3. Pray to Govinda Means...

We have analysed who a moodamathi means - whoever has an ignorant mind or whoever has a wrong intelligence can be termed moodamathi. Acharya is teaching Bhaja Govindam to convert this moodamathi into ‘Muktamathi’ (a wise person)

Many books explain this sloka as ‘Oh fool, worship Govinda’, both in Telugu and English, but I have a feeling this is not a true translation or interpretation of this line. It is because a fool has neither the capacity nor the eligibility to worship God. It is because we require a power to worship Govinda. That should be an Adhikrutasya Adhikaram. Try to follow me carefully.

To worship Govinda in the first place we should know who this Govinda is! Without knowing him how can we ever pray to Him? So to learn about Him, we basically require two things-capability and eligibility. That’s why the words Adhikrutasya Adhikaram. Adhikari means - to study Intermediate, I should have passed tenth class in good marks. To pass thus is eligibility. That eligibility gives me a power to study Intermediate. If I don’t pass, I am not entitled to go for higher studies. Similarly to worship Govinda we require some eligibility.

A fool, who doesnot have any eligibility cannot pray unto the Lord. Whatever a fool does become only a foolish act. You cannot term it bhajan. The ocean tastes salty wherever you taste it. The same way a fool’s action turns out to be stupid in whatever field he puts his hands. There is nothing like a foolish act. Whatever a fool does becomes a foolish act. Sri Sankaracharya is teaching to an ignorant man but not to one who is totally a fool.

Three qualities of a moodamathi
We should understand one more aspect here. Can we identify a moodamathi? We attend many satsangs, bhajans and lectures on Gita etc. So we assume ourselves to be wise people. But are we really knowledgeable or are we ignorant? We can dissect ourselves with these three qualities. Sri Krishna highlighted these three qualities of a fool in Bhagavad Gita thus.
‘Moghasa Mogha Karmani Moghagnana paranthapa’
‘Moghasa’ all of us have desires.

Our desires may be fulfilled or not fulfilled. Fulfiled or unfulfilled, when the desire doesn’t provide us happiness and when it doesn’t do us good, it is moghasa - it means it is a useless desire. In one word whichever desire gives us sorrow when unfulfilled and disappointment when fulfilled, it is moghasa.

Mogha Karmani - where there is moghasa, there follows mogha karma. It is impossible to have a useless thought and a purposeful act clubbed together. An act which doesn’t lead you to greater heights in spiritual path is called magha karmani by Sri Krishna. Such useless acts will neither benefit the society nor ourselves.
Mogha gnana - useless gnana. A fool has lots of knowledge but all that is sheer waste.

Whoever has plentiful of all these - moghasa, mogha karma, mogha gnana - he is an ignorant man. Such a man makes his life miserable.

We have many reasons for our suffering in life. We blame God sometimes and we blame Saturn sometimes. Poor Saturn! Which Saturn caught this Saturn God only knows! But he has become the butt of ridicule. Here the victim of victims - poor - Saturn is not a sadist. He doesn’t have any grudge against you. He gives you fruits of your actions. He is an agent to give us reward or punishment for our acts or misdeeds. That is his portfolio in the court of God. That’s all. He has no intentions of evil deeds against you.

We search many reasons in the outer world for our sorrow leaving out our inner world. We don’t try to think for a minute ‘May be our own ignorant actions are the root cause of our suffering.’ We only feel that we lack God’s Grace.

Self Grace
We are suffering not because we are not blessed with God’s grace. It is because we don’t shower our Grace on ourselves. Just as we are blessed with the rays of the sun unasked, so do we get the grace of the Lord unasked! So we have bountiful of God’s grace. Whose blessings do we want? Some people say, ‘I need the blessings of Mahatmas to get rid of my suffering! They are humble no doubt but even this is ignorance. We don’t have to seek their blessings. It is their duty to bless us!
Santa mahantho nivasanti santaha
Vasanthavallokahitam charanthaha.

Like the spring season, they fill our hearts with happiness through their blessings. Is it not ignorance on our part to think that we don’t have their blessings? When we have excess of God’s blessings and saints blessings, why are we still suffering? It is because we don’t bless ourselves! As long as we don’t bless ourselves whatever blessings we have are a sheer waste.

