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 !