Bhaja Govindam

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 18 Apr 2008, 03:52

Is there a thread on Bhaja Govindam? I could not locate one.
While reading some of the verses, I was so inspired.How truly it portrays the happenings of today?How, man ,in pursuit of material happiness, loses sight of God etc?
I would like more discussions on Bhaja Govindam.
Moderator, kindly move this to the appropriate thread.
Thank you.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 18 Apr 2008, 05:20

Start Posting your discussions and comments here

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 18 Apr 2008, 07:46

Thanks CML.I'll do it.

kjrao · Post by **kjrao** » 18 Apr 2008, 09:20

You may find a simple English translation of Bhaja Govindam in the following link.

http://www.speaksanskrit.org/forum/view ... 09e4605521

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 18 Apr 2008, 15:06

When I went thro the sloka 'bAlastAvat kreedaskthah tarunasthAvth taruNeesakthah
vrdhdhasthAvath chinthAsakthah paramE brhmaNi kOpi na sakthah'- these thoughts came to my mind-
'tUlliththiriya oru piLLaipparuvam, ulaga inbam thuykka oru iLamaipparuvam
piNi, mooppu, sAkkAdu ivai kuRiththu sindai koLLa oru mudumaipparuvam thantha paramA
umai ninaikka emakkoru paruvam thara marandanaiyE-(marandanaiyO)
More or less a translation.

vgvindan · Post by **vgvindan** » 18 Apr 2008, 17:31

pv,
Nice translation. Keep posting. We will discuss each one of the couplet.

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 18 Apr 2008, 18:48

VGV, thanks for the encouraging words.Sure we will start from the first sloka.Thanks to all of you-Iam getting more and more involved in this.Thanks once again for all the forumites.

vgvindan · Post by **vgvindan** » 18 Apr 2008, 20:29

Background of the Stotra - as per http://www.philosophy.ru/library/asiati ... haja2.html

There is a story attached to the composition of the present Hymn. Acharya Shankara, it is said, was walking along a street in Varanasi, one day, accompanied by his disciples. He heard the sound of grammatical rules being recited by an old scholar. Taking pity on the scholar, he went up to him and advised him not to waste his time on grammar at his age but to turn his mind to God in worship and adoration. The Hymn to Govinda was composed on this occasion. Besides the refrain of the song beinning with the words "Bhaja Govindam" , Shankara is stated to have sung twelve verses, hence the hymn bears the title "Dvadasamanjarika-Stotra" (A hymn which is a bunch of twelve verse-blossoms). The fourteen disciples who were with the Master, then, are believed to have added one verse each. These fourteen verses are together called "Chaturdasa-manjarika-Stotra" (A hymn which is a bunch of fourteen verse-blossoms).

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 18 Apr 2008, 22:26

BG is also called 'mOha mudgara' I think.

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 20 Apr 2008, 22:45

Will want to discuss BG after a few days since I am busy and travelling.
Will get back after I return.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 20 Apr 2008, 23:36

VGV, I was reading your translation of Thyagaraja's SAntamu lEka saukhyamu lEdu at our Wiki this morning and the messages of SAntamu lEka and Baja Govindam have a lot of similarities, I thought.

vgvindan · Post by **vgvindan** » 21 Apr 2008, 00:41

vk,
I agree with you. It is not without reason Sri Thyagaraja is called 'sadguru'. Indeed one becomes blessed by reading his outpourings - I can , humbly, vouch for it.

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 21 Apr 2008, 06:28

The same feeling I used to get while listening tothe great vaggeyakaras;whatever has been give nin the sacred scripture,s these great souls have given us in simpler forms in their krits, so that we can understand.
Many padas of PurandaradAsa also explain these things in a simple form
like the nature of the human beings, their behaviour etc.
It is so beautiful.

kmrasika · Post by **kmrasika** » 21 Apr 2008, 13:05

Punarvasu wrote:BG is also called 'mOha mudgara' I think.

The first twelve ShlOkAs are called the "dvAdAra/dvAdaSha manjari stOtraM." I have heard of the term mOha mudgara relating ot this hymn. The bhajagOvindam has also been rendered into tamizh (tamizhAkkam) recently.

Adidaivam · Post by **Adidaivam** » 24 Apr 2008, 02:10

What is BG?? What do you mean by BG??? Please any one explain?

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 24 Apr 2008, 02:39

BG is the abbreviation for Bhaja Govindam!

Ramnath Iyer · Post by **Ramnath Iyer** » 28 Apr 2008, 04:58

I am looking for Smt MSS's rendition of Bhaja govindam. Is this available on the net ?
thanks

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 28 Apr 2008, 06:38

Here is the one on MIO:

http://www.musicindiaonline.com/p/x/w4Q ... As1NMvHdW/

krishnanrasika · Post by **krishnanrasika** » 02 May 2008, 11:36

The original name of 'Bhaja Govindam' is 'Moha Mudgara' which means a hammer (mudgara) to thrash delusion (moha) - delusion regarding what is right and and wrong, delusion regarding making the right choices at appropriate stages of life. The verses are pretty strong like the blow of a hammer and is intended to give us a strong push to wake up from the sleep of delusion.

The BG is very beautiful from various angles, hence very popular
- as a poetry, the rhymes are excellent
- as a song,it is very pleasing to the ears (of course, the rendition of MSS is what is reminisced by most people)
- the philosophical significance is in a class of its own

Pranams
Krishnan

tilt · Post by **tilt** » 03 May 2008, 04:50

Ramnath Iyer wrote:I am looking for Smt MSS's rendition of Bhaja govindam. Is this available on the net ?
thanks

I have the MSS version on CD and have ripped it into iTunes, but it is not am mp3 file, i is the native iTunes m4a format and is 15 megabytes in size. If you can open that format and can tell me a way to get the file across to you I shall be more than happy to do so.

Cheers