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Bhaja Govindam

Sri Bhaja Govinda Stotram

Guru Vandana Holy Name Prasadam Songs Krishna Songs

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  1. Srila Prabhupada more by this singer

Audio courtesy of ISKCON Desire Tree. All glories to the devotee singers.

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Script
Text
1
bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ govindaṁ bhaja mūḍha-mate | saṁprāpte sannihite kāle nahi nahi rakṣati ḍukṛñ-karaṇe ||
Word for word
bhaja — worship; govindaṁ — Govinda; mūḍha-mate — dull-minded, fool; saṁprāpte — when you have reached, arrived; sannihite — nearness of, close; kāle — end of time, death; nahi — surely not, never, by no means; rakṣati — protects, saves; ḍukṛñkaraṇe — the grammatical formula
Translation

Worship Govinda, worship Govinda, worship Govinda, O fool! The rules of grammar will not save you at the time of your death.

2
mūḍha jahīhi dhanāgama-tṛṣṇāṁ kuru sad-buddhiṁ manasi vitṛṣṇām | yallabhase nija karmopāttaṁ vittaṁ tena vinodaya cittam ||
Word for word
mūḍha — fool, dull-minded person, one who comes to suffer from one's own ignorance; jahīhi — give up, abandon; dhana — wealth; agama — coming; tṛṣṇāṁ — thirst, desire; kuru — do, act; sad-buddhiṁ — good awareness; manasi — in the mind; vitṛṣṇām — desirelessness, dispassion; yallabhase — whatever you obtain; nijakarmopāttaṁ — obtained through one's own work; vittaṁ — wealth; tena — by that; vinodaya — be content with; cittam — mind
Translation

O fool! Give up your thirst to amass wealth, devote your mind to dispassion and thoughts of the Real. Be content with what comes to you through actions performed by your own work.

3
nārī-stanabhara-nābhī-deśaṁ dṛṣṭvā māgāmohāveśam | etan māṁsa-vasādi vikāraṁ manasi vicintaya vāraṁ vāram ||
Word for word
nārī — woman; stanabhara — full breasts; nābhī-deśaṁ — region of navel; dṛṣṭvā — having seen; māgā — dont go; mohāveśam — infatuated seizure; etan — this; māṁsāvasādi — modifications of flesh, fat, etc; vikāraṁ — modified appearance; manasi — in the mind; vicintaya — think well, consider; vāraṁ — again; vāram — and again
Translation

Do not get drowned in delusion, infatuated with passion and lusty desires, by seeing a woman's raised breasts and navel. These are nothing but a modification of flesh and fat, and the like. Do not fail to remember this again and again in your mind.

4
nalinī-dala-gata-jalam ati-taralaṁ tadvaj-jīvitam atiśaya-capalaṁ | viddhi vyādhyabhimāna-grastaṁ lokaṁ śoka-hataṁ ca samastam ||
Word for word
nalinī-dala — on a lotus leaf; gata — gone to, fallen on; jala — warter drop; ati-taralaṁ — unstable, unsteady, tremling; tadvat — like that, in the same way; jīvitam — life; atiśaya — extremlyl; capalaṁ — unsteady, fickle, restless; viddhi — know for sure; vyādhi — disease, ailment; abhimāna — pride, conceit; grastaṁ — having been caught, afflicted by, seized; lokaṁ — world; śokahataṁ — attacked by grief, unhappiness; ca — and; samastam — all, entire
Translation

As water drops on a lotus leaf are unsteady and trembling, in the same way life in this world is exceedingly unsteady and restless. Know that the whole world is full of miseries, afflicted by unhappiness and grief.