If I tell you, bless yourself, it doesn’t mean you should literally keep your hand over your head like Bhasmasur! You should continuously analyse yourself and walk on the righteous path step by step. This is the blessings you can give yourself. If you can’t, it becomes foolishness

Just as a blind man has not light in his eye, an ignorant man has no happiness in his life. Without driving out his blindness, whatever upasanas he follows, he cannot be benefited. He can only believe the existence of sun and his brightness but he cannot see the brightness of the sun with his eyes. The same way a fool also believes in the existence of God but he can never experience the blessings of God.

People tell you, ‘Believe in God.’ It is not necessary to believe in God. We should be able to know about God. A blind man too believes in Sun, but does it make any special difference in his life? No! In the early stages you have to believe in God, it is because you need some support to enter into spiritual path. But you should not limit yourself there. You should begin with belief and end with knowing God - knowing God is nothing but knowing you! You will understand the word know thyself better as we go deep into the topic. If we do not know thyself’ it becomes moghagnanam.

Tarana Vidya
Once upon a time, there lived a pandit. His drawback was he always over praised himself, belittling others. Once he had to cross a river in a boat. Knowing him fully well, nobody ever dared to travel with him. He had another weakness too. He talked non-stop. Since there was no other soul there, he picked up his conversation with the boatman himself.

‘Look here! Do you know astrology?’ He asked. The boatman replied, we can predict the onset of rain but we know nothing of astrology. Then the pandit pitied him’ If you don’t know a great subject like astrology, one fourth of your life is a waste. The boatman ignored his comment.

After some time, the Pandit again enquired, ‘Look young man, do you know grammatical rules atleast? The boatman humbly replied, ‘I can only talk but I don’t know the rules behind it.’ Then the pandit said ‘Grammar is the life behind language. If you don’t know grammar half your life is a waste. The boatman pleaded, ‘Sir I am tired in the course of my action. Don’t add to my tiresomeness by your silly talk.’

‘O.K. one last question Do you know Mathematics atleast? You require calculations when you save the money you earn.’ ‘But what we earn throughout the day, we spend by the evening. What does Mathematics have to do with us? I don’t know Mathematics and I am not inclined to learn it’ replied the boatman. Impatiently. ‘My God, you don’t know even Mathematics! Three fourths of your life is waste insulted the pandit as per his habit.

Within no time, there was a hole in the boat and any number of attempts made by the boatmen could not prevent water from entering the boat. The water was gushing itself in.

The boatman asked, ‘Sir, do you know tarana vidya? ‘The pandit coolly answered, putting beetle leaf in his mouth, ‘I learnt many things but only this tarana vidya is left out.’

‘Swami only three fourths of my life is a waste where as your life is gong to be a total waste. I know swimming whereas you don’t. So you are going to die. Hats off to your knowledge.’ So saying the boatman dived into the water and reached safely ashore.
Now tell me what does a boatman require - swimming or mathematics, astronomy etc? There is no harm even if he is not learned in these fields, but he should definitely know tarana vidya (swimming). Other branches are good no doubt, but for him purposeful knowledge is the art of swimming. For that matter, nowadays we all should know tarana vidya. It is because the trains and buses we travel in are ultimately landing in water.

To lead our life to its full and in a justifiable way, we should require a proper knowledge. Other branches of knowledge are not waste but we should give greater preference to the right branch.

Study, study and why die
Study a study that offers no death
Studied and crores died
Viswadabhi Rama Vinura Vema!

Many people acquired many branches of knowledge and ultimately died. How much ever you learn you cannot drive out misery. So you should seek spiritual knowledge which can fulfil your life purpose.

Foolishness - a signal
If we analyse thus, we can visualize our foolishness. It is not a great crime or a sin to be a fool. Is it a sin or crime to fall sick? No! It is only a signal to you. It signals to you that some part of your body has a problem. That signal is helpful to you since through that you can get rid of your disease.

Of course your ego may be offended if you realize you are a fool, but it is a good signal. It tells you wisely that you are not wise, that you are covered by Maya.
You should realize this signal and should come out of your Maya. Wrong outlook, but you should not feel insulted.

