Why Did Adi Shankara Compose Bhaja Govindam? Know Its Lyrics, Meaning And Significance Too!

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Bhaja Govindam is a compelling composition by Adi Shankara and his disciples about the need and importance of turning towards God and realising Him rather than wasting one's efforts in the ephemeral world.

Let's look into what made Adi Shankara and his disciples compose Bhaja Govindam, its lyrics, meaning and its significance.

Why did Adi Shankara write Bhaja Govindam?

On his visit to Kashi with his fourteen disciples, as he walked the streets of the holy city, Adi Shankara came upon an old man, in his ripe old age trying to grasp the grammatical rules of Sanskrit language instead of worshipping God. Immediately the composition, Bhaja Govindam burst forth from Shankara, in a compelling tone, urging one to turn towards God during one's short life span on this earth against the futility of worldly life. The first twelve verses are composed by Adi Shankara with the rest contributed by his disciples.

Bhaja Govindam Lyrics and meaning

bhajagovindaM bhajagovindaM
govindaM bhajamuuDhamate .
saMpraapte sannihite kaale
nahi nahi rakshati DukRiJNkaraNe (1)

Worship Govinda, Worship Govinda, Worship Govinda. Oh fool! Rules of Grammar will not save you at the time of your death.

mUDha jahiihi dhanaagamatRishhNaaM
kuru sadbuddhiM manasi vitRishhNaam.
yallabhase nijakarmopaattaM
vittaM tena vinodaya chittam. .. (2)

Oh fool ! Give up your thirst to accumulate wealth, devote your mind to thoughts of the Real. Be content with what comes through actions already done in the past.

naariistanabhara naabhiideshaM
dRishhTvaa maagaamohaavesham.
etanmaaMsaavasaadi vikaaraM
manasi vichintaya vaaraM vaaram. .. (3)

Do not get drowned in delusion by going wild with passions and lust by seeing a woman's navel and chest. These are nothing but a modification of flesh. Do not fail to remember this again and again in your mind.

naliniidalagata jalamatitaralaM
tadvajjiivitamatishayachapalam .
viddhi vyaadhyabhimaanagrastaM
lokaM shokahataM cha samastam .. (4)

The life of a man is as uncertain as rain drops shaking on a lotus leaf. Know that the whole world is a prey to disease, ego and grief.

yaavadvittopaarjana saktaH
staavannija parivaaro raktaH .
pashchaajjiivati jarjara dehe
vaartaaM ko.api na pRichchhati gehe .. (5)

So long as a man is fit and able to support his family, look at the affection all those around him show. But no one at home cares to even have a word with him when his body trembles due to old age.

yaavatpavano nivasati dehe
taavatpRichchhati kushalaM gehe .
gatavati vaayau dehaapaaye
bhaaryaa bibhyati tasminkaaye .. (6)

When one is alive, his family members enquire kindly about his welfare. But when the soul departs from the body, even his wife runs away in fear of the dead body.

baalastaavatkriiDaasaktaH
taruNastaavattaruNiisaktaH .
vRiddhastaavachchintaasaktaH
pare brahmaNi ko.api na saktaH .. (7)

One's childhood is lost by attachment to playfulness. Youth is lost by attachment to women. Old age passes away by thinking of the past. But there is hardly anyone who wants to be lost in Parabrahmam.

kaate kaantaa kaste putraH
saMsaaro.ayamatiiva vichitraH .
kasya tvaM kaH kuta aayaataH
tattvaM chintaya tadiha bhraataH .. (8)

Who is your wife? Who is your son? Strange is this samsara. Of whom are you ? Where have you come from? Brother, ponder over these truths here.

satsaNgatve nissN^gatvaM
nissaNgatve nirmohatvam.h .
nirmohatve nishchalatattvaM
nishcalatattve jiivanmuktiH .. (9)

From Satsangh comes non-attachment, from non-attachment comes freedom from delusion, which leads to self-abidance. From self-abidance comes Jeevan Mukti.

vayasigate kaH kaamavikaaraH
shushhke niire kaH kaasaaraH .
kshiiNevitte kaH parivaaraH
GYaate tattve kaH saMsaaraH .. (10)

What good is lust when youth has fled ? What use is a lake which has no water? Where are the relatives when wealth is gone? Where is samsara when the Truth is known?

maa kuru dhana jana yauvana garvaM
harati nimeshhaatkaalaH sarvam.h .
maayaamayamidamakhilaM hitvaa
brahmapadaM tvaM pravisha viditvaa .. (11)

Do not boast of wealth, friends, and youth. Each one of these are destroyed within a minute. Free yourself from the illusory world of Maya and attain the timeless Truth.

