywhere, एषा-this, विहिता-is (the ordained), afa:--the way. (757 ---Scek, tifare-Govind... ..) “Wealth is calamitous ", thus reflect constantly : the truth is that there is no happiness at all to be got from it. To the rich, there is fear even from his own son. This is the way of wealth everywhere. (Scek Govind, Seek Govind. .......) If, as the teacher has expressed in the previous stanza, the enchantments of the lower nature in us are to be so all-powerful in us, then philosophy and its visions are profitless dreanis-micre poctic consolations-dreadful opiated hallucinations. A scientist inust face facts ; he sees things as they are, and plans to improve the world and the life thriving upon it. The above stanza is a naked statement over a couple of facts," known to all and realized by everyone whatever be the field of their functions in life. Every creative thinker is an impatient revolutionary inasmuch as he is not satisfied with merely maintaining the status quo in life. His demand is always to pull down the edifice-ofsorrow and rebuild in its place the temple-of-joy. The Mayafascination for what money can procurc—or at least promises to procure—is so powerful in us that we never give wealth its right and appropriate value. It is strange, indeed, that money was discovered and made by mari, and yet, man has become a slave to the very thing which is his own creation. Today Money rules the foolish man. The teacher here advises the seckers of the higher life to reflect constantly that “wealth is calamitous" (Artham-anartham). By repeatedly remembering the dangers of wasting one's entire life under the fascinations for wealth, the delusory enchantments for money as such, will retire from ones heart. Money no doubt has a value ; but it is only inasmuch as it can procure things for us. But, to give an over-exaggerated importance to money as such is thoughtlessness, and it will breed lovelessness, hatred and a thousand subhuman impulses in the money-mad people. Strange ! Wealth estranges us to all. It is all very strange, ·92 Shankara the money psychology! When you have not got any, you will pant to get some ! When you get some, you grow jealous of others who have more, and feel conceited among those who have less ! In the grabbing-game, in profit-hunting commerce of the world when you become a little more successful, your jealousy and conceit are not thereby going to reccde proportionately, but, strange, in the arithmetics of the inoney-mad world your jealousy becomes powerful, and your conceit limitless. Not only more wealth brings more jealousies and conceits but the individual starts entertaining unholy suspicions and unhappy fears—suspicions that those who have not got, as much as you have, are planning to destroy you, and the fears that they may loot away all what you have, from your secret treasures. Wealth is not welfare-Artham-anartham. As Acharya Shankara indicates here, even one's own son becomes a source of fear for the unholy man of riches. Therefore, ever keep, in one corner of your mind the same idea that money or wealth is only a means, and not an end in itself: "wealth is calami- Have it in sufficient measure-to use it ; liberally, employ it in your service. Let not money use you or employ you in its service. When you possess money, wealth is a blessing. Allow money to possess you, wealth is a curse and it will give you not even a suspicion of comfort (sukha leshah). This is the truth (Satyam) about wealth. This is the way-of-wealth. 2 tous . प्राणायाम प्रत्याहारं नित्यानित्यविवेकविचारम् । जाप्यसमेत समाधिविधानं कुर्ववधानं महदवधानम् ॥ (भज-गोविन्दं भज-गोविन्दं...) [30] ·Moha-Mudgara 93 . Praanaayaamam Pratyaahaaram Nityaanityavivekavichaaram Jaapyasameta Samaadhividhaanam Kurvavadhaanam Mahadavadhaanam (Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam........) STUTTUTTE—The control of all activities (of Life's manifestations in you), STRATETT-the sense withdrawal (from their respective sense-objects), free 3rfarcu fada faanh-the enquiry (reflection) consisting of discrimination between the permanent and the impermanent ; of FTTCIT THC Fifa fa97a--along with Japa and the practice of reaching the total-inner-silence (समाधि), कुरु-perform, अवधानं-with care, महत् अवधानम्-with great care. (767-Seek, rifare-Govind. .......) The control of all activities (of life's manifestations in you), the sense withdrawal (from their respective sense-objects), the reflection (consisting of discrimination between the permanent and the impermanent), along with Japa and practice of reaching the total-inner-silence (Samadhi)—these perform with great care. (Seek Govind, Seck Govind........) with care. 6 Now Shankara advises a seeker, who has thus withdrawn his mind from all its hunting after wealth ”i, in the outer world of mind-and-matter, of men-and-things, of joy-andsorrow. The seeker should learn to control all the subjective activities within his personality. A path in five stages was drawn up, by which, a true seeker, who has accomplished all the conditions that the teacher had prescribed, can easily trot up to his goal. Study of the Geeta, worship of Lord, satsang and charity along with the elimination of all the wealth-hunting distractions by a process of correct thinking, together constitute, what in Vedanta we call, the outer exercises (Bahiranga Sadhana). Here, this the stanza we have all the elements of exercise (Antaranga Sadhana). They are as indicated by inner 1A term used in its largest sense.

