Sankaracharya Known as an incarnation and devotee of Lord Siva, Sankaracharya was undisputedly among the greatest philosophers that India, or the world, has ever produced. He is unique in the history of the world as he combined in himself the attributes of a philosopher, a devotee, a mystic, a poet and a religious reformer. Though he lived twelve hundred years ago, India and the world feels the impact of the life and work of this spiritual genius even today.

As per the promise given in the Bhagavad Gita that God would descend on earth whenever righteousness and all that is dependent upon Dharma is on the decline, Sankaracharya appeared on the Indian scene at a time when moral and religious chaos had overtaken the country.

Sankaracharya was born during the 8th century. By those times, Buddhism was widely spread in the country, but it had changed very much from that of the pure and simple ethical teachings of the Master; Jainism also had its influence and a wide following. Both the religions, as per common comprehension, i.e. as per laymen's understanding, were bereft of the concept of God, with the result that atheism was becoming vogue and the general creed of the people. Hinduism itself was broken up into numberless sects and denominations, each opposed to and intolerant of the other. The religious coherence in the land was lost and, besides, many unwholesome excrescences such as the vows of the Saivas, Saktas, Ganapatyas, Sauras and Bhagawatas which crept in, were corrupting the purity and spirit of religion. What the times needed was an integration of all thought so as to stop the waning of the eternal principles of Dharma, to arrest the religious decadence, disharmony, and discord mounting up among the various sects of the Hindus, and bringing about a moral, religious and spiritual harmony, integration and renaissance in the land. Such a mighty and stupendous task only God could do.... and Sankara came, undertook it and accomplished it too!

During the brief span of 32 years of life, Sankara established firmly the Advaita Vedanta philosophy as the essential unifying basis of the Hindu religion. He brought about religious harmony, spiritual coherence and moral regeneration of the country.

Sankara's Life Profile

Sankaracharya was born towards the end of the eighth century A.D., at Kaladi, a village in Central Kerala. He was the only son of a devout Nambudiri Brahmin couple, Sivaguru and Aryamba. It is believed that he was born as a result of their long prayers to Lord Siva of the famous Vrishabhachaleswara temple at Trichur. He was an infant prodigy and completed his Vedic studies by the age of eight. His father died when was still young and it was his mother who brought him up with loving care as he was her only source of consolation and support now. The boy exhibited ascetic tendencies and mother felt very upset. Yet, the divine mission for what that great genius had been born had to be fulfilled, and so something of miracle had to happen to set Sankara free from worldly ties. So once when the son was bathing in the nearby Purna river, while the mother was standing on the bank, a crocodile caught hold of the boy's leg and was dragging him into deeper waters.

When death was (seemingly) near, Sankara asked permission of the mother to enter the last 'ashrama of Sanyasa', which every Hindu was supposed to enter before his death. Formal renunciation at such a critical situation, *Apat-Sanyasa*, was a common practice. Very reluctantly, Aryamba gave her consent and lo, mysteriously the crocodile let go the boy ! Emerging from the river, the bala-sanyasin decided to become a wandering monk and soon left his village after consoling and assuring his mother that he would be at her side during her last days and even perform her funeral rites. Thus, Sankara set forth on his divine mission at the very young age of eight, when most of the boys would not have even left their toy-trinkets.

After leaving Kaladi, the young sanyasin-scholar wandered through South India and ultimately reached the banks of Narmada in search of a Guru. There, he met Govinda Bhagavatpada, a prominent disciple of the great Gaudapada of Mandukya Karika reputation. Govindapada welcomingly accecpted this boy-sanyasin as his disciple and initiated him into the intricacies of Vedanta. After about seven years, when Sankara had completed his Vedantic studies and Sadhana, his guru told him to proceed to Kasi, the ancient city of learing and spirituality, and spread the message of Advaita Vedanta from there by writing commentaries on the Brahma Sutras, the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita.

