BHAJA GOVINDAM "Hammer Blows to Delusion" : Slokam - 5. Sri Adi Shankaracharyaji

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Wednesday, September  30, 2020. 

Dvadasha Manjarika Stotram

Part - 2.

Slokam-s - 2-13 (12 No)

"Pitfalls to Bewarw of"

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Slokam - 5: The Selfishness of Dependents

"1 yaavad- vitta- upaarjana saktah 2 staavad- nijaparivaaro raktah;

3 pashchaad- jeevati jarjara dehe  4 vaartaam ko’pi na pricchati gehe."

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Traslation :

1 yaavad- vitta- upaarjana saktah   =  As long as one has the ability to earn wealth

2 staavad- nijaparivaaro raktah;      = so long dependents are attached to you;

3 pashchaad- jeevati jarjara dehe    = Later on,  when infirmity comes upon you,

4 vaartaam ko’pi na pricchati gehe. =  none at home cares to speak even a word!

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The Bare Truth of Human Relationships - 1

1-4 Sri Shankaracharyaji does not mince his words in bringing into the open the

harsh realities of life. It is one of the truths of existence that dependents are attached only

while the earning power is there in a person. When that is gone through old age or an

infirmity, who is left to attend upon one’s needs?

If this was how Shankaracharya saw life more than 1200 years ago, modern

civilization has not improved upon it today. On the contrary, the situation could only have

worsened with the increase in materialistic values. We are looking at a universal situation.

This happens in every country, among the rich as well as the poor. It is the way nature has

made us – yes, so similar to our animal brothers.

This verse is a powerful statement on human civilization in all ages. Self-centredness

seems to be at the core of human society as we have grown to see it. As much as we may

wish to turn our eyes away from the truth, we cannot help recognizing some part of this

verse being dramatized in our own lives, among our own kith and kin.

The poet is stating a human tendency at work throughout the world. There is no

doubt that there are noble exceptions to this statement, but it does not blind us to the

general truth of the poet’s words.

Comforts of Family Life vs Spiritual Life :

Shankaracharyaji is concerned with the false sense of security we get in the

“comforts of family life.” He is using the above weakness in our society to create dispassion

in our hearts for “the comfortable life”. 

This is the ultimate motivation behind such a verse.

Deep personal experience of disappointment or disillusionment plays a key role in

turning one towards the higher life. The poet uses this factor to the limit in this verse to stir

ignorant mankind towards the spiritual life.

Unless we turn away from the alluring comforts of home life, we will never make

substantial progress in attaining spiritual perfection. Sri Shankaracharya, therefore, does not

spare his words in creating disgust in our minds for home comforts, which hold back most

people from pursuing the spiritual path more seriously.

If this verse leads one to realize that he need not spend his life for the sake of selfish

dependents when he could be spending it more profitably to lead a pure life, in keeping

with the spiritual aim of life, then the harsh truth contained in it would be justified.

End.

Next :Slokam - 6: Only While There is Life

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