Bhaj Govindam - Introduction

What it said to me..🙏

The main points that caught my attentions are as follows;

• Situation - Non-harmony within in our Dharma
• Bases of his belief - Non dual Brahman 
• He was self appointed - The calling was from within
• Purpose of the verses - Moha Mudgara (Hammer), to awaken, by removing delusion
• Directed to - The pandit/learned caught up in mundane details, ignoring the deeper meaning

Will elaborate below;

To begin with, when was reading the introduction, it somehow was a narration of the the current situation. As they say ‘History repeats itself’.

There is complete non-harmony and the fundamental basis of the Sanatan Dharma have become a subject of debate. We have forgotten that we belong to the Sanatan Dharma, which is a way of life, and have become confused Hindus, who don’t even know what Hindu religion means, or are oblivious to the fact that, there is nothing like Hinduism.

Not only this, there is constant debate between different sects, muth, spiritual organisations, each one fixed on their path being the right and their guru being the best. To the extent that, instead of looking at where the finger is pointing, we are just looking at the finger. We are as divided and confused today, as people were in Shankrachaya ji’s time.

Second, his bases of belief is Non-Dual Brahman, one without a second. This, again, is like a never ending discussion between the followers of various margs:

• Advaita : Non-dualism.
• Vishishtadvaita : Qualified Non-dualism.
• Dvaita : Dualism.
• Dvaitadvaita : Dualistic Non-dualism.
• Shuddhadvaita : Pure Non-dualism.
• Achintya Bheda Abheda : Inconceivable one-ness and difference

We have misunderstood him I feel, and we feel he was a propagator of only Advaita. But, he was a propagator of God. That one without a second. He has written various hymns on Krishna, Devi, ShivShankar, Gangaji, Yamunaji etc. The relation one wants to share with the God, in what form one wants to see God, is a personal inclination and choice. All paths lead to God.

Third, just like Sukhdevji, who in the presence of so many learned sages, including his father, Veda Vyasaji, was the one chosen (Being learned is not equal to being connected). In the same way, his calling and purpose was defined from within. He did not need anyone’s approval. He was being guided by the universe.

The power of the universe worked thought him, and it is evident by how he was able to achieve what he did in merely 32 years. The magnitude of his work, displays the divine himself at work.

Last, but the most important take for me is that, just like all the other Scriptures, he tells us a simple truth. That the objective of all that we do, chant, recite, sing, read, mediate etc is Self-Realisation. All that we do is but a means to the end, Sat-Chit-Anand. 

Many a seekers get stuck in perfecting the means, and forget why they had taken up the practice in the first place. We lose focus of the Goal, which is Prabhu Prapti and get so immersed in perfecting the practice, that the connection it is supposed to bring is lost.  

Had perfection in grammar, pronunciation, rituals etc been the bases, Rathnakar would never have become Valmiki. It does not mean we should not learn properly, but again, what is ‘proper’ should not be a topic of contention. 

He has hit the hammer on this very way we are approaching spirituality - with extreme rigidity. 

His direct, non-sugar quoted verses , with no hidden meaning, leaves no space for interpretation, the verses mean exactly what they are saying. 

They can be elaborate and interpreted in any ways based on our beliefs or conditioning. 

But, taking them word by word, keeping in mind the situation in which it was narrated, would be the way forward for me.

Hari Om 🙏🌷