Bhaj Govindam
In the first 10 verses the deepest of knowledge has been put forth to help the aspiring devotee snap out of slummer. Yes, these verse are intended for those who are on the path of self realisation. Many a time, the conscious seekers are more deluded than the so called worldly people. Saying this let me also put forth, we all are seekers, some walk the path knowingly, others are also walking towards that same divine unknowingly and unaware.
In this second last verse written by Guru Shankaracharya, he reveals one simple secret - Nothing Ultimately Matters. Let’s delve deeper to understand this better.
Verse 11
मा कुरु धनजनयौवनगर्वं,
हरति निमेषात्कालः सर्वं।
मायामयमिदमखिलम् हित्वा,
ब्रह्मपदम् त्वं प्रविश विदित्वा॥
Maa kuru dhana jana yauvana garvam
Harati nimeshhaatkaalah sarvam
MaayaamayamidamakhilaM hitvaa
BrahmapadaM tvaM pravisha viditvaa
The eleventh verse said to me - Shruti Says🌷
Do not be attached to the pride of your money, your people and your youth,
or
Do not be proud of your momentary possessions like; money, fame and youth,
Time can snatch these all aways in the fraction of a second.
Knowing all this to be illusionary in nature and completely a play of Maya,
Surrender to the feet of the Lord with Saralta, Innocence and Faith.
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Let’s read these two stories before we go on with anymore details on the verse. As these two stories are taking us not only to the essence of this verse, but reveal the gist of all that is to be understood.
Story 1
There was this huge man, who would do nothing much and eat all day long. His family got fed up of him and asked him to leave. Sad and lonely he reached a temple. Not knowing what to do, he sat down and started weeping. At that time the head sage of that temple came out and said what is wrong. This man poured out his entire misery. The priest allowed him to live in the temple and eat as much as he wanted. In return he would just have to be a part of all the prayers and chants. This man happily agreed.
Days went by and came the day of Ekadashi, the kitchen doors were locked. Anxious he rushed to the head sage and asked what was happening. He was explained that 2 times a month all fast. This man said he would die, he could not go hungry and started weeping again. The priest gave him special permission to take all that he needed and to go out near the river, cook and eat. But, the condition was that he had to offer it to God and then eat. Again, this man happily agreed.
The story goes that, every Ekadashi he asked for more and more grocery. Till one day he literary took a cart full of food to be cooked. The head sage was curious to know what he would do with all this, as no matter how big an eater he was, he could not finish so much.
The sage hid behind a tree and watched. To his surprise, he saw this man sitting and talk to himself, the raw food was sitting next to him in the cart as it is. The head sage jumped out and said, what are you upto fool. This man stood up and did Pranam.
He said to the head sage, ‘You look for yourself, see all of them have come today, so many of them, hence let them cook. What is the point of me cooking, in the end I never get anything to eat. Every day Ramji gets one more person with him. Today he got the heavens and his whole Ayodhya.
The head sage exclaimed, ‘What are you saying, I see nothing have you gone mad?’
The man Said,
‘You asked me to offer and then eat. Hence, I cooked for 2, me and Ramji, and called him, finally after so much of persuading he came, but he came with Sita Ma. That Ekadasi I did not get anything to eat. Next Ekadashi I cooked for 3, and called Ramji and Sita Ma. But, they got Lakhman bhaiya along. Again, I did...