As instructed, he proceeded to Kasi and there, within a short time, established himself as the greatest champion of Vedanta philosophy. He won many debates; and disciples came to him in large numbers. Padmapada, Hastamalaka and Totaka were the chief among them. Thus, by the age of sixteen, Sankara had established himself as a great philosopher in the city of Varanasi, then the very heart of the intellectual and spiritual movements in India.

After establishing himself at Kasi as the invincible champion of Vedanta philosophy, Sankara started on tour of this vast country for a *Dig-Vijaya* or spiritual conquest, under specific instruction from sage Veda Vyasa who blessed him with a vision while Sankara was writing the Brahma Sutra Bhashya. Wherever he went, he won over eminent leaders of the other existing systems of philosophy and firmly established Advaita Vedanta. None could stand against his vast erudition, dialectical skill and spiritual insight. Amongst these debates, one was of great importance; his encounter with Mandana Misra, the great disciple of Kumarila Bhatta, a staunch protagonist of ritualism. The *Karma Kanda* portion of the Vedas had much hold on Hindu religion at that time and this was largely due to the philosopher-leaders and religious authorities like Kumarila Bhatta and Mandan Misra. In order to establish the truths of *Jnana Kanda*, Sankaracharya had to defeat and win over these two intellectuals. Due to unavoidable circumstances, Kumarila Bhatta could not undertake a debate with Sankaracharya and directed the Vedantin to meet his disciple Mandan Misra. The debate with Mandan Misra took place with Ubhaya Bharati, scholarly wife of Mandana Misra, acting as the Judge. After many days of discussion, Mandana Misra accepted defeat.

The condition of the debate was that he who would be defeated would become the other's disciple and take up the victor's way of life. Thus, Mandana Misra became a Sanyasi and was given the name Sureswara. This victory gave a new impetus to Sankara's spiritual conquest. Sri Sankara and his disciples traveled all over the land refuting false doctrines and purifying objectionable practices which were in vogue in the name of religion. He also established Maths in four places; in Sringeri in the south; Badri in the north, Dwaraka in the west and Jagannath Puri in the east. He chose these places of beauty of their natural environments amidst snow-clad mountains, forests and rivers or on the shores of the ocean, places where heaven and earth meet and transport man's thoughts to sublime heights. He placed Sri Sureswaracharya at the head of the Math in Sringeri, Sri Padmapada in Dwaraka, Sri Totaka in Badri and Sri Hastamalaka in Puri. The establishing of these Mathas indicated Sri Sankara's realization of the physical and spiritual unity of India. He wrote in Sanskrit, the lingua franca of cultured India of those times, which alone could appeal to all the intellectuals all over the land.

After a pretty long stay in Sringeri, he hastened to the bed side of his dying mother in his ancestral home at Kaladi and sped her soul to the 'immortal realms of light' to the strains of mellifluous hymns in praise of Siva and Vishnu. Undeterred by the opposition of his pharsaical (religious formalist) kinsmen, he cremated his mother's body on the riverbank behind the house and the spot had since become hallowed as a place of pilgrimage. He visited all the sacred shrines of the land around which have gathered the cultural traditions of the people, purifying the forms of worship and establishing the Sri Chakaras in many of them such as Kamakshi temple of Kanchi, Nara Narayana temple of Badri and Guhyesvari temple in Nepal, etc.

This "best of peripatetic teachers" Sankara crowned his triumphal tours by vanquishing the great scholars of Kashmir, and ascended the sarvajnapitha as the symbol of recognition by the world of his scholarship and undisputed mastery in all the (then known) branches of learning.

During his last visit to Nepal, he had a vision of Sri Dattatreya and from there he went to Kedarnath at which place, at the age of thirty two, he said to have disappeared from his mortal existence. A spot not far from the shrine of Kedarnath is said to be the place of his disappearance. (One version, however, is that he merged in Mother Kamakshi at the Holy Kanchi, thus ending his earthly career).