5
yāvad-vittopārjana saktaḥ tāvan-nija parivāro raktaḥ | paścājjīvati jarjara dehe vārtāṁ ko'pi na pṛcchati gehe ||
Word for word
yāvad — so long as; vitta-upārjana — earning wealth, acquisition of property; saktaḥ — able, capable of; stāvannija — till then, that much; parivāro — own family members; raktaḥ — attached; paścāt — later, after; jīvati — while living, lives without earning; jarjara — old, decrepit, decayed, infirm; dehe — in the body; vārtāṁ — news, information; ko'pi — whosoever, even one; na — not; pṛcchati — inquires, asks; gehe — in the house, at home
Translation

So long as a man is fit and able to support his family by earning wealth, all those family members around him show affection. But no one at home cares for him, even have a word with him, when his body becomes invalid and totters due to old age.

6
yāvat-pavano nivasati dehe tāvat-pṛcchati kuśalaṁ gehe | gatavati vāyau dehāpāye bhāryā bibhyati tasmin kāye ||
Word for word
yāvat — so long as; pavano — air, breath; nivasati — lives dwells; dehe — in the body; tāvat — till then; pṛcchati — asks, inquires; kuśalaṁ — welfare, wellness; gehe — in the house, at home; gatavati — while gone, departing; vāyau — air, life-breath; dehāpāye — when life departs the body, loss; bhāryā — wife; bibhyati — is afraid, fears; tasmin kāye — that body
Translation

When one is alive, his family members enquire kindly about his welfare. But when the life-air stops and the soul departs from the body, even his wife runs away in fear of the corpse.

7
bāla stāvat krīḍāsaktaḥ taruṇa stāvat taruṇīsaktaḥ | vṛddha stāvat cintāsaktaḥ pare brahmaṇi ko'pi na saktaḥ ||
Word for word
bāla — young boy; tāva — till then, till he is young; krīḍā — play; saktaḥ — attached, absorbed; taruṇaḥ — young man; tāva — till then; taruṇī — young woman; saktaḥ — attached, engrossed; vṛddhaḥ — old man; tāva — till then; cintā — worry; saktaḥ — attached, absorbed; pare — high, supreme; brahmaṇi — brahman, spirit, God; ko'pi — whosoever; na — not; saktaḥ — attached, engrossed
Translation

The childhood is lost in attachment to games. The youth is lost in attachment to woman. Old age passes with worry and anxiety, thinking over many things. But there is hardly anyone who wants to be lost (attached) in para-braman, the Supreme Spirit.

8
kāte kāntā kaste putraḥ saṁsāro'yamatīva vicitraḥ | kasya tvaṁ kaḥ kuta āyātaḥ tattvaṁ cintaya tad iha bhrātaḥ ||
Word for word
kāte — who, your; kāntā — beloved, wife; kaste — who, your; putraḥ — son; saṁsāraḥ — circle of birth and death; ayam — this; atīva — great, excessively; vicitraḥ — strange, mysterious, wonderful; kasya — whose; tvaṁ — you; kaḥ — who; kuta — from where; āyātaḥ — arrived, have come from; tattvaṁ — truth, essence; cintaya — think well, consider; tad iha — that
Translation

here

9
satsaṅgatve nissaṅgatvaṁ nissaṅgatve nirmohatvam | nirmohatve niścalatattvaṁ niścalatattve jīvanmuktiḥ ||
Word for word
satsaṅgatve — in good company, good association; nissaṅgatvaṁ — renounced, detachment; nirmohatvam — non-infatuated, non-delusion, clear-minded; niścalatattvaṁ — tranquillity, immutable reality, truth; jīvanmuktiḥ — liberated soul, emancipation while still alive
Translation

Being in the company of good people (saints) gives rise to non-attachment, from non-attachment comes freedom from delusion, which leads to awareness of reality, understanding of reality gives rise to emancipation leading to the liberation of the soul (jīvan-mukti), while still alive.

