Tuesday 1 December 2015


This is a free translation of the famous Bhaja Govindam by Adi Shankaracharya. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan long ago published a translation of the Bhaja Govindam by the famous C. Rajagopalachari. I am basically following that translation. Also the sequence of the 31 verses as well as the exact verses themselves in Sanskrit are taken from this version only.


AWAKE !
1 ]
           Formulaes !
Till what time shall you protect yourself against Life by formulaes and thought-systems and belief systems ? When, O fool, will you come out of the Darkness of Your Own Mind, and Face Life ?
Two things :
a ) Formulae, reciting words of even the best advice, without knowing their meaning IN DEPTH, shall not protect you from things which you fear.
b ) Even if they do protect you, your heart shall remain unsatisfied.
So Be Happy !
Dare to be Happy !

2 ]
You need to collect Wealth and Money, you mistakenly think. What a horror, when the whole and complete world is already at your feet to do your bidding !
Spend !
Spend your Money, spend your energy, spend your time and attention on things that uplift you.
Learn spending, not earning, fool.
Use, use all your faculties, all your properties, all your relationships,fully and judiciously, making yourself Happy thereby.
Be Happy ! Rejoice.

3 ]

The opposite sex ! How can you know what goes on in the mind of the opposite sex ? Then how can you assume pleasant things are going on within their brains, when you know not what the fuck is happening in there ? Do not assume, or rather, assume the worst. Proceed cautiously, always assuming the worst !
That is the way to protect –
Your Happiness !

4 ]
Not knowing the delightful unpredictability of Life, fools build society based on rigid rules of behavior, in families, in ‘schools’ and ‘colleges’ , in corporate structures, - all supporting Mind and denying Life !
Full of ego, full of troubles, counting themselves happy, these jokers !

5 ]
Only Money, Only Money governs how people look at you.

6 ]
If you don’t interact with others, that too, preferably servicefully, they are going to be Afraid of You, and then don’t cry if your heart is hurt thereby !
These jokers want Money and want service. It is the better part of wisdom to be busy, supplying jokers with their requirements.
7 ]
Not knowing the Inner Bliss of Self-Awareness, Of Knowing That The Self is AWARENESS itself, and NOTHING ELSE, and glorifying in the Bliss that is immediately attendant on That Awareness, people take to useless pursuits in childhood, sex-pursuits in youth, racked by laughably irrelevant worries and cares in old age.
But Ah ! If they only Read The Ashtavakra Gita, all false engagements would drop !

8 ]
Detach yourself for a minute from family and Be The Single Aware, and know that This, This is the Ultimate Truth. You are the Attributeless Awareness.
What Joy !
9 ]
Take to that Happiness, be it smoking, or sex or money-pursuit or any damn crazy thing, take to That Happiness, which makes you forget Other Pleasures, which makes you satisfied and stop even That Happiness itself – brings you to contentment and stillness, so that All Happiness pursuits are Now Stopped.
Now, Awareness, And Bliss !

10 ]
Having That Bliss, the Whole World looks Different. Life is now easy and effortless. All Other Pleasures leave you high and dry.
Only the Bliss of Ashtavakra-Truth leaves you completely High, and Permanently So !

11 ]
Collections, collections of all sorts of things, Money, Physical Health, Strength, Abilities ( including Abilities in the Bedroom ! ) Popularity and Rulership ( Abilities in the Boardroom, or in Politics ), collections of assets of every sort, no matter how vast and stable they may seem,
Are Pathetic,
Compared to the Possession of Infinity Itself Which is Lovingly at Your Service Every Beautiful Blessed Instant.
God At Your Feet, and you count your bank balance ? Or list of friends ? When every single living entity is there for the sole purpose of helping you ? Jesus !
Realize the Immensity of Effortless Achievement of The Unattached !
Become God ! ( The Aware ).

12 ]
The Dynamic Dance of Time, Goddess of Endless Entertainment, Varieties Galore !
Instead of enjoying the Show, people look to a Utopian Future, HOPING, because not knowing, that IT, the perfection they seek, IS HERE.

13 ]
Embed yourself in worries, O fool, frantically and energetically and endlessly ! If you should be even momentarily aware that you are doing wrong, then, Miraculously, Immediately, Help Is At Hand.
Racked with thirst, with a bottle of cold water in your hand, O fool !

14 ]
Only Deep Sincerity will help, in The Search For True Help. Devotion and Dedication to Truth, Endlessly, Tirelessly, Alone will save you from False Gurus and False Friends.

15 ]
Endlessly searching in all the wrong places, not having a proper conception of What you are searching for, you will keep Hoping, Amidst Shattering Tragedies !

16 ]
Leave not Hope, nor can you; It is your saving grace, your Nature, and your Glory. In uttermost and abject and pathetic conditions, one silver thread of Hope.
Leave it not.