Sankara made the edifice of Hindu religion strong by his rational and scientific exposition of the Upanishadic philosophy so that Sanatana Dharma could face all the challenges during the vicissitudes of history till modern times. His contribution to Indian philosophy is so great and lasting that all the later philosophers have only tried to refute him or to elucidate his ideas. In foreign countries, Indian philosophy has always come to be identified with Sankara's Advaita.

Sankara symbolises the great *Rishi-culture* whose greatest exponent he was. The message of Sankara is a message of hope and optimism. He says that man is not finality, a finished product; he has divine potentiality in him that is to be discovered through self-conscious evolution. The kingdom of peace, fullness and joy are within each one of us, says Advaita. We will have to realise it. Sankaracharya was one of the greatest benefactors of mankind because he expounded the Advaita Vedanta philosophy which is a pathway to Bliss and Immortality.

About Bhaja Govindam

Bhaja Govindam is one of the smaller Sanskrit compositions of Adi Sankaracharya, compared to his monumental works called *Bhashyas*, commentaries on Indian Scriptures. Bhaja Govindam, along with Atma Bodha, etc., comes under the category of *Prakarana Granthas*, introductory manuals for spiritual studies. They are like primers, explaining the philosophical terms etc., for the spiritual initiates. The elementary spiritual truths are brought to the fore in these booklets and make man think, " Ah, this is life; I must seek escape from this prison-hole and may God guide and help me". Man is thus drawn out of miry by-lanes of life in which he is stuck in and put onto the royal road of spirituality and self-realization.

A popular story describes the circumstances in which this great poem burst forth the lips of Sankara. It is said that once in Banaras when he, together with his fourteen disciples, was going along on his daily rounds, he overheard a very old Pundit cramming Panini's grammer rules. Sankara was touched with pity at the ignorance and folly of the man to be wasting away the most precious 'dusk hours' of his life for a mere intellectual accomplishment instead of spending them in contemplation on the Lord, praying for spiritual enlightenment and for release from the bondage of Samsara. He knew that this was not the state of that particular old man only, but was the general state of most of the men.

Sankara intimated that men waste and while away their lives in many (or most) futile ways, groveling in the mire of earthly attachments forgetting God who is the only goal in life. In compassion for man's plight, he burst forth into these stanzas, famous as Moha Mudgara, now popularly known by the refrain of the song, which is *Bhaja Govindam*.

"Oh, Mudha ! Oh, ignoramus ! Grammer rules (in fact all your secular learning) will not come to your rescue when death knocks to snatch you away. Instead of wasting away the precious span of your life in a futile manner, turn to and seek Govinda, who alone can save you from the jaws of life and death".

In thirty-one simple, sweet and lucid Slokas, giving homely analogies and illustrations for our easy understanding, Sankara tells us about the fallacy and futility of our life; and sloka by sloka he removes veil after veil, dispelling our ignorance, illusions and delusions (moha) and showing us where the remedy for all our misery lies. The poem is, therefore also called "Moha Mudgara." He touches all aspects of our life, how these blind and bind us, plunging us deeper and deeper into the abyss of ignorance and misery. He wants each one of us to cultivate a discerning and discriminating eye (viveka) to distinguish the permanent from the transitory, the real from the unreal, to practice dispassion (vairagya) for worldly attractions and distractions, to cultivate devotion for realizing Govinda, the abiding Absolute Truth and thus getting released from the misery and bondage of this phenomenal existence.

*Bhaja Govindam of Adi Shankara*

Verse 1:

BHAJA GOVINDAM, BHAJA GOVINDAM

GOVINDAM BHAJA MUDHAMATE

SAMPRAAPTE SANNIHITE KALE

NA HI NA HI RAKSHATI DUKRINKARANE

Seek Govinda! Seek Govinda! Seek Govinda! Oh ignoramus, at the time of death the rules of grammer, which you are trying to cram and master, will not be able to rescue you at all.