10
vayasi gate kaḥ kāma-vikāraḥ śuṣke nīre kaḥ kāsāraḥ | kṣīṇe vitte kaḥ parivāraḥ jñāte tattve kaḥ saṁsāraḥ ||
Word for word
vayasi — youth, young age; gate — when gone; kaḥ — who, where, what use; kāma-vikāraḥ — passion, sexual attraction; śuṣke — dried up of; nīre — water; kaḥ — what use is the; kāsāraḥ — lake; kṣīṇe — reduced, spent-up, gone; vitte — wealth, money; kaḥ — what use for; parivāraḥ — family, dependants; jñāte — knowledge, in the realised state; tattve — truth, essence; kaḥ — what is the use; saṁsāraḥ — circle of birth and death, of worldly existence
Translation

What good is lust when youth has fled? What use is a lake which has no water? Where are the relatives when wealth is gone? What is saṁsāra (transmigratory process), when Truth is known?

11
mā kuru dhana jana yauvana garvaṁ harati nimeṣāt-kālaḥ sarvam | māyāmayamidam-akhilaṁ hitvā brahma-padaṁ tvaṁ praviśa viditvā ||
Word for word
mā — don't, do not; kuru — do act; dhana — wealth, money; jana — people; yauvana — youth; garvaṁ — arrogance, pride; harati — steals, takes away; nimeṣāt — in the twinkling of the eye, instant; kālaḥ — Master Time; sarvam — all; māyā — illusion, delusion; māyām — full of, completely filled; idam — this; akhilaṁ — whole, entire; hitvā — abandoned, having given up; brahma-padaṁ — realm of brahman, spiritual truth; tvaṁ — you; praviśa — enter; viditvā — having known, realised
Translation

Do not take pride in wealth, friends and youth. Each one of these is destroyed within an instant by Time. Free yourself from the illusion of the world of māyā and attain the realm of brahman, timeless truth.

12
dina yāminyau sāyaṁ prātaḥ śiśira-vasantau punarāyātaḥ | kālaḥ krīḍati gacchatyāyuḥ tadapi na muñcatyāśā-vāyuḥ ||
Word for word
dinayāminyau — day and night; sāyaṁ — evening; prātaḥ — morning; śiśira — frosty season, winter; vasantau — spring season; punaḥ — again; āyātaḥ — have arrived, come; kālaḥ — eternal time; krīḍati — plays; gacchati — goes away; āyuḥ — life, age; tadapi — even so; na — not; muñcati — releases, frees; āśā — desire; vāyuḥ — air (the wind of desire does not let off its hold)
Translation

Day and night, evening and morning, winter and summer come and go again and again. Eternal time plays and life ebbs away, yet one does not let go of the storm of desire.

13
dvādaśa-mañjarikābhira śeṣaḥ kathito vaiyākaraṇasyaiṣaḥ | upadeśo'bhūd-vidyānipuṇaiḥ śrīmacchaṅkara-bhagavaccharaṇaiḥ ||
Word for word
dvādaśamañjarikābhiḥ — by the bouquet consisting of 12 flowers (the 12 ślokas above); aśeṣaḥ — without remainder, totally; kathita — was told; vaiyākaraṇasyaiṣaḥ — to the grammarian; upadeśa — advice; bhūd — was; vidyānipuṇaiḥ — by the great scholar; śrīmacchaṅkara — by Śaṅkarācārya; bhagavaccharaṇaiḥ — known as Śaṅkara-bhagavat
Translation

The bouquet of twelve verses was imparted to a grammarian by the all-knowing Śaṅkara, adored as bhagavat-pāda.

14
kāte kāntā dhana gata-cintā vātula kiṁ tava nāsti niyantā | trijagati sajjana saṅgatirekā bhavati bhavārṇava taraṇe naukā ||
Word for word
kāte — who, your; kāntā — beloved, wife; dhana — wealth, money; gatacintā — thinking of, concern; vātula — crazy, mad, insane; kiṁ — what; tava — your; nāsti — not there; niyantā — controller, ordainer; trijagati — in the three worlds; sajjana — good people; saṅgatirekā — good company, saintly association; bhavati — becomes; bhavārṇava — ocean of birth and death; taraṇe — in crossing; naukā — boat, ship
Translation

O, mad man! Why this engrossment in thoughts of wealth and beloved? Is there no one to guide you? In these thee worlds, only the association with saintly people (satsaṅga) can serve as the boat that can steer cross the ocean of repeated birth and death. (Stanza attributed to Padmapāda.)

