Mantra: Bhaja Govindam

Complete Mantra:
Bhaja govindam bhaja govindam
Govindam bhaja mudha-mate
Dinam-api rajani saayam praatah
shishira-vasantau punar-aayaatah;
Kaalah kridati gacchaty-aayus
tad-api na munchaty-aashaa-vaayuh.
Baalas-taavat kridaa-saktas
tarunas-taavat taruni-raktah;
Vriddhas-taavach-chintaa-magnah
tasmin brahmani ko'pi na lagnah.
Punar-api jananam punar-api maranam
punar-api janani-jathare shayanam;
Iha samsaare bahu-dustaare
krpayaa'paare paahi muraare.
Vayasi gate kah kaama-vikaarah
shushke nire kah kaasaarah;
Nashte dravye kah parivaaro
jnaate tattve kah samsaarah.
Kas-tvam ko'ham kutah aayaatah
kaa me janani ko me taatah;
Iti paribhaavaya sarvam-asaaram
vishvam tyaktvaa svapna-vichaaram.

Translation:
Worship the truth, O ignorant one!
Day and night, evening and morning,
winter and spring come again and again!
Time rolls on, life is spent,
yet the wind of desire does not leave him.
n childhood, one is engaged in play;
in youth, one is attached to a lover;
in old age, one is burdened with anxiety;
but no one is ever concerned with the ultimate reality.
Born again, dying again, sleeping once again in a mother's womb
this ocean of worldly existence is difficult to cross.
Grant me the protection of grace, O Lord.
When youth is gone, where is passion?
When the water dries up, can there be a lake?
When wealth is lost, where are one's relatives?
When the truth is known, where is this world?
Who are you? Who am I? Where have I come from?
Who is my mother? Who is my father?
In this way, think of everything as meaningless
and renounce this world, knowing it to be just a dream.

Author:
Shankaracharya (788-820)

Language:
Sanskrit

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