dinayaaminyau saayaM praataH
shishiravasantau punaraayaataH .
kaalaH kriiDati gachchhatyaayuH
tadapi na muJNcatyaashaavaayuH .. (12)

Daylight and darkness, dusk and dawn, winter and springtime come and go. Time plays and life ebbs away. But the storm of desire never leaves.

dvaadashamaJNjarikaabhirasheshhaH
kathito vaiyaakaraNasyaishhaH .
upadesho bhuudvidyaanipuNaiH
shriimachchhankarabhagavachchharaNariH .. (12a)

This bouquet of twelve verses was imparted to a grammarian by the all-knowing Shankara, adored as the Bhagavadpada.

kaate kaantaa dhana gatachintaa
vaatula kiM tava naasti niyantaa .
trijagati sajjanasaM gatiraikaa
bhavati bhavaarNavataraNe naukaa .. (13)

Oh mad man! Why this immersion in thoughts of wealth ? Is there no one to guide you? There is only one thing in the three worlds that can save you from the ocean of samsara. Get into that boat of satsangha quickly. Verse attributed to Padmapada.

jaTilo muNDii luJNchhitakeshaH
kaashhaayaambarabahukRitaveshhaH .
pashyannapi cana pashyati muuDhaH
udaranimittaM bahukRitaveshhaH .. (14)

There are many who go with matted locks, many who have clean shaven heads, many whose hairs have been plucked out; some are clothed in saffron, yet others in various colours, all just for a livelihood. Seeing the truth revealed before them, still the foolish ones do not see it. Verse attributed to Totakacharya.

aNgaM galitaM palitaM muNDaM
dashanavihiinaM jataM tuNDam.
vRiddho yaati gRihiitvaa daNDaM
tadapi na muJNcatyaashaapiNDam.. (15)

Strength has left the old man's body; his head has become bald, his gums toothless and leaning on to crutches. Even then the attachment is strong and he clings firmly to fruitless desires. Verse attributed to Hastamalaka.

agre vahniH pRishhThebhaanuH
raatrau chubukasamarpitajaanuH .
karatalabhikshastarutalavaasaH
tadapi na muJNcatyaashaapaashaH .. (16)

Behold there lies the man who sits warming up his body with the fire in front and the sun at the back; at night he curls up the body to keep out of the cold; he eats his beggar's food from the bowl of his hand and sleeps beneath the tree. Still in his heart, he is a wretched puppet in the hands of passions. Verse attributed to Subodha.

kurute gaNgaasaagaragamanaM
vrataparipaalanamathavaa daanam.h .
GYaanavihinaH sarvamatena
muktiM na bhajati janmashatena .. (17)

One may go to gangasagar, observe fasts, and give away riches in charity! Yet, devoid of jnana, nothing can give mukthi even at the end of a hundred births. Verse attributed to Sureshwaracharya.

sura ma.ndira taru muula nivaasaH
shayyaa bhuutala majinaM vaasaH .
sarva parigraha bhoga tyaagaH
kasya sukhaM na karoti viraagaH .. (18)

Take your residence in a temple or below a tree, wear the deerskin for the dress, and sleep with mother earth as your bed. Give up all attachments and renounce all comforts. Blessed with such vairagya, could anyone fail to be content? Verse attributed to Nityananda.

yogarato vaabhogaratovaa
saN^garato vaa saNgaviihinaH .
yasya brahmaNi ramate chittaM
nandati nandati nandatyeva .. (19)

One may take delight in yoga or bhoga, may have attachment or detachment. But only he whose mind steadily delights in Brahman enjoys bliss, no one else. Verse attributed to Anandagiri.

bhagavad.h giitaa kiJNchidadhiitaa
gaNgaa jalalava kaNikaapiitaa .
sakRidapi yena muraari samarchaa
kriyate tasya yamena na charchaa .. (20)

Let a man read but a little from Gita, drink just a drop of water from the Ganges, worship Murari (Govinda) just once. He then will have no altercation with Yama. Verse attributed to dR^iDhabhakta.

punarapi jananaM punarapi maraNaM
punarapi jananii jaThare shayanam.h .
iha saMsaare bahudustaare
kRipayaa.apaare paahi muraare .. (21)

Born again, death again, birth again to be in the mother's womb! It is indeed hard to cross this boundless ocean of samsara. Oh Murari ! Redeem me through Thy mercy. Verse attributed to Nityanatha.

rathyaa charpaTa virachita kanthaH
puNyaapuNya vivarjita panthaH .
yogii yoganiyojita chitto
ramate baalonmattavadeva .. (22)

