HymnSanskrit8th century (traditional attribution)
Bhaja Govindam
भज गोविन्दम्
Bhaja Govindam, also called Moha Mudgara, "the hammer that breaks delusion", is a Sanskrit hymn attributed to Adi Shankaracharya. Its rhyming couplets tell the foolish mind to stop chasing wealth and status and to worship Govinda.
- Written by
- Adi Shankaracharya (died 820)
- Music
- Traditional
- In the video
- M. S. Subbulakshmi
- Context
- Moha Mudgara, attributed to Adi Shankaracharya (selected verses)
- Year
- 8th century (traditional attribution)
- Language
- Sanskrit
Bhaja Govindam lyrics with English translation
Famous section only: verses 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 12, 20 and 21 of the 31-verse text transcribed on Sanskrit Wikisource from a 1910 printed edition. Verse numbers follow that edition; other editions order and number the verses differently.
भज गोविन्दं भज गोविन्दं भज गोविन्दं मूढमते । संप्राप्ते संनिहिते काले न हि न हि रक्षति डुकृञ्करणे ॥ १ ॥
Bhaja govindam bhaja govindam bhaja govindam mudhamate | Samprapte sannihite kale na hi na hi rakshati dukrinkarane || 1 ||
Worship Govinda, worship Govinda, worship Govinda, O foolish mind! When the appointed hour of death draws near, the rules of grammar will never, never save you.
मूढ जहीहि धनागमतृष्णां कुरु सद्बुद्धिं मनसि वितृष्णाम् । यल्लभसे निजकर्मोपात्तं वित्तं तेन विनोदय चित्तम् ॥ २ ॥
Mudha jahihi dhanagamatrishnam kuru sadbuddhim manasi vitrishnam | Yallabhase nijakarmopattam vittam tena vinodaya chittam || 2 ||
Fool, give up your thirst for gathering wealth; turn your mind to right thinking, free of craving. Whatever you gain through your own honest work, with that, keep your mind content.
नलिनीदलगतजलमतितरलं तद्वज्जीवितमतिशयचपलम् । विद्धि व्याध्यभिमानग्रस्तं लोकं शोकहतं च समस्तम् ॥ ४ ॥
Nalinidalagatajalamatitaralam tadvajjivitamatishayachapalam | Viddhi vyadhyabhimanagrastam lokam shokahatam cha samastam || 4 ||
As a drop of water on a lotus leaf trembles, so is life exceedingly unsteady. Know that the whole world is seized by disease and pride and struck down by sorrow.
बालस्तावत्क्रीडासक्त- स्तरुणस्तावत्तरुणीसक्तः । वृद्धस्तावच्चिन्तासक्तः परे ब्रह्मणि कोऽपि न सक्तः ॥ ७ ॥
Balastavatkridasakta- starunastavattarunisaktah | Vriddhastavacchintasaktah pare brahmani ko'pi na saktah || 7 ||
While a child, one is lost in play; while young, one is lost in love; while old, one is lost in worry; no one is lost in the Supreme.
का ते कान्ता कस्ते पुत्रः संसारोऽयमतीव विचित्रः । कस्य त्वं कः कुत आयात- स्तत्त्वं चिन्तय यदिदं भ्रान्तः ॥ ८ ॥
Ka te kanta kaste putrah samsaro'yamativa vichitrah | Kasya tvam kah kuta ayata- stattvam chintaya yadidam bhrantah || 8 ||
Who is your wife, who is your son? This worldly life is strange indeed. Whose are you, who are you, where have you come from? Reflect on this truth, you who are bewildered.
दिनयामिन्यौ सायं प्रातः शिशिरवसन्तौ पुनरायातः । कालः क्रीडति गच्छत्यायु- स्तदपि न मुञ्चत्याशावायुः ॥ १२ ॥
Dinayaminyau sayam pratah shishiravasantau punarayatah | Kalah kridati gacchatyayu- stadapi na munchatyashavayuh || 12 ||
Day and night, dusk and dawn, winter and spring come round again; time plays, and life slips away, yet the wind of desire never lets go.
भगवद्गीता किञ्चिदधीता गङ्गाजललवकणिका पीता । सकृदपि येन मुरारिसमर्चा क्रियते तस्य यमेन न चर्चा ॥ २० ॥
Bhagavadgita kinchidadhita gangajalalavakanika pita | Sakridapi yena murarisamarcha kriyate tasya yamena na charcha || 20 ||
One who has studied even a little of the Bhagavad Gita, who has drunk even a drop of Ganga water, who has worshipped Murari even once, has nothing to fear from Yama, the lord of death.
पुनरपि जननं पुनरपि मरणं पुनरपि जननीजठरे शयनम् । इह संसारे बहुदुस्तारे कृपयापारे पाहि मुरारे ॥ २१ ॥
Punarapi jananam punarapi maranam punarapi jananijathare shayanam | Iha samsare bahudustare kripayapare pahi murare || 21 ||
Again birth, again death, again lying in a mother's womb; in this worldly life, so very hard to cross, save me, Murari, by your boundless grace.
Translation: Lyriccs (original translation). Transliteration: Lyriccs.
The story behind Bhaja Govindam
Tradition attributes the hymn to Adi Shankara, the philosopher of Advaita Vedanta, who is usually dated to the 8th century. A well-known story says that in Varanasi he saw an old scholar memorising rules of Sanskrit grammar and composed the opening verse, which warns that grammar rules will not save anyone when death draws near. His disciples are said to have added further verses, which is why the text exists in versions of different lengths.
The verses given here come from a 1910 printed edition of Shankara's hymns transcribed on Sanskrit Wikisource, which contains 31 verses. The hymn is chanted daily in many homes and was made widely popular by M. S. Subbulakshmi's recording, which sets the verses to a sequence of ragas.
What Bhaja Govindam means
The hymn is direct, even sharp. It calls the listener mudhamati, foolish mind, and holds up a mirror to ordinary life: the child is lost in play, the youth in love, the old man in worry, and no one gives thought to the Supreme. Life is as unsteady as a drop of water on a lotus leaf, and family affection lasts only while one is earning.
Against this it offers a simple remedy: give up the craving for wealth, be content with what honest work brings, keep good company, and remember God. Even a little reading of the Gita, a drop of Ganga water or a single act of worship, it says, frees one from the fear of death. The famous verse punarapi jananam, again birth, again death, ends in a plea to Murari, Krishna, to carry the singer across the hard ocean of worldly life.
Quick facts
- The hymn is also known as Moha Mudgara, "the hammer that breaks delusion".
- It is traditionally attributed to Adi Shankaracharya.
- The opening verse warns that rules of grammar (dukrin karane) cannot save anyone at death.
- M. S. Subbulakshmi's recording made the hymn popular across India.