(Grammer rules mean all secular knowledge and earthly acquistitions. Mudhamati means a materialist, wholely worldly-minded, who does not believe in God or the spiritual entity that is in man)

Verse 2:

MOODHA JAHEEHI DHANAAGAMATRISHNAAM

KURU SADBUDHIM MANASI VITRISHNAAM

YALLABHASE NIJAKARMOPAATHAM

VITHAM TENA VINODAYA CHITHAM

(refrain from Verse 1 to be sung after every verse...BHAJA GOVINDAM, BHAJA GOVINDAM..........)

Oh, Fool! give up your insatiable desire for earthly possessions; be sensible and develop serenity and contentment. Be satisfied and happy with whatever you may earn by the sweat of your brow and whatever has destiny marked for your lot.

Verse 3:

NAAREE STHANABHARA NABHEEDESAM

DHRISHTWA MAA GAA MOHAVESAM

YETAN MAAMSAVASAADI VIKAARAM

MANASI VICHINTHAYA VAARAM VAARAM

Enticed by the physical glamour of a woman, do not lose your senses; the body is nothing but a conglomeration of flesh, do not forget this any time.

Verse 4:

NALINEEDALAGATHA JALAMATITHARALAM

TADWAJJEEVITAMATHISHAYA CHAPALAM

VIDDHI VYADHYABHIMAANAGRASTAM

LOKAM SHOKAHATAM CHA SAMASTHAM

The water droplet on the lotus leaf is tremulous and unsteady. So too is life which is as uncertain. Know the body to be in the claws of disease, which may swallow it at any moment. Life is ultimately nothing but worry, misery and grief.

Verse 5:

YAAVADVITTOPAARJANA SAKTHAH

TAAVANNIJAPARIVAARO RAKTHAH

PASCHAAJJEEVATI JARJARADEHE

VAARTHAM KOPI NA PRICHCHATHI GEHE

As long as you are fit to make an earning, so long will your kith and kin be solicitous about you, but no sooner your limbs become infirm and your earnings cease, none will care for you, not even your own home-folk.

Verse 6:

YAAVATPAVANO NIVASATI DEHE

TAAVATPRICHCHATI KUSHALAM GEHE

GATAVATI VAAYO DEHAAPAAYE

BHAARYA BIBHYATI TASMINKAAYE

As long as there is life in your body, your people may have concern for you, but once the life-breath ebbs out of your body, even your own wife will run away from you.

Verse 7:

BAALASTAAVAT KREEDAA SAKTHAH

THARUNASTAAVAT THARUNEESAKTHAH

VRIDDHASTAAVAT CHINTHAASAKTHAH

PARASE BRAHMANI KOPI NA SAKTHA

Childhood skips off on sport and play. Youth flies off in pursuits of love-making. As one grows older he is drowned in worry about the security and future of his wife and children. One's whole life gets spent in some kind of worry or other. And at no stage does man find time to lift his thoughts to God.

Verse 8:

KAA TE KAANTAA KASTE PUTHRAH

SAMSAROYAMATEEVA VICHITRAH

KASYA TWAM KAH KUTHA AAYAATAH

TATWAM CHINTHAYA TADIHA BHARATAH

Who indeed is your beloved and who indeed is your son? Strange indeed are these family bonds; who belongs to you and to whom you belong? Whence did you come, Oh brother! Reflect on the truth of it all.

Verse 9:

SATSANGATWE NISSANGATWAM

NISSANGATWE NIRMOHATWAM

NIRMOHATWE NISCHALATATWAM

NISCHALATATWE JEEVANMUKTHIH

The company of the good weans one away from false attachments; when attachment is lost, delusion ends; when delusion ends, the mind becomes unwavering and steady. An unwavering and steady mind is merited for Jeevan Mukti (liberation even in this life).

