Bhaja Govindam
Taking pity on him, Adi Shankara went up to the scholar and advised him not to waste his time on grammar at his age, but to turn his mind to God in worship and adoration, which would only save him from this vicious cycle of life and death.
[3] As C. Rajagopalachari put in his commentary, "When intelligence (jnana) matures and lodges securely in the heart, it becomes wisdom (vignyana).
"[4] In this prayer, Adi Shankara emphasizes the importance of devotion for God as a means to spiritual development and to liberation from the cycle of birth and death.
Many scholars hold that this composition encapsulates with both brevity and simplicity the substance of all Vedantic thought found in whatever other works that Adi Shankara wrote: "The refrain "Bhaja Govindam", which defines the composition and gives it its name, invokes the almighty in the aspect of Krishna; it is therefore very popular not only with Sri Adi Shankaracharya's immediate followers, the Smarthas, but also with Vaishnavas and others."
मूढ जहीहि धनागमतृष्णां कुरु सद्बुद्धिम् मनसि वितृष्णाम् | यल्लभसे निज कर्मोपात्तं वित्तं तेन विनोदय चित्तम् ‖ 2 ‖ mūḍha jahīhi dhanāgamatṛṣṇāṃ kuru sadbuddhiṃ manasi vitṛṣṇām । yallabhasē nijakarmōpāttaṃ vittaṃ tēna vinōdaya chittam ॥ dṛṣṭvā mā gā mōhāvēśam । ētanmāṃsavasādivikāraṃ manasi vichintaya vāraṃ vāram ॥ tadvajjīvitamatiśaya-chapalam । viddhi vyādhyabhimānagrastaṃ lōkaṃ śōkahataṃ cha samastam ॥ tāvannijaparivārō raktaḥ । paśchājjīvati jarjaradēhē vārtāṃ kō'pi na pṛchChati gēhē ॥ tāvatpṛchChati kuśalaṃ gēhē । gatavati vāyau dēhāpāyē bhāryā bibhyati tasminkāyē ॥ taruṇastāvattaruṇīsaktaḥ । vṛddhastāvachchintāsaktaḥ paramē brahmaṇi kō'pi na saktaḥ ॥ saṃsārō'yamatīva vichitraḥ । kasya tvaṃ kaḥ kuta āyātaḥ tattvaṃ chintaya tadiha bhrātaḥ ॥ nissaṅgatvē nirmōhatvam । nirmōhatvē niśchalatattvaṃ niśchalatattvē jīvanmuktiḥ ॥ śuṣkē nīrē kaḥ kāsāraḥ । kṣīṇē vittē kaḥ parivāraḥ jñātē tattvē kaḥ saṃsāraḥ ॥ harati nimēṣātkālaḥ sarvam । māyāmayamidamakhilaṃ hitvā brahmapadaṃ tvaṃ praviśa viditvā ॥ śiśiravasantau punarāyātaḥ । kālaḥ krīḍati gachChatyāyuḥ tadapi na muñchatyāśāvāyuḥ ॥ vātula kiṃ tava nāsti niyantā । trijagati sajjanasaṅgatirēkā bhavati bhavārṇavataraṇē naukā ॥ kathitō vaiyākaraṇasyaiṣaḥ । upadēśō'bhūdvidyā-nipuṇaiḥ śrīmachChaṅkara-bhagavachCharaṇaiḥ ॥ kāṣāyāmbara-bahukṛtavēṣaḥ । paśyannapi cha na paśyati mūḍhaḥ udaranimittaṃ bahukṛtavēṣaḥ ॥ daśanavihīnaṃ jātaṃ tuṇḍam । vṛddhō yāti gṛhītvā daṇḍaṃ tadapi na muñchatyāśāpiṇḍam ॥ rātrau chubuka-samarpita-jānuḥ । karatala-bhikṣastarutalavāsaḥ tadapi na muñchatyāśāpāśaḥ ॥ vrata-paripālanamathavā dānam । jñānavihīnaḥ sarvamatēna bhajati na muktiṃ janmaśatēna ॥ śayyā bhūtalamajinaṃ vāsaḥ । sarva-parigraha-bhōgatyāgaḥ kasya sukhaṃ na karōti virāgaḥ ॥ saṅgaratō vā saṅgavihīnaḥ । yasya brahmaṇi ramatē chittaṃ nandati nandati nandatyēva ॥ gaṅgājala-lavakaṇikā pītā । sakṛdapi yēna murārisamarchā kriyatē tasya yamēna na charchā ॥ punarapi jananījaṭharē śayanam । iha saṃsārē bahudustārē kṛpayā'pārē pāhi murārē ॥ puṇyāpuṇya-vivarjita-panthaḥ । yōgī yōganiyōjita-chittaḥ ramatē bālōnmattavadēva ॥ kā mē jananī kō mē tātaḥ । iti paribhāvaya sarvamasāraṃ viśvaṃ tyaktvā svapnavichāram ॥ vyarthaṃ kupyasi mayyasahiṣṇuḥ । bhava samachittaḥ sarvatra tvaṃ vāñChasyachirādyadi viṣṇutvam ॥ mā kuru yatnaṃ vigrahasandhau । sarvasminnapi paśyātmānaṃ sarvatrōtsṛja bhēdājñānam ॥ tyaktvātmānaṃ paśyati sō'ham । ātmajñānavihīnā mūḍhāḥ tē pachyantē narakanigūḍhāḥ ॥ dhyēyaṃ śrīpati-rūpamajasram । nēyaṃ sajjana-saṅgē chittaṃ dēyaṃ dīnajanāya cha vittam ॥ Meditate krishna's form, be in company of sages and gurus, donate to purify yourself paśchādanta śarīrē rōgaḥ । yadyapi lōkē maraṇaṃ śaraṇaṃ tadapi na muñchati pāpācharaṇam ॥ nāstitataḥ sukhalēśaḥ satyam । putrādapi dhanabhājāṃ bhītiḥ sarvatraiṣā vihitā rītiḥ ॥ nityānitya vivēkavichāram । jāpyasamētasamādhividhānaṃ kurvavadhānaṃ mahadavadhānam ॥ saṃsārādachirādbhava muktaḥ । sēndriyamānasa-niyamādēvaṃ drakṣyasi nijahṛdayasthaṃ dēvam ॥ ḍuḥkṛṅkaraṇādhyayanadhurīṇaḥ । śrīmachChaṅkara-bhagavachChiṣyaiḥ bōdhita āsīchChōdhita-karaṇaḥ ॥