15
jaṭilo muṇḍī luñchita keśaḥ kāṣāyāmbara bahukṛta veṣaḥ | paśyannapi ca na paśyati mūḍhaḥ udara nimittaṁ bahukṛtaveṣaḥ ||
Word for word
jaṭilaḥ — one with knotted hair; muṇḍī — shaven head; luñchita-keśaḥ — hair plucked out here and there; kāṣāya — saffron cloth; ambara — cloth, robe; bahukṛta — much done, often donned; veṣaḥ — artificial exterior, roles; paśyannapi — even after seeing; cana — and, not; paśyati — sees; mūḍhaḥ — the fool; udaranimittaṁ — for the sake of the belly, living; bahukṛtaveṣaḥ — various make-ups, roles, donned exterior appearances
Translation

There are many (ascetics) with matted hair, many with clean shaven heads, many whose hair have been plucked out, some are clothed in orange, yet others parading in various colors - Indeed, these different disguises or apparels are only for their belly’s sake. Seeing the truth revealed before them, still the foolish ones can not see through these many disguises. (Stanza attributed to Totakācārya.)

16
aṅgaṁ galitaṁ palitaṁ muṇḍaṁ daśana-vihīnaṁ jataṁ tuṇḍam | vṛddho yāti gṛhītvā daṇḍaṁ tadapi na muñcatyāśāpiṇḍam ||
Word for word
aṅgaṁ — bodily limbs; galitaṁ — weakened, decayed; palitaṁ — ripened, grey; muṇḍaṁ — head; daśana-vihīnaṁ — bereft of teeth; jataṁ — having become; tuṇḍam — jaws, mouth; vṛddhaḥ — the old man; yāti — goes; gṛhītvā —holding taking hold; daṇḍaṁ — walking-stick; tadapi — even so; na — not; muñcati — lets go, gives up; āśāpiṇḍam — hopes and desires, oblation
Translation

Strength has left the old man's body, his head has become bald, his gums toothless and leaning on crutches. Even then he can not let go of his attachment, clinging firmly to fruitless hopes and desires. (Stanza attributed to Hastamalaka.)

17
agre vahniḥ pṛṣṭhe bhānuḥ rātrau cubuka samarpita jānuḥ | karatala bhikṣas-tarutala vāsaḥ tadapi na muñcatyāśāpāśaḥ ||
Word for word
agre — in front of, beforehand; vahniḥ — fire ( for worship); pṛṣṭhe-bhānuḥ — the sun at the back; rātrau — in the night, at night; cubuka-samarpita-jānuḥ — face dedicated to (huddled up between) the knees; karatala-bhikṣas — alms in the palms; tarutala-vāsaḥ — whose dwelling, living, is under the trees; tadapi — then even so; na — not; muñcati — releases, lets go; āśā — desire; pāśaḥ — rope, ties, noose; āśā-pāśaḥ — the noose that is hope, desire
Translation

The ascetic warms his body with fire in front and the sun at the back. At night he dwells under a tree with face huddled between the knees to keep out of the cold. In his hands he holds the beggar's alms and yet he does not let go of the noose of attachment to desire and passion. (Stanza attributed to Subhodha.)

18
kurute gaṅgā-sāgara gamanaṁ vrata paripālanam-athavā dānam | jñāna vihinaḥ sarvamatena muktiṁ na bhajati janma śatena ||
Word for word
kurute — takes resort to, does perform; gaṅgā-sāgara — confluence of the Gaṅgā and Ocean; gamanaṁ — going, traveling, pilgrimage; vrata — austerities; paripālanam — observance of vows; athavā — or, else; dānam — charity, give away for religious merit; jñāna-vihinaḥ — bereft of true knowledge of the Self; sarvamatena — unanimously, according to all schools of thought; muktiṁ — salvation, freedom; na — not; bhajati — attains, achive; janma — birth(s); śatena — hundred
Translation

One may travel (on a pilgrimage) to the confluence where the Gaṅgā river meets the ocean (gaṅgā-sāgara), undertake vows and give away in charity, however without true knowledge (jñāna) one will not achieve liberation (mukti) even in a hundred lifetimes, according to all [schools of] thought. (Stanza attributed to Vārtikakāra.)