Verse 10:

VAYASI GATE KAH KAMAVIKARAH

SHUSHKE NEERE, KAH KAASAARAH

KSHEENE VITHE KAH PARIVARO

GYNATE TATWE KAH SAMASARAH

When youth is gone, where is lust and its play? Where is the lake when its waters have dried up? Where are the kinsfolk when riches are gone ? When Truth is realised, where is the snare of Samsara?

Verse 11:

MAA KURU DHANAJANAYOUVANAGARVAM

HARATI NIMESHAATKAALAH SARWAM

MAAYAAMAYAMIDAMAKHILAM HITHWA

BRAHMAPADAM TWAM PRAVISHA VIDITWA

The pleasures and riches of worldly life are deceptive appearances. Understanding that they are all but a passing-show, be detached and dispassionate, cultivate renunciation and seek Brahman.

Verse 12:

DINAYAAMINYOU SAAYAM PRAATAH

SHISHIRAVASANTOW PUNARAAYAATAH

KAALAH KREEDATI GACHCHATYAAYUH

TADAPI NA MUNCHATHYAASAAVAAYUH

Day and night, dawn and dusk, winter and spring, all these are flitting across the stage of the world. While time thus is frolicking and befooling us, our life span is also running out; yet we do not, even a little, give up the clinging to our desires, nor do we let the desires loosen their grip on us.

Verse 13:

KAA TE KAANTAA DHANAGATACHINTAA

VAATULA KIM TAVA NAASTI NIYANTAA

TRIJAGATI SAJJANASANGATIREKAA

BHAVATI BHAVAARNAVATARANE NOUKAA

Crazy man ! Why do you worry so much about your wife and property? Why don't you seek out the Truth? Know that in these three worlds it is only the association with the good and holy that can help you in crossing safely the ocean of life.

Verse 14:

JATILO MUNDI LUNCHITAKESHAH

KAASHAAYAAMBARA BAHUKRITAVESHAH

PASYANNAPI CHA NA PASYATI MOODHO

HIUDARANIMITAM BAHUKRITAVESHAH

The ascetic with matted locks, the man with the shaven head or one with hair pulled out, or the man parading in the ochre robes -- they all have eyes but yet do not see. All these are but deceptions for cheating the world, for filling their bellies. (Renunciation does not lie in external appearance, but in inward thought, attitude and feeling).

Verse 15:

ANGAM GALITAM PALITAM MUNDAM

DASANAVIHEENAM JAATAM TUNDAM

VRIDHDHO YAATI GRIHEETWA DANDAM

TADAPI NA MUNCHATYAASHAAPINDAM

The body has become decrepit, the hair on the head has turned completely gray; the mouth has become totally toothless; the back is bent down and the old man cannot take even a step witout the aid of his stick; yet he does not loosen even a bit, his hold on the bundle of desires.

Verse 16:

AGRE VAHNIH PRISHTE BHAANUH

RAATHROW CHUBUKASAMARPITAJAANUH

KARATALABHIKASHAS TARUTALAVAASAH

TADAPI NA MUNCHATYAASHAAPAASAH

Homeless he is; his back is bent down with age. His body has lost its heat and he has to warm himself before a fire or in the sun. Tree is his only shelter; he lives by begging and by the crumbs thrown into his palms by others; in the night he sleeps by holding his chin on his knee (because the back is bent and he cannot stretch himself and lie down). Yet, he does not let and allow the grip of desires on him loosen even a bit.

Verse 17:

KURUTE GANGAASAAGARAGAMANAM

VRATAPARIPAALANAMATHAVAA DAANAM

JNANAVIHEENAH SARVAMATENA

MUKTIM NA BHAJATI JANMASATENA

One may have bathed in the holy Ganges or even in the Ganga Sagar; he may have performed many charities and observed many vows; yet unless one has glimpsed the Truth (God), he will not gain release even after a hundred lives.