Sri Sankaracharya who addressed us Moodamathe also gave us an explanation for it. You should not interpret Sastra as you like it. You should give a logical answer to it That is the greatness of our Sanatana Dharma. Of all the dharmas, Arsha Dharma is more logical you find more of non-verifiable beliefs in other dharmas.

One great man says ‘I am the last God sent prophet. My words are the ultimate dictum.’ Some else says you get liberation only through God’s son! How do we accept them as truth? In case we wish to probe into them, those dharmas don’t encourage us to do so. They tell us, it’s God’s verdict. We have no right to question it. It becomes criticizing God. We have to keep our mouth shut. Arsha Dharma is not like that. It gives a logical reasoning for every statement. It gives us scope to analyse for ourself and then to accept it. Sri Sankaracharya, who spreads our Sanathana Dharma explains to Moodamati.

‘Samprapte Sannihite kale, nahi, nahi, rakshati dukrunkarane’

‘Kale means Yama. When we receive Yama’s call, when we reach death bed, this dukrunkarane will not help us. Our family life is compared to ocean. It is samsara sagaram. It is in the form of death-’mrutyurupa. To cross this ‘mrutyurupa sansarasagaram’ these grammatical rules will not help us. But we think these are the ultimate. Our car or scooter can take us to the threshold of Satsang but can they take us inside? Materialistic education has certain limitations.

Nothing else, except Bhaja Govindam can save us. It doesn’t mean materialistic life or things are waste and that we should give them up totally. Such an extreme thought also is foolishness. Every thing has its own use. Nobody can deny it. If you keep this use in mind and act accordingly, there is no problem. Instead if you proclaim ‘I will give up this world’ it becomes foolishness. Is the world clinging to you? When it is not clinging to you, how do you say I will give it up? What you have to give up is your agnana and not the world.

Jatasya maranam dhruvam. Death is inevitable to every man. ‘At death’s door dukrunkarane will not help you. So pray to Govinda!’ It means what? It means dukrumkarane does not give you immortality.

Immortality means knowledge of thyself. This line doesn’t tell you if you do Bhaja Govindam you will not die. Life is not complete without death. When old people are looked down upon these days, deathlessness is a greater curse to them. Death is irrevocable in Nature. Whether you are a gnani or agnani, Nature continues to do its duty unperturbedly.

What Sri Sankaracharya tried to convey to us is - this life of us, as a human being, alone can help us to attain the knowledge of the self. This benefit dies with our death. Instead of realizing this truth if we idle our time away in other aspects, they cannot save us. So we should find a way out of this life cylce before we reach our death.

‘Nahi nahi rakshati dukrunkarane’ - ‘dukrunkarane’ actually means a lesson in Panini grammar. He says this grammatical lesson doesn’t save you. Grammar never promised to save you anywhere. So you should not take the literal meaning here. We should see the symbolic meaning behind it. It means whatever aspects we are deeply involved in, ignoring self realization, those pleasures may please us but in the last minute they ditch us.

Can we deceive Death
We can deceive anybody but can never deceive Lord Yama, Lord of Death. Yama must have seen millions of clever people like us. Yama is problematic in another way too. He doesn’t differentiate between gnani - agnani, rich-poor, king-peasant etc. In fact I strongly feel that He is the best example of a true communist who treats everyone equally.

‘Samprapte Sannihite Kale’ - when we reach deathbed doesn’t mean it applies only to old people. Death is not limited to old people alone. It pervades all of us. Yama is at close proximity with us in the form of buses, lorries and auto rikshaws. Buffalo alone is not the vehicle of Lord yama. It was in bygone days. Now every mode of transport is his mode of transport too ! So death toll is not limited to old people alone. If we think so, it is merely stupidity. We can never predict when death puts his icy hands on us.
Actually, if you ask me the truth, it is wrong to think that we will die some where in future. Along with birth, death is closely knit. Death follows us closely like our own shadow. Then how do we cheat him? If we desire to cheat death it will only boomerang on us!

Once a great pandit spoke elaborately on Garuda Puranam. Being impressed by it, an intelligent asked him in private; ‘Swami’ is there any means to avoid death? Then the swami explained that the knowledge of Vedantha alone is the best means.
‘I can’t learn all that! Teach me an easiest and quickest way out of it’, said the wise man. Swami answered that our gimmicks or techniques cannot fool God of death. But the man insisted,’ No swami, there will definitely be a way out. Please teach me that technique.’ He pestered him like the untiring Vikramarka.