19
sura mandira taru mūla nivāsaḥ śayyā bhūtalam-ajinaṁ vāsaḥ | sarva parigraha bhoga tyāgaḥ kasya sukhaṁ na karoti virāgaḥ ||
Word for word
sura — godly person, devotee; mandira — temple; taru — tree; mūla — at the root; nivāsaḥ — living, dwelling; śayyā — bed; bhūtalam — on the surface of the earth; ajinaṁ — deer skin, garb of ascetic in ancient times; vāsaḥ — living, dwelling; sarva — all; parigraha — possessions; bhoga — enjoyment, worldly pleasures; tyāgaḥ — renunciation; kasya — whose, of whom; sukhaṁ — happiness, delight; na — not; karoti — does, bestows; virāgaḥ — non-attachment, indifference to worldly things
Translation

One who lives in temples or dwells at the foot of trees, whose bed is the surface of the earth, whose garment is a deer-skin, who has thus renounced all enjoyment of worldly possessions - to whom will such dispassion (vairāgya) not bring happiness? (Stanza attributed to Nityānanda.)

20
yogarato vā bhogarato vā saṅgarato vā saṅgavihīnaḥ | yasya brahmaṇi ramate cittaṁ nandati nandati nandatyeva ||
Word for word
yogarato — taking delight in yoga; vā — or; bhogarato — taking delight in bhoga, worldly pleasures, enjoyments; vā — or; saṅgarato — taking delight in good company; vā — or; saṅgavihīnaḥ — bereft of company, solitude; yasya — whose, of whom; brahmaṇi — in Brahman (spiritual truth); ramate — delights, enjoys; cittaṁ — mind, consciousness; nandati — rejoices, delights; nandaty-eva — only he indeed, he alone
Translation

One may take delight in yoga (union with god) or bhoga (worldly enjoyment), may be delighted by company or solitude, but he whose mind delights in brahman (the spiritual truth), only he enjoys real bliss and is satisfied, no one else. (Stanza attributed to ānandagiriḥ)

21
bhagavad-gītā kiñcidadhītā gaṅgā jalalava kaṇikā pītā | sakṛdapi yena murāri samarcā kriyate tasya yamena na carcā ||
Word for word
bhagavad-gītā — the song of god; kiñcid — a little; adhītā — studied, read; gaṅgā — holy river Gaṅgā; jalala — water drop; lava — little bit; kaṇikā-pītā — a little droplet, drunk; sakṛd-api — once even, also indeed; yena — by whom; murāri — the enemy of 'Murā' (Lord Kṛṣṇa); samarcā — well worshipped; kriyate — is done, performed; tasya — his, of him; yamena — by Yama, the lord of Death; na — not; carcā — discussion, inquiry
Translation

Let a man read but a little from Bhagavad-gītā, drink just a drop of Gaṅgā-water, worship but once murāri, the enemy of 'Murā' (Lord Kṛṣṇa), he then will have no confrontation with Yama, the Lord of death. (Stanza attributed to Dṛḍhabhakta.)

