bhaja govindaṃ bhaja govindaṃ govindaṃ bhaja mūḍhamate | samprāpte sannihite kāle nahi nahi rakṣati ḍukṛṅkaraṇe ||
Worship Govinda, worship Govinda, worship Govinda, O foolish mind! When the appointed hour of death draws near, the rules of grammar will not save you.
Verse 2 — mūḍha jahīhi dhanāgamatṛṣṇāṃ kuru sadbuddhiṃ…
mūḍha jahīhi dhanāgamatṛṣṇāṃ kuru sadbuddhiṃ manasi vitṛṣṇām | yallabhase nijakarmopāttaṃ vittaṃ tena vinodaya cittam ||
O deluded one, give up your craving for the acquisition of wealth; cultivate right understanding in a mind free of desire. With whatever wealth comes through your own karma, gladden your heart with that.
Seeing a woman's heavy breasts and navel region, do not fall into the grip of infatuation — this is but a transformation of flesh and fat; reflect on this in your mind again and again.
nalinīdalagatajalamatitaralaṃ tadvajjīvitamatiśayacapalam | viddhi vyādhyabhimānagrastaṃ lokaṃ śokahataṃ ca samastam ||
As a drop of water resting on a lotus leaf is utterly unsteady, so is life, exceedingly fleeting. Know that the whole world, gripped by disease and pride, is stricken through and through with grief.
As long as one is absorbed in earning wealth, so long is one's own family devoted. But afterward, when one lives on in a frail body, no one at home even asks after one's welfare.
As long as the breath dwells in the body, so long do they ask after one's welfare at home. But once the breath has departed and the body has perished, even one's wife fears that very corpse.
bālastāvatkrīḍāsaktaḥ taruṇastāvattaruṇīsaktaḥ | vṛddhastāvaccintāsaktaḥ parame brahmaṇi ko'pi na saktaḥ ||
As a child one is absorbed in play; as a youth one is attached to a young woman; as an old man one is sunk in worry — but no one is attached to the Supreme Brahman.
Verse 8 — kā te kāntā kaste putraḥ saṃsāro'yamatīva…
kā te kāntā kaste putraḥ saṃsāro'yamatīva vicitraḥ | kasya tvaṃ kaḥ kuta āyātastattvaṃ cintaya tadiha bhrātaḥ ||
Who is your wife? Who is your son? Strange indeed is this cycle of worldly existence. Whose are you? From where have you come? O brother, reflect upon that truth here.
From