Bhaja Govindam. 6.12.95.

There are a lot of Hindu upper caste men and women, avidly reciting Bhajagovindam slokas in Sanskrit. They believe that reciting such slokas will bring them God’s blessing to overcome their worldly woes and also move them out of the birth death cycle. This bhajagovindam is said to have been authored by Adi Sankaracharya in order to enlighten the masses. A cursory look at the point is necessary. One doesn’t know whether any of the ardent devotees give any thought on the meaning conveyed by these slokas. We take here two of the slokas for short analysis.

The first sloka is addressed to all those involved in the studies of language, grammar and literature. The author says O idiot, your scholarly pursuits are not going to help you when death comes nearer; only devotion to Govinda and prayer to him of any help at that eventuality. Here the author implies that this death is not the end of life, that there might be another birth and death and several more cycles. Even if equipped yourself with scholarly qualifications, you will still remain an idiot unless you recite the name of Govinda. Also here author instils fear in the mind of people. Since, the aim of life is to overcome the birth death cycle only the name of Govinda will help to obtain that aim.

However, it is to be noted that Adi Sankara a scholar par excellence seems to advice all else, not to pursue any kind of education but remain an idiot i.e. uneducated and recite Govinda. Govinda; Rama. Rama; Krishna. Krishna; Shiva. Shiva and Narayana. Narayana keeping everything else out. It is strange coming from Sankara’s mouth since, he himself pursued scholarship (as if he just consumed the languages and grammer in a swipe and not by rot) wrote, learned and authoritative commentaries to Prastana Thrayam i.e. Brahma sutras, 10 (some maintain the number is 108 or even more) Upanishads and Bhagawat Gîtâ. Although not everyone refrained from pursuing one or another line of scholarship, a vast majority of people in India remained innocent of any education literary or otherwise. They were thought to recite those god’s names, prostrate before all temple deities, to go on pilgrimage to all kind of shrines through out their life and therefore presumed to have escaped from birth death cycle and straight away ascended to heaven. But neither the scholar nor any devotee seemed to have believed that anyone ascended to heaven. Even the most pious are not believed to have reached that objective. The Sai Baba of Shirdi was considered the most pious sage of the time, but many today believe that the Satya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi is the sage reborn. It gives a jolt to the belief that pious living brings you straight to heaven. The meaning of the first sloka is some make believe situation with none trying to find the fact. They don’t even think of any meaning to the sloka. There is also a kind of conceit in the author. Only he has the right to education and knowledge to attain scholarship and the vast majority should follow his dictates and recite god’s name all their life. May be this is the reason for the largest number of people to be kept in dark, illiterates and idiots outside.

Did the advise to recite bhajagovindam is confined to all or men only? It seems that the advice is addressed to men only. Another sloka makes the necessary clarification and confirmation. It says: “Do not get emotionally involved i.e. Kama – desire, on seeing the heavy breasts and deep navels of the women folk. They are only the contours of meat and fat and that should be mentally considered.” There are certain points popping out of this sloka. Is it contented that women by nature are objects of desire and pleasure to men? They entice by their body flesh, men, from being god minded or devotees and therefore not fit or eligible to attain the objective overcoming birth death cycle? If so what are the conditions for the women to attain that objective or is it suggested that women are not human enough and therefore fated to be objects of pleasure to men?

Another point is that why and how the author who was a sanyasi noticed and thought “Naree Stanabhara Nabhee desam” at this juncture? It looks and spells a demeaning status for female body. Possibly these came to his mind from where the seer himself was born, since at that point of time ladies may not be used to wear any upper garments thus exposing their full breasts and deep navels, for all men to contemplate the pleasure hole beneath the two. One may not agree or approve of the derisive way women are depicted in this sloka.

There are more that could be cited for their absurdity in this composition by the famed Adi Sankara (?) These two are just the samples.

5.12.1995:

An add: In another famed composition of Adi Sankara “Soundarya Lahari” carries the following verse:

“Naram Varshiyamsam Nayana Virasam Narmasu Jadam,

Thavapangaaloke Patitam-anu Dhavanti Satasah;

Galadveni Bandha: Kuchakalasa Visrasta Sichayah,

Hadhad Trutyad Kanjyo Vigalita Dukoola Yuvatayah:”

The meaning is roughly is here. “(When) your (Goddess) side glance falls upon, an old man, decrepit, ugly and idiotic; (then) hundreds of young women follow running (behind him) their knotted hair tumbling, covers of rounded busts slipping out, girdles broken and divesting (all their) cloths.”

Imagine this picture in your mind before forming an opinion.