22
punarapi jananaṁ punarapi maraṇaṁ punarapi jananī jaṭhare śayanam | iha saṁsāre bahu dustāre kṛpayā'pāre pāhi murāre ||
Word for word
punarapi — again and again; jananaṁ — birth; punarapi — again and again; maraṇaṁ — death; punarapi — again and again; jananī — mother; jaṭhare — in the belly, womb of mother; śayanam — sleeping, resting; iha — in this world here; saṁsāre — transmigration, repeated cycle of birth and death; bahu-dustāre — with great difficulty to cross; kṛpayā'pāre — grace, out of boundless compassion; pāhi — protect; murāre — Murāri, Murā's enemy Kṛṣṇa
Translation

Birth again, death again, again resting in the mother's womb! It is indeed hard to cross this boundless ocean of saṁsāra (cycle of repeated birth and death). O Murāri! by your causeless mercy please protect me (from this transmigratory process). (Stanza attributed to Nityanātha.)

23
rathyā carpaṭa viracita kanthaḥ puṇyāpuṇya vivarjita panthaḥ | yogī yoga niyojita citto ramate bālonmattavadeva ||
Word for word
rathyā — on the road; carpaṭa — torn cloth, tattered rags; viracita — made with; kanthaḥ — patched garments; puṇyāpuṇya — virtues and sins; vivarjita — avoided, having abandoned; panthaḥ — pathway; yogī — one seeking union with god; yoga-niyojita — controlled by yoga; citto — mind, consciousness, heart; ramate — delights, rejoices; bālonmattavad — like a crazed wild child; eva — indeed, thus
Translation

The one whose patched garment is made from tattered rags cast on the road, whose path is free from sins having abandoned virtue and vices, whose mind is fixed on yoga (in union with god), that yogi indeed rejoices (in divine bliss) like a crazed wild child overwhelmed by happiness. (Stanza attributed to Nityanātha.)

24
kastvaṁ ko'haṁ kuta āyātaḥ kā me jananī ko me tātaḥ | iti paribhāvaya sarvam asāraṁ viśvaṁ tyaktvā svapna vicāram ||
Word for word
kaḥ — who (are); tvaṁ — you; ko'haṁ — who am I; kuta — whence, from where; āyātaḥ — arrived, has come; kā — who; me — my; jananī — mother; ko — who; me — my; tātaḥ — father; iti — this; paribhāvaya — think well, consider; sarvam — all, entire; asāraṁ — worthless, without essence; viśvaṁ — world; tyaktvā — having abandoned; svapna — (reflection of) dream; vicāram — consideration, thinking
Translation

Having abandoned this world, knowing it to be without essence, comparable to the reflection of a dream, consider well and reflect: Who am I? Who are you? Where have I come from? Who is my mother, and who is my father? (Stanza attributed to Surendra.)

25
tvayi mayi cānya traiko viṣṇuḥ vyarthaṁ kupyasi mayyasahiṣṇuḥ | bhava samacittaḥ sarvatra tvaṁ vāñchasyacirād-yadi viṣṇutvam ||
Word for word
tvayi — in yourself; mayi — in myself; ca — and; anyatra — elsewhere; ekaḥ — one only; viṣṇuḥ — lord Viṣṇu vyarthaṁ — in vain
Translation

uselessly

26
śatrau mitre putre bandhau mā kuru yatnaṁ vigraha sandhau | sarvasminnapi paśyātmānaṁ sarvatrot-sṛja bhedājñānam ||
Word for word
śatrau — to the enemy; mitre — to the friend; putre — to the son; bandhau — to the relatives; mā — don't, do not; kuru — do, make; yatnaṁ — effort; vigraha-sandhau — seperation and joining; sarvasminnapi — in all beings, in every thing; paśyātmānaṁ — see your own self; sarvatrot-sṛja — everywhere give up, cease in every case; bhedājñānam — duality, the sense-of-difference born out of ignorance
Translation

Do not waste your efforts to win the love of or to fight against friend and foe, children and relatives. See the true self in everyone and give up all feelings of duality completely. (Stanza attributed to Medhātithira.)