There is no shortage of clothing for a monk so long as there are rags cast off the road. Freed from vice and virtue, onward he wanders. One who lives in communion with God enjoys bliss, pure and uncontaminated, like a child and as someone intoxicated. Verse attributed to Nityanatha.

kastvaM ko.ahaM kuta aayaataH
kaa me jananii ko me taataH .
iti paribhaavaya sarvamasaaram.h
vishvaM tyaktvaa svapna vichaaram.h .. (23)

Who are you? Who am I? Where do I come from? Who is my mother, who is my father? Ponder thus, look at everything as without essence and give up the world as an idle dream. Verse attributed to Surendra.

tvayi mayi chaanyatraiko vishhNuH
vyarthaM kupyasi mayyasahishhNuH .
bhava samachittaH sarvatra tvaM
vaaJNchhasyachiraadyadi vishhNutvam.h .. (24)

In me, in you and in everything, none but the same Vishnu dwells. Your anger and impatience is meaningless. If you wish to attain the status of Vishnu soon, always have equanimity. Verse attributed to Medhaatithira.

shatrau mitre putre bandhau
maa kuru yatnaM vigrahasandhau .
sarvasminnapi pashyaatmaanaM
sarvatrotsRija bhedaaGYaanam.h .. (25)

Do not waste your efforts to win the love of or to fight against friend and foe, children and relatives. See yourself in everyone and give up all feelings of duality completely. Verse attributed to Medhaatithira.

kaamaM krodhaM lobhaM mohaM
tyaktvaa.atmaanaM bhaavaya ko.aham.h .
aatmaGYaana vihiinaa muuDhaaH
te pachyante narakaniguuDhaaH .. (26)

Give up lust, anger, infatuation, and greed. Ponder over your real nature. Fools are they who are blind to the Self. Cast into hell they suffer there endlessly. Verse attributed to Bharativamsha.

geyaM giitaa naama sahasraM
dhyeyaM shriipati ruupamajasram .
neyaM sajjana saNge chittaM
deyaM diinajanaaya cha vittam. .. (27)

Regularly recite from the Gita, meditate on Vishnu [through Vishnu Sahasranama] in your heart, and chant His thousand glories. Take delight to be with the noble and the holy. Distribute your wealth in charity to the poor and the needy. Verse attributed to Sumatira.

sukhataH kriyate raamaabhogaH
pashchaaddhanta shariire rogaH .
yadyapi loke maraNaM sharaNaM
tadapi na muJNchati paapaacharaNam.h .. (28)

He who yields to lust for pleasure leaves his body a prey to disease. Though death brings an end to everything, man does not give up the sinful path.

arthamanarthaM bhaavaya nityaM
naastitataH sukhaleshaH satyam.
putraadapi dhana bhaajaaM bhiitiH
sarvatraishhaa vihiaa riitiH .. (29)

Wealth is not welfare, truly there is no joy in it. Reflect thus at all times. A rich man fears even his own son. This is the way of wealth everywhere.

praaNaayaamaM pratyaahaaraM
nityaanitya vivekavichaaram.
jaapyasameta samaadhividhaanaM
kurvavadhaanaM mahadavadhaanam .. (30)

Regulate the pranas, remain unaffected by external influences and discriminate between the real and the transitory. Chant the holy name of God and silence the stormy mind. Perform these with care, with extreme care.

gurucharaNaambuja nirbhara bhakataH
saMsaaraadachiraadbhava muktaH .
sendriyamaanasa niyamaadevaM
drakshyasi nija hR^idayasthaM devam. .. (31)

Oh devotee of the lotus feet of the Guru! May thou be soon free from Samsara. Through disciplined senses and controlled mind, thou shalt come to experience the Indwelling Lord of your heart!

muuDhaH kashchana vaiyaakaraNo
DukRiJNkaraNaadhyayana dhuriNaH .
shriimachchhamkara bhagavachchhishhyai
bodhita aasichchhodhitakaraNaH .. (32)

Thus was a silly grammarian lost in rules cleansed of his narrow vision and shown the Light by Shankara's apostles.

bhajagovindaM bhajagovindaM
govindaM bhajamuuDhamate .
naamasmaraNaadanyamupaayaM
nahi pashyaamo bhavataraNe .. (33)

Worship Govinda, worship Govinda, worship Govinda, Oh fool ! Other than chanting the Lord's names, there is no other way to cross the ocean of life.

Bhaja Govindam is thus for everyone, who is lost in the passions of this ephemeral world, realising its futility to immediately turn towards the Lord.