Being tired of his nagging, the saint said ‘Listen my son! Yama is proclaimed to be an incarnation of dharma. He has one ‘pasam’ (a sort of a chain). He throws it on a man only once. If you can escape that attempt by any clever chance, He will not attack you again. It is very much against His rules to repeat His performance! So how best you can escape Him is left to your intelligence.

As a first step this intelligent man sent word for the world’s best astrologers and made them decipher his last minute. That was at midnight of Jan 5th, 2005 at 1-45 ! The next step, he planned very meticilously. He collided with Tusads Museum in London and made them create 100 statues of himself in lying posture.

Then he constructed a palacial hall in his house and arranged these sleeping statues there. Every night he slept among these 100 statues. Exactly similar mattresses, pillows and bedsheets! Total 101 beds! It’s difficult to differentiate between him and his true replicas. His own wife was utterly confused. Many a time she woke up a statue mistaking it to be her husband! When his own wife who has lived with him for many years couldn’t identity him, can Lord Yama who sees him, for the first time identity him? ‘No, He can’t,’ thought the intelligent man.

Days rolled by. The much dreaded moment had at last arrived.Yama arrived exactly dot on time, as per the calculations of the astrologers. Even Yama was taken aghast! Is it dream or reality! He couldn’t apply his pasam, but He also did not feel like going back empty handed. Then He struck upon a wonderful plan. He spoke aloud, ‘What a pity! This gentleman has taken all pains to avoid death, but he has committed a silly mistake!’ Immediately the man sat up and asked, ‘what mistake?’ ‘This is the mistake, come on’ He said and took him with him.

Is it possible to cheat Yama? Just think! Nothing but the knowledge of the soul can save us. That’s why Sri Sankaracharya said, ‘Nahi Nahi rakshati dukrunkarane’ dukrunkarane actually means grammatical lesson, but here we should understand a micro meaning in it.

The letter ‘kru’ indicates the act of doing something. Some people feel that doing our action alone leads us to liberation but Sri Sankaracharya opposes this principle. ‘Na karmanaa Na prajaya’ also supports this statement. Our actions (good deeds) may bring us blessings but not liberation. Both the Karmas- good and bad are binding and the minute the impact of good deed vanishes, kshine punye martyalokam visanti’ - We are born again into this world,’ said Lord Krishna too.

To attain something which is other than you, you require karma (actions). To learn about others also, you require ‘Karma’. One who seeks knowledge is defined as ‘Karta (the doer). This kartha, through the karma of learning about others, knows about others. Then when he should learn about himself, what should he do? How should a karta know about karta (himself). Since he is not different from himself, to learn about himself, to acquire self-realization, he doesnot have to do any karma. Since ‘know you’ it leads to liberation, since liberation doesn’t need karma, karma can never provide liberation.

Karma reaps the consequenses of its actions. ‘Karta’ who has followed good or bad visible deeds, has to bear the fruits of suffering or pleasure. So he has to be, bhokta for those feelings. We require an outerbody to bear the fruits of consequences and we require an inner body to help us do ‘bhoga sadhana’ we acquire body as we are born. ‘Jaatasya maranam dhruvam.’ All that is born has to die. Now tell me, how can karma liberate us from the life cycle? How can it put an end to our limitations?

When we analyse in a proper way (through Vedanta) we arrive at the knowledge of the self. This knowledge helps us to reason out ‘I am a witness to all the karmas.’ We get rid of the false belief, ‘I am kartha,’ When I am not karta, how can I be a bhokta? Only karta turns into bhokta.

When we realize, ‘I am a witness to kartutva bhoktutvas’ why do we bother, about body, life and death? Think wisely.

The teachings of ‘know thyself’ alone can liberate us. A boat can help us cross a river but it cannot help us travel on road. The same way, karma can provide you a pure heart but it cannot provide us moksha.