27
kāmaṁ krodhaṁ lobhaṁ mohaṁ tyaktvā'tmānaṁ bhāvaya ko'ham | ātma-jñāna vihīnā mūḍhāḥ te pacyante naraka nigūḍhāḥ ||
Word for word
kāmaṁ — desire; krodhaṁ — anger; lobhaṁ — greed; mohaṁ — delusion; tyaktvā'tmānaṁ — having abandoned one's self; bhāvaya — consider, try to know; ko'ham — who am I; ātma-jñāna — knowledge of the true self; vihīnā — bereft devoid; mūḍhāḥ — fools, deluded rascals; te — they; pacyante — are tormented; naraka — in the hell; nigūḍhāḥ — very much covered
Translation

Give up lust, anger, greed and infatuation, try to know the true self and consider: who am I? Those fools covered by ignorance, who lack self-knowledge (ātma-jñāna) are tormented in hells. (Stanza attributed to Bhārativaṁśa.)

28
geyaṁ gītā-nāma-sahasraṁ dhyeyaṁ śrīpati rūpam-ajasram | neyaṁ sajjana saṅge cittaṁ deyaṁ dīna-janāya ca vittam ||
Word for word
geyaṁ — is to be sung; gītā — song, bhagavat-gītā; nāma — name of the lord; sahasraṁ — 1000 times; dhyeyaṁ — is to be meditated; śrīpati — the consort of śrī (Viṣṇu); rūpam — form, image; ajasram — the unborn one; neyaṁ — is to be lead, taken; sajjana — good people; saṅge — in the company; cittaṁ — mind, hearth; deyaṁ — is to be given; dīna-janāya — to the poor people; ca — and; vittam — money, wealth
Translation

Regularly recite from the Gītā, meditate on Viṣṇu (śrīpati) in your heart, and chant his thousand glories names (viṣṇu-sahasranāma). Take delight to be with the noble and the holy. Distribute your wealth in charity to the poor and the needy. (Stanza attributed to Sumatir.)

29
sukhataḥ kriyate rāmābhogaḥ paścāddhanta śarīre rogaḥ | yadyapi loke maraṇaṁ śaraṇaṁ tadapi na muñcati pāpā-caraṇam ||
Word for word
sukhataḥ — for happiness; kriyate — is done; rāmābhogaḥ — carnal pleasures, sexual enjoyment with women; paścāddhanta — thereafter, alas later on in the end; śarīre — in the body; rogaḥ — disease; yadyapi — even though; loke — in the world; maraṇaṁ — death, the ultimate end; śaraṇaṁ — resort, surrender; tadapi — even then; na — not; muñcati — releases, gives up; pāpā-caraṇam — sin-practising
Translation

Very readily one indulges in carnal pleasures but later on, alas, come diseases of the body. Even though in the world the ultimate end is death (maraṇaṁ), even then one does not relinquish his sinful behaviours.

30
artham-anarthaṁ bhāvaya nityaṁ nāsti tataḥ sukha leśaḥ satyam | putrādapi dhana bhājāṁ bhītiḥ sarvatraiṣā vihitā rītiḥ ||
Word for word
artham — wealth, money; anarthaṁ — unwanted, misfortune, calamity; bhāvaya — deem, consider, reflect; nityaṁ — always, perpetually; nāsti — is not; tataḥ — from that, thither; sukha-leśaḥ — (even a little) trace of happiness; satyam — truth; putrādapi — even from the the son; dhanabhājāṁ — those who enjoy wealth, the rich; bhītiḥ — fear; sarvatraiṣā — everywhere, in all cases this; vihitā — established, understood; rītiḥ — procedure, practice, custom
Translation

Remember always that wealth is the source of misfortune. The truth is that one cannot extract even a bit of happiness from it. For the rich, there is fear even from one’s own son. This is the established way with wealth everywhere.

