Bhaj Govindam 

In the first 6 verses Guru Shri Shankaracharya has been talking about the disease we are all infested with and the symptoms. In this verse he is telling us the cause. 

In the absence of true knowledge, blinded, one lives a futile life and wastes the precious human birth.

‘Tune heera sa janam gevaya, 

Bhajan bin baavare.’

‘You wasted a precious birth,

without revernce to god, Oh fool.’

Verse 7

बालस्तावत् क्रीडासक्तः

तरुणस्तावत् तरुणीसक्तः।

वृद्धस्तावच्चिन्तासक्तः, 

परे ब्रह्मणि कोऽपि न सक्तः॥

बचपन में खेल में रूचि होती है , युवावस्था में युवा स्त्री के प्रति आकर्षण होता है, वृद्धावस्था में चिंताओं से घिरे रहते हैं पर प्रभु से कोई प्रेम नहीं करता है

The seventh verse said to me - Shruti Says🌷

During childhood the child is engaged in playing, and as child reaches youth, s/he get infatuated by the opposite gender and when old age approaches one is surrounded by worries of various kinds. But sadly, in all the stages of life, no one gets attracted to the divine Brahman.

Bachpan Beeta Khel Khe mein,

Bhari Javani Soya.

Dekh Budapa Soche Ab Tu, 

Kya Paya Kya Khoya. 

As a child if one had taken to the feet of the lord, youth would not have been lost in infatuation and the old age would have been filled with bliss unlimited, as no worry can touch those who have surrender to God.

——————————————

Over here Guru Shankracharyaji is presenting a fact, which none of us can deny. It is Lords Maya and she is so beautiful. So strong is her pull that in her presence even the Lord himself is forgotten.

One passes through 84 lakh wombs, before one reaches the womb of a human. So painful is the time in the womb, that the individual pleads to the lord to let him/her out, and promises not to get enticed by maya and keep the attention totally on the lord. 

However, we are a witness of what happens after that. We forget how precious the human birth is, we forget all the births where we longed for and worked towards this Human body, as this is the only instrument which can help us cross over the ocean of mundane existence (Samsara)

Not only this, if our ignorance is not enough, people around us make sure that the path leads us as far aways from God as possible. These are the most often the people whom we trust to be our well wishers.

The study of the scriptures tells us that, even the richest of the kings would send their children to live in a gurukul, to be guided by a knower of Brahman, towards Brahmanhood.

On the other hand, In our childhood our parents introduce us to the world of desires and wants, our senses are tampered to enjoy the beauty of Maya. The soft clay is shaped by worldly hands, to hoard on the worldly pleasures.

There is a reason why our Shastras have presented 4 Ashrams to us;

• Brahmacharya Ashram
• Grihastha Ashram
• Vanaprasth Ashram
• Sanyas Ashram

Not only, do we not explore the other three Ashrams, but we also don’t know how to live in the Grihasta Ashram or what are the responsibilities of a Grihasthi. So many times I have heard people use this divine Ashram as an excuse to justify their deluded lifes.

Brahmacharya Ashram 

The Ashram name explains it all - where the Acharan has to be like Brahman or the actions (Acharan) has to like Brahman. Brahman is God.

This is the foundation of all ashram and the most crucial, as we sow so shall we reap. That which has been sown has to be nurtured well. 

This is the time when reverence to the god is to be inculcated and the importance of human birth ingrained. At this initial stage, an individual has to be equipped to accomplish what this human birth has been taken for - Self realisation.

Grihastha Ashram

When the teaching of the Brahmacharya ashram - has made one stith and purna - just like Shri Hari. He is ready to enter Grihastha Ashram. Where two people meet for Yog and not for Bhog. Yog means union with God and bhog means material sense gratification.

Together their aasakti (pull) is towards the lord. They live a furugal Dharmic life (our dharm is to be in our sat chit anand swaroop and selflessly serve). The life they lead is for the upliftment of all the other Ashrams (Brahmachaya, Vanaprasta and Sanyasa) as none of the other ashrams have the ability to earn. Every thing on earth has a right over the Grihasth’s earning and nurturing all the living and non living is the Grihasthi’s responsibility.

When this kind of a Grihasthi gives birth and guidance to the off spring, the Bhramachari Ashram remains intact and the foundation strong. Every generation is more devout than the other.

Vanaprasth and Sanyasa Ashram

When both the previous Ashrams have been lived as mentioned in our Shastras, the transition to the last two ashrams becomes natural. All the effort that has been put towards self realisation in the first two ashrams bears fruits and effortlessly one leaves samsar and merges with the divine.

Human birth is only for God/self realisation, yehi satya hai, this is the only truth. Keeping this in mind, and making this the goal, one should dwell in this world. 

Our scriptures do not ask anyone to leave the world, but include God. Sanatan Dharm is not a religion it is a way of life. A way of life fit to help us realise the Self and God.

Our scriptures, don’t ask us to leave anything, they talk about the four purusharts of human existence - Dharma, Artha, Karma and Moksha. The moment God become the bases of all our purusharts (efforts), all our actions reflect divinity and we become divine.

Prabhu ko rakhlo Hridaya mai,

tüm prabhuta darsaoge,

‘Satyug aap nahin aayega,

Satyug ka tüm laoge’.

'Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It's not.'

Hari Om