·94 Shankara 1 -- 1 - -- Shankara : (1) control of all life's activities in the body (pranayama), (2) the sense withdrawal (pratyahara), (3) discrimination (Nitya-anitya-viveka-vicharam), (4) japa, and (s) as a cumulative effect of all these reaching a state of utter silence within, which is the spring board to the Highest (Samadhi). Pranayama is a term, due to its hasty translation and equally superficial practice, has come to be translated and known among us as “breath control”. In Sanskrit to express“ breath control we have altogether a different phrasc (Swaasa-yania). Prana” in Sanskrit means “ life", and as used by the Upanishad seers, they have considered it as consisting of five distinct modifications. There five distinct names, in their Upanishadic definitions, are found to stand for the five physiological " systems" of activity the five active departments of manifested life in a living intelligent man. They are, perceptions and reception of things into thc subjective lifc (Prana); rejection of things and responses (Apana) ; the digestive system (Vyana) ; the circulatory system (Samana), and the capacity to lift oúrselves from our present state of understanding to a nobler and better peak of thought on the mount of knowledge (Udana). To control all these five expressions of life in a living being is called " Control of Prana” (Pranayama). In order to achicve this, one of the outer methods generally advised, to the dull in temperament and to the inefficient in emotions, is a system of very regulated exercises of breathing. True Pranayama can really be achieved only through sustained and sincere practice, for sufficiently long time, of devotion to the Lord, of study of thc Scriptures and of selfless service of the Society. When a secker has thus succeeded in controlling the outflow of life's energy into its spectacular manifestations, he must also learn to roll his mind back to himself, away from its wanderings through the sense-organs into the sense-world. This capacity to whistle back the wandering mental-rays away from its sense-objects back into our bosom is called Pratyahara. Neither Pranayama nor Pratyahara is possible unless the intellect is rc-educated to hold enduring and healthy values-of- * .

·Moha-Mudgara 95 + 1 - life. And hence thic importance of developing a discriminative intellect that can readily make us see through the impermanent (Anitya) glitter of the multiplicity and recognize the Eternal (Nitya), Immutable Truthi. This can come only through constant, scientific thinking, as indicated in the greatest of all philosophical text-books that man has today. called the Upanishads. In order to develop the required subtlety of intellect and discover in it the necessary amount of balance and vigour, the intellect still must undergo a certain type of pre-vichar training and this is available in Japa. When through Japa, the intellect has become steady, it discovers in itself a better capacity to understand the subtler suggestions and the deeper imports of the Upanishadic declaration, and thus it comes to recognize and develop Viveka in itself. With the help of this “ power of discrimination” which can distinguish the Real from the unreal, the individual gains a dexterity in withdrawing his mind from the unreal. This capacity to withdraw one's attention from the unreal is called Pratyahara. When such a discriminating man could withdraw his mind at will, without much difficulty, from all sense-objects, in him, the control over his physiological activities is almost perfect. When thus the seeker has, at all the layers of his personality, tuned himself with the Highest, his flesh, mind and intellect will not ever come to disturb him, during his contemplations upon the Real. They will retire from their respective fields of explosive activities, and in this hushed silence within—a state of relative thoughtlessness (Samadhi)—the stage is set for him to receive unobstructed intimations from the Infinite. This State of Final Beatitude, is never as such expressed in any Shastra-only the last stage of the human effort, called -- 1 Refer Swamiji's booklet “ Kindle Life"-Chapter on “Japa Yoga and Gayatri”. 