Govinda means -
I know your question. When karma cannot provide moksha, why did Sri Sankaracharya utter the words Bhaja Govindam - worship the Lord Govinda, worship the Lord Govinda, worship the Lord Govinda. He could have said attain gnana, attain gnana, attain gnana, isn’t worshipping the Lord also a sign of Karma?

Here, we should understand the word Bhaja Govindam very carefully. Bhaja Sevayam
Bhaja means to serve. Bhaja Govindam means serve Govinda. First of all. We should get the answer to the question who is Govinda ? Once one Vaishnavite told me, ‘Look your guru Adi Sankaracharya said ‘Bhaja Govindam’ instead of saying ‘Bhaja Sankaram’ or ‘Bhaja Eeswaram.’ What does it connote? Doesn’t it convey that our Vaishnavite cult is greater than your Saivaite?

I explained to him ‘Please don’t dissect our dharma as your cult or our cult. Our Arsha dharma is special since it prays to the same God in different names. First of all you understand the true meaning of Govinda.

The letter ‘Go’ itself has many connotations ‘Go’ means the earth, the five sensens, the Veda etc.

Govinda means :
a) ‘Gavam patihi - Indriyanam patihi’ (boss to the indriyas - senses) since our body is a combination of Indriyas he is boss to all the dehas. Since this world (jagat) is a combination of all dehas he is boss to the world (jagatpati).
This is a meaning. Now we will go deep into it.
b) ‘Gobhirvakyenaiva Vidyate Labhyate iti govinda’ - If we take the meaning of ‘go’ here as Veda one who is described by the sentences of Vedas alone, one who is attained by Vedas alone is Govinda.

Who is described or attained by Veda alone? ‘Brahma’! ‘Satyam Gnanam anantham Brahma! Since Brahma is Satyam, gnanam, anantham, Brahma is not restricted to caste, quality or action. Only when there is a second element does the distinction of caste, quality action arise.

The undivided Brahma doesnot have these differences. We can learn about the caste, quality, and action of the things which contain them through the outwardly seen dimentions. How do we acquire Brahma who is devoid of these? Since, one who learns about him also is Brahma; he cannot learn it through measurements. When no other measurement helps ‘Sabda (Veda) pramanam alone is the possible source.

Since we attain or understand Brahmam through Veda Pramanam. Govinda means Parabrahma. So ‘Govinduni bhajinchu’ worship Govinda means attain ‘Brahma Gnana!’ ‘Swaroopa Gnana’.

Your next question is - bhajinchu means ‘sevinchu’-serve. Then how do you use the word attain gnana? The words in the Sastras have to be understood carefully from their contextual meaning. Otherwise we land up in total confusion. Now listen to me carefully.

If God is other than us-fine, we can serve him with fruits, flowers, pooja and bhajans - both physically and emotionally, But God is Omnipotent, Omnipresent Omniscient, and All Pervading. How can we serve Him physically or emotionally?

‘Hruddserjuna tistathi’ - If we accept this Geeta vakya as a measurement for the statement ‘God is in our hearts’, realizing the presence of God in our heart is to serve Him. So if he tells you to attain Brahma Gnana to fulfil your life purpose, it means serve the Paramatma.

‘Bhaja Govindam’ this word itself is a kind of message. In other words it is also a proclamation. It proclaims attain ‘atma gnana’ before you reach death bed. Whoever ignores this message or dictum, whoever doesn’t look inside, is definitely a fool.

If he says, Oh moodamati Govinduni bhajinchu’ oh fool pray to God, it simply means one who doesn’t pray is a fool. Do we tell a person while eating ‘you eat’? The same way, if a person has Purushardha Vivekam and determination, we don’t have to tell him ‘Govindam bhaja’. Sri Sankaracharya is teaching ‘Govindam Bhaja’ to a fool, who doesn’t have these good qualities.
Purushardha Vivekam

Let’s see carefully what this purushardha vivekam means - ‘Sarvaihi purushaihi ardhyate’ - whatever everybody longs for is purushardham. There are four purushardhas - dharma, ardha, Kama and moksha. But if we carefully study the essential purushardha is moksha. That’s why moksha is called parama purushardha.
‘Dharma’ - Here dharma means acquiring blessings through good deeds. We follow the Vedic rituals like yagna or yaga to attain a place in heaven. Why do we long for heaven? It is because we assume it is better there than here!
In case any member of the Heaven comes down and tells us ‘Your earth is heaven on earth. This is better than Heaven’ do we long for Heaven? Then what are we longing for in Heaven? A liberation from the existing state! What does it mean? The existing state is not as good as we expect it to be! The sum and substance of it is we long for liberation from the existing state in the form of Heaven.