17 ]
All efforts of ACTIONS are useless, even of the Much Glorified and Praised Type of Actions.
ONLY THE EFFORT OF AWARENESS, Only That, Has Substance.
Awareness Sets You Free.
Awareness.
Otherwise, aeons of efforts will go by, while God is patiently waiting for you to wake up, to the reality, that you are the Spectator ONLY and all Loving Doership is HE, Our Servant, Our Beloved Mother, Our Beloved !

18 ]
Look at the Example of The Realised Soul !
How Tranquil, in the midst of Any and Every Circumstance, What Endless Drinking From What Fount Of Inner Bliss !
Abstention from all the usual enjoyments, makes Awareness and Awareness That You Are NOTHING ( but that Inner Awareness ) and Thereby ( and Thereby Alone ! ) , That , Bliss ! possible.

19 ]
Dancing With Joy , Dancing With Joy , Dancing With Joy !
The Mind of The Realised Soul is Dancing With Joy , All The Time , in midst of people , while alone , while engaged in ordinary worldly pursuits , while , – anything !
Regardless , Full of Joy !

20 ]
Take interest in this. It is not impossible for you, even in this life, to attain the Highest.
Read a little Uplifting Literature , Do a few rituals, Discuss Truth once in a while.
It is enough. It shall serve ! It shall suffice.

21 ]
Yes, there is Succour ! Yes, there is a Help, even the Ultimate Help.
And It is near, and at hand.
Only your sincerity is required.

22 ]
Remember the Example of The Realised Soul !
What other Heaven is there, than that Bliss Unbounded !
Remember, it is his state of mind, his consciousness, his self-awareness – that holds the key.

23]
All is Undependable. You, Are Awareness, THAT, alone, is dependable !!!
The World Always Faithfully Plays You False.
Every Time you depend on It or on any part thereof.
How Dependably Caring is the World , then , is it not ?
Nature is telling you loudly, ' If you come near Me , I shall put a knife in your heart. ' Do not worship Me. Worship Your Self, and so then, I too shall serve and worship You. And that is so dependably true.

24 ]
Penetrate to that Core of Reality .
Have faith, try to perceive, that in your worst and most hated enemy is your Friend, your Guru, your caring and loving Divine Mother, consistently doing EVERYTHING possible to Wake You Up to your own Glory !

25 ]
Have done with all classifications of good people, bad people, relatives and strangers.
Have no memories of behaviours and classifying people. That's only for protection of your ego from getting hurt.
It is your ego that is your enemy ! Your ego HAS to get hurt, and ultimately commit suicide !
Always, Your Are Alone and Tranquil, behaving lovingly the same with all, without classification and distinction.
What Bliss !
Immediately, the Ambrosia of Bliss Happens, And You Are Steadily Drinking From The Same !
Aloneness.
Problem Solved !

26 ]
Drop all erstwhile emotions, think only What You Are.
Not knowing that They Are Nothing, They are Eternally in Hell.
Just knowing that You Are Nothing , Just the Observer , and the nightmare is immediately over !
So simple.

27 ]
Share your wealth and other things with poor unenlightened souls, give the shirt off your back, even !
Think of those who like to discuss Truth, be with those, physically or mentally, with those who discuss Truth.
Adore the Good Ones, the Heroes.
Hero-Worship will take you places that you did not dream of, even.
Kick away all possessions and securities for the unbounded joy of being able to worship greatness in all its forms.
Adore, worship, fold your hands, to whomsoever makes you able to worship, be it Hitler or Gandhi, Jack the Ripper or Dr. Kotnis, whoever makes YOU worshipful, whether he be God or Demon !

28 ]
Otherwise, go helplessly for bedroom activity, not knowing that there is anything greater ! Enjoy sacrificing youth and health, don't regret. You are going to get another chance to come out of darkness into light in the next life, so this life, spend it
a ) drinking yourself to death,
b ) fucking away to old age and death, or,
c ) any other way that you like to enjoy yourself !
Only, Be Happy !!!!

29 ]
Just remind yourself : sex, drinking, smoking, murder, suicide, all are okay, but CHASING SECURITY in MONEY, is NOT okay.
It is but an IDEA of happiness, not happiness itself !
So, learn to spend, and spend, and spend happily, your money, your health, your time, your energy and your attention !
Do you want to just read the menu, or eat the food ?

30 ]
Deepen this sadhana. Intensely enjoying the present moment, spend your assets without a care, but always being aware , that YOU, are AWARENESS itself and NOTHING more than that !
Let money go , let health go , let social position go , but let not AWARENESS go !

31 ]
The World is Your Guru.
You Can Depend On It.
It will set your Free From All Troubles.
It , Itself , Will set you free from Itself !
Then, You Are God .






© by Kiran Ashtekar, Extra Special Mathematician and Great Theist !