31
prāṇāyāmaṁ pratyāhāraṁ nityānitya vivekavicāram | jāpyasameta samādhi-vidhānaṁ kurvavadhānaṁ mahad-avadhānam ||
Word for word
prāṇāyāmaṁ — breath-control; pratyāhāraṁ — sense withdrawal (from their respective sense objects); nityaṁ — permanent, eternal; ānitya — impermanent, transient; viveka — awareness after reasoning, discrimination; vicāram — deliberation, consideration; jāpyasameta — with chanting of the names of the lord, prayers; samādhi-vidhānaṁ — accomplished state of trance; kurvavadhānaṁ — pay attention; mahad-avadhānam — great care and attention
Translation

Practice control of breath (prāṇā-yāma) and withdrawal of the senses from their respective sense objects (pratyāhāra), deliberate on the distinction between the permanent and the transitory, perform meditation along with chanting the holy names of god, perform these with great attention and extreme care!

32
guru-caraṇāmbuja nirbhara bhaktaḥ saṁsārādacirādbhava muktaḥ | sendriya mānasa niyamādevaṁ drakṣyasi nija hṛdayasthaṁ devam ||
Word for word
guru-caraṇāmbuja — the lotus feet of the teacher, guru; nirbhara — deeply, ardent, sincere; bhaktaḥ — devotee, devoted; saṁsārād — repeated circle of birth and death; acirādbhava — in no time without delay; muktaḥ — free, released; sa-indriya — sesnses, sense organs; mānasa — of the mind; niyamādevaṁ — control, in this way with discipline; drakṣyasi — you will see; nija — one's own; hṛdaya-sthaṁ — heart-stationed; devam — god, the supersoul in the heart
Translation

Oh devotee sincerely dedicated to the lotus feet of the Guru! May thou be soon free from Saṁsārā, the circle of birth and death. Through disciplined senses and controlled mind, thou shalt come to see (experience) the in-dwelling Lord of your heart!

33
mūḍhaḥ kaścana vaiyākaraṇo ḍukṛñkaraṇādhyayana dhuriṇaḥ | śrīmacchaṅkara bhagavacchiṣyai bodhita āsicchodhitakaraṇaḥ ||
Word for word
mūḍhaḥ — fool, rascal; kaścana — whatever, anyone; vaiyākaraṇo — grammar, grammarian; ḍukṛñkaraṇa — grammatical formula; ādhyayana — study; dhuriṇaḥ — harnessed, yoked, attached; śrīmacchaṅkara — the honourable (splendit) śrī-śaṅkara; bhagavat — god, divine, glorious, illustrious; śiṣyaiḥ — disciples, students; bodhita — having been taught, awakened; āsic — was; chodhitakaraṇaḥ — one who has been cleansed, purified
Translation

Thus a foolish grammarian lost in grammatical rules, was cleansed of his narrow vision and shown the light by the students of the illustrious Śrīmad Śaṅkarācārya.

34
bhaja-govindaṁ bhaja-govindaṁ govindaṁ bhaja-mūḍhamate | nāma-smaraṇādanyamupāyaṁ nahi paśyāmo bhavataraṇe ||
Word for word
bhaja-govindaṁ — worship Govinda; bhaja-govindaṁ — worship Govinda; govindaṁ — Lord Govinda, Kṛṣṇa; bhaja — worship, chant, revere; mūḍhamate — fool, dull-minded; nāma — the lord's holy name; smaraṇā — through rememberance; anyamupāyaṁ — other methods, means; nahi — indeed not; paśyāmo — we see; bhavataraṇe — for the purpose of crossing the ocean of existence
Translation

Worship Govinda, worship Govinda, worship Govinda, O fool! Other than chanting the Lord's names, there is no other way to cross the ocean of existence.

35
iti bhajagovindaṁ saṁpūrṇam - Thus ends the Stotra Bhaja Govindam -

Frequently asked

Who wrote Bhaja Govindam?

Bhaja Govindam was composed by Adi Sankaracarya. It appears in More Songs.

What is the meaning of Bhaja Govindam?

Worship Govinda, worship Govinda, worship Govinda, O fool! The rules of grammar will not save you at the time of your death.

Where can I listen to Bhaja Govindam?

You can listen to 1 recording of Bhaja Govindam on this page, including versions sung by Srila Prabhupada.

How many verses does Bhaja Govindam have?

Bhaja Govindam has 35 verses.

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