2 Refer Swamiji's Atina Bodha Commentaries on stanza 44. Also refer "Agyanena Avritam Jynamn, Tena. Muhyanti Janthavah..Geeta : V, 15: " The Real is veiled by the Unreal and so the Creatures suffer delusion." * अज्ञानेन आवृत ज्ञानं तेन मुह्यन्ति जन्तवः । गी. ५/१५ > ·96 Shankara + the practice of Samadhi alone is indicated. The final experience is not gained by anyone ; it is there already with all of us. Practice of Samadhi only lifts the veil, and reveals what was, is and shall ever be the Eternal Nature of the Infinite : That Thou Art", 'roars the teacher in the Chhandogya Upanishad. These various disciplines at the mental, intellectual and physical levels are to be undertaken . with an artistic poisc, with a literary delicacy, a poetic finish. There is no question of forcing the mind, crushing the instincts, or belabouring the passions. Force will create only suppressions, deformitics and abominable ugliness of personality. There cannot be any hurry in the natural unfoldment of one's personality. Hurry is not known to all creative expressions in nature outside—the sun rising, the moon setting, the blossoming of the buds the arrival of the fruits, the germination of the seeds, thc foetus in the womb, the bird in thc egg, all have no hurry, but each takes its own time to grow and emerge out. If the sceker trics to hurry up and double up his march to reach the goal,“ haste is waste on the path of Truth. This warning is so beautifully given here when Shankara advises so lovingly, “ please perform with care. with great carc (Avadhanam Mahadavadhanam)". -- गुरुचरणाम्बुजनिर्भरभक्तः संसारादचिराद्भव मुक्तः । सेन्द्रियमानसनियमादेवं द्रक्ष्यसि निजहृदयस्थं देवम् ॥ (भज-गोविन्दं भज-गोविन्दं...) [31] ·Moha-Mudgara 97 Gurucharanaambuja Nirbharabhakthal Samsaaraadachiraadhava Mukthah Sendriyamaanasaniyamaadevamı Drakshyasi Nijahridayastham Devamı (Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam ........) TE a pur siqa fart: -Great devotee of the lotus-feet of the Teacher, संसारात्-from the samsara, अचिरात्-soon, भव मुक्त:--become liberated ; FEU TH FATA-through the discipline of the senseorgans and the mind, ge—in this manner, द्रक्ष्यसि- -you will experience, FEST ---that dwells in one's own heart. 29-the Lord. (1707-Seek, tifare-Govind.... Oh ! Devotee of the Lotus-fect of the Teacher ! May you become liberated soon from the Sansar through the discipline of the sense-organs and the mind. You will come to experience (bchold) the Lord that dwells in .. ) your own heart. (Scck Govind, Seek Govind. .......) Faith and devotion to thic Guru are necessary in order to ease the student's path and level down the slopes en route his pilgrimage. Faith is a very powerful secret source of in the human bosom. One of the greatest definitions of" faith has been given to us by St. Augustinc when he says : Faith is to believe what you do not scc and the reward of this faith is to sec what you believe". What the teacher says we cannot immediately apprehend, but the logic of his discourses helps us to intellectually comprehend it. When we have once cmbraced an ideal to the bosom of our dimly comprehending intellect, belief in that ideal becomes natural. Thus, faith indeed is that secret power in the human mind to hold on to what he intellectually believes but has not yet come to experience (see) in his life. And this secret might of faith ultiinately takes man, as though upon the comfortable wings of some magic, to his destination of fulfilment, in a total and complete experience. Sans faith in the teacher the student is a wayfarer entirely blind, completely deaf and sadly paralysed.

·98 Shankara 6 -* Acharya Shankara addresses here his students of all times, and across the mounting centuries to the end of infinity he blesses all pursuers of this path. May you become liberated from Samsar, soon”, is the burden of the Master's good-wishes. This liberation is not in some distant time and in some distant place ; it is here and now. This is indicated, by the Champion of Adwaita, by again blessing the student, “ through discipline of the sense-organs and the mind, may you come to cxperience (behold) the Lord that dwells in your own heart”. Sincere adoration and devoted surrender to thc Teacher is indeed practised, not only by the disciplc-class but even by the teachers themselves. Acharya Shankara by this stanza is, perhaps, prostrating to his own teacher. For, it is not a mere happy coincidence here to remember that Shankara's own teacher was Govindacharya—“Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindanı In the Upanishads also the importance of teachers have been very frequently indicated. Mundakopanishad prescribes the qualities of a true teacher. Again, in Chhandogya Upanishad the Rishi has once for ever blasted even the possible traces of any doubt regarding the necessity of a teacher on the path of spiritual progress. The Upanishad says? : "One who has a teacher alonc comes to realise". With prostrations to the Teacher, this cssential Manual on Vedant (Prakriya-book) concludes : “ Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam Bhaja Govindam is considered generally among the minor works of Shankara. All great scriptural inasters have a knack of giving the Highest Truth, at their greatest moments of inspiration, in the simplest language. The artificially bloated intellects of the professional pundits will generally declare such works as minor. J-II, 12. 1 Sa Gurum-eva-abhigachet, Samit-panih, Shrotriyan Brahmanishtam-Mundaka " Acharyavan purusho Veda"-Chhandogya. 1 स गुरुं एव अभिगच्छेत् समित्पाणि: श्रोत्रियं ब्रह्मनिष्ठम् । मुण्डक, १/२/१२ आचार्यवान् पुरुषो वेद । छां. ६/१४/२ 2 ·Moha-Mudgara 99 Because of the simplicity of the vocabularly employed, the melody of the verses, the cadence in the metre chosen and the general atmosphere of song and thrill in this congregation-song, Bhaja Govindam has become very popular in our country, and till recently we could hear these stanzas in almost all the streets, throughout the length and breadth of Bharat. Children lisped it, boys thundered it, intelligent people appreciated it, philosophers enjoyed it and practitioners (Sadhaks) made use of these stanzas and fulfilled their life. When anything is so frequently used, by such a large number of people, all over the country, with all licentiousness, for about ten centuries, the thing, even if it be only a poem must carry with it signs of wear and tear. No two publications, of this great song of devotion, pregnant with philosophical suggestions, are the same. I have followed a reading which struck me as the best in bringing out all the essential truths in their ampler suggestiveness. The poem, as it stands now has got thirty-one stanzas. The opening verse is the refrain, and it is used for the crowd to chant in the congregation as a chorus, while a selected few chanted the other stanzas one by one. The first set of twelvestanzas (2-13) is attributed, as we have already mentioned earlier, to Adi Shankara himself, while the following fourteen-stanzas (14–27) are attributed to the fourteen disciples, who were with the Master in his pilgrimage to Kashi. Now really speaking, there are no evidences to prove the exact individual authorship of these 14 verses cannot say which stanza belongs to whom. Nothing is definitely known, since in the storms of time, they all have got so totally mixed up and erased ! No direct evidences are available we have but some traditional heresay evidences. The last four concluding stanzas (28-31) are again attributed to Acharya Shankara, and the poem pregnant with its philosophical meaning, comes to a close in a most befitting manner with the blessings of Acharya Shankara upon all true seekers. May His blessings be always upon us all. OM TAT SAT we CHAEO Now Daihat AL

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·1 --- Central Archaeological Library, NEW DELHI 43204 181.47 Call No. Shachi Author- Shri Shanborracharyn Bhoj Govindam Title- Borrower No. Date of legue Date of Return A. Tha islugal1.200 ob ushley A book that is shut is but a blocki ARCHAEOLOGICAL CENTRA GOVT. OF INDIA Departnerit of Archaeologs NEW DELHI LIBRARY Plaase help us to keep the book clean and moving. -