‘Ardha’ - The normal meaning of ardha is money. When we refer to the ardha in purushardhas it means security. We long for a security in our life. If any body asks what do you want? You want security or liberation from insecurity? We do say security but we really mean liberation from insecurity.

‘Kamam’ - Kamam means a desire for happiness. If we have a desire for happiness it means we are now in sorrow. So, what are we longing for? Happiness or liberation from sorrow? If somebody tells us! ‘By the happiness you seek. You will not be rid of your misery’ do we seek happiness?

To sum it up - through dharma, ardha, Kama - we are longing for liberation - liberation from the existing state, liberation from insecurity, liberation from sorrow! This liberation is called Moksha. Since we seek moksha through all the other purushardhas, moksha is treated. ‘Parama Purushardha. To arrive at the knowledge moksha is parama purushardha is purushardha vivekam. Since we don’t have this discriminating knowledge we are spoiling our life.

In case a fool devoid of this discriminating knowledge prays to God, he prays for money and happiness, he prays out of ego, he prays for personal gains. Such a prayer doesn’t minimize his foolishness. That’s why Sri Sankaracharya says ‘Nahi nahi rakshati!’ So let’s use our reasoning power and divert our dharmardha kamamokshas for attaining moksha.

Before we give this physical body as a man we should attain parama purushardha. Man is younger brother of God and elder brother of animals. The angels above him and the animals below him have no right to do the karma. Only man’s body is entitled to do the karma (Body here includes not only the body but also his brain and heart). Animals too eat and move around. Are these actions not karma? Eating and moving are only actions related to Nature but they are not karmas. It is because the sastras advocate that karma is one which arises out of the feeling ‘I am kartha.’

Animals don’t have a free will! Nature has designaed them in such a way. The animals have no choice whereas man has choice. We have a free will to decide whether to eat vegetarian or non-vegetarian food. But does a tiger or a cow have a free will to decide what to eat?

Karma is something which is done with a feeling of ‘I am kartha’. So only man has a right to do karma. Having got this unattainable janma if we can’t attain Atma gnana is n’t it foolishness?

We begin our life as a fool and we should leave this body as a liberated soul! A wonderful incident took place in Sri Ramana Maharshi’s life. A family came to visit Ramana Maharshi in his ashram. There was a small kid with them. Looking at him the baby called him ‘thaatha’ (grand father). The parents corrected her, ‘No don’t call him thaatha, call him Bhagavan. But the Maharshi smiled and said, ‘What the baby said is correct. I am thaatha! ‘One who knows about himself is thaatha. The message of Ramana Maharshi is that every one should know about himself before he becomes a grandfather!

So we should be committed to moksha – should be ‘Mumukshuvu’-with a proper knowledge of purushardhas and make our life worth loving.’ If I am committed to moksha how can I lead my family life? ‘is the first question that arises in us? We also have a mistaken identity that such a seeker should live in Ashramas alone! These are our assumptions only. We can go in search of truth and still be in midst of commotion.
For instance if a man is an irritable soul he plays all his roles accordingly. He leads the life of an angry husband, angry father, angry friend, angry officer etc. The same way one who is committed to liberation leads his life as a husband, father, and officer in those terms only.

Instead of leading the life of a samsari in an ashram, it is better to lead the life of free soul amidst a crowd.

If we don’t turn out to be ‘mumukshuvu’ it means we are not using our mind. Whatever the mind can give us we should reach out for them. If we use it only for outwardly things it is as good as not using it! Using our mind for simple things is like using a diamond as a paper weight. Not using the mind in a proper way is called Moodathvam’. Sri Sankaracharya advocates this point to us. This teaching drives out our age old lethargy totally.

In the ensuing slokas, Sri Sankaracharya drives out our confusion and unnecessary interests through his good teaching and takes us to the path of liberation.

Bhaja Govindam bhaja Govindam
Govindam bhaja moodamaate!