Bhaja Govindam - Sloka 7

7.

Balas-tavat – When one is a kid

Krida-sakta – he happily spends it in the games / plays

Tarunas-tavat – when one is a young boy (Youth)

Taruni-sakta – he happily spends it in the involvement of young girls

Vrddahas-tavat – when one is old

Chinta-sakta – he spends it worrying about different things (of past and future)

Pare - Ultimate

Brahmani – Brahman (Self)

Ko api na – no one is

saktha – involved

When one is a kid he happily spends his time in the plays / games, and when one is young he happily spends it in involvement of young girls, and when in the old he spends it (not so happily) worrying about the thing of the past and the future, alas, no one is involved or attached or thinks about the Ultimate Self.

A persons age can be defined as Child, Youth and Adult (as in psychology). This is the general form of classification. At each point of these different periods of age a person spends his time in the futile experiences of the world. Without understanding the ephemeral state of the world. At each point of these different periods of age, one wastes his precious time knowingly or unknowingly in the pursuits of the world.

When one is just a kid, one cannot control the thoughts he is so accustomed to through different past births. And since, the discriminative power has not taken shape in him, it is difficult to find fault for the doings at this age. And the smiritis too give exceptions for the sins performed at this juvenile age.

But when one crosses this age of childwood, and enter the youth. He has a powerful / well shaped discriminative power. Which can recognize, atleast generally, the right from the wrong. But, even at this right age, one spend it only in the pursuit of the sensual pleasures of the world. Here taruni (young girl) is just a pointer to the other attraction of different senses.

And, when he becomes an Adult, the age many have set aside for the inquiry into the Self. When, one is young and healthy, if he is involved in the search for the Truth, the others scold him saying, these (inquiry into the Self) to be things for the post retirement age. But, when finally that age arrives, one is so engrossed in the world, it becomes difficult for him to relieve himself from it. The thoughts of worring about the past actions or the future course of life will torment him. This is the least, even if one is interested in the Truth at that age, the body which he has abused over the past years will take a toll, and will hinder in the ability to perform the desired things necessary.

So, Acharya, end the stanza with a note of pity, alas, no one is interested in the True Self, in the right time.

Age can also be classified into another three types, Vayo, Tapa and Jnana (age, penance and Knowledge). A person who is old by age is counted as a kid with respect to the others. And a person who may be very young of age but is ripe with knowledge is the one who is respected the most.

With this note of dejection, Acharya attracts our attention to the discrimination and the dispassion, one should cultivate. And in the next final stanza on this subject he summarizes the methor to rightly achieve this dispassion and discrimination.

Bhaja Govindam - Sloka 6

6.

Yavat - until

Pavana - the breath

Nivasati - stays

Dehe - in the body

Tavat - till then

Kushalam - the well-being/ welfare

Pruchchati – enquire

Gehe – in the house

Gatavati - leaves the body

Vayau - the breath

Deha apaye - when the body falls off / soul departs

Bharya - the wife

Bibhyati - is afraid

Tasmin - of the same

Kaye - body

Until one stays healthy and breathes (stays alive) everybody enquires about his well-being. But when the vital air leaves the body, the same body which gave different kinds of experiences , becomes the object of fear even for one's own dear wife.

In the previous stanza Acharya showed us the futility of the love and affection showered on us by the family members. Now here to give us the thoughts for greater dispassion, he points out that even the love and affection  or recognition which is shown by the relatives is very superficial. Because, the same body which was once the object of love or affection becomes the object of dread or fear when the prana leaves the body. The same body which was referred as Ram or Devi or  as He or She is now referred as That or This.

Vivekachoodamani - Main Sloka

This is the important sloka in Viveka choodamani. If not interpret properly, the whole of shastras will become useless.

"Vakvaikhari shabdajhari shastravyakhyana kaushalam ... bhuktaye na tu muktaye" is a beautiful sloka in VivekaChoodamani by Acharya. People often mistake this meaning. It is generally interpret as, the proficiency , word games (using flowery words) and knowledge in interpreting the Shastras may be useful in experiencing the things in the world but will not be useful for Moksha. This is not just interpret in this way, but, the Vidwans who interpret it this way also use this as a Pramana to ridicule the study of shastra. They also for their support, bring the Sruthi, “vak viglapanam hi tat” – it is just waste of energy.

But, then did not Acharya say this? Yes he did. But then what is your problem, why are you condemning it? To condemn it, means is a Blasphemy for me. The reason I say is it is not interpret properly, as always is done by the ignorant (of the shastra).

How should it be interpret than?

First, if the before said meaning is what Acharya means, than, the rest of the text will be redundant, like the other shastras and interpretation of Acharya. And, after this (believe it is 50 or some sloka) He writes around 400 more slokas.

Second, there are three beautiful, romantic, poetic masterly Sanskrit  words which are used in the first part of the Sloka.

Vakvaikhari – expanse of the usage of words

Shabdajhari – the nuances of the words

Shastravyakhana-Kaushalam – ability to interpret the words.

But, the really mean, from the introduction invocation sloka of Taiteriya Bhashya, “yairime gurubhi purvam padavakyapramanata” - the earlier Guru’s who through Pada, Vakya and Pramana.

Pada means Grammar, Vakya means Poorva Mimamsa and Pramana means Nyaya.

In the same way here too, Acharya uses these three words respectively.

Vakvaikhari means Pada means Grammar. Trough Grammar one understands the right meaning and usage of the words, and therefore has a very thorough grasp over the vak, speech.

Shabdajhari  means Vakya means Poorva Mimamsa. Through mimamsa one understands the way to interpret the words and staments of the Shastra using the different meters (pointers – linga) said in it.

And, Shastravyakhana-Kaushalam  means Pramana means Nyaya.  With logic one is able to prove or disprove the desired and non-desired.

By this understanding, we can synchronize the sruti statement “Anyaan vaacho vimunvhatha amrtasya esha setu: “ – give up the other useless talk, (involve only in shastra discussion), this is the means of eternality.

In essence, Acharya says, don’t waste your time and energy in only the futile pursuit of the other shastras, learn it to use it in Vedanta. Meaning, Study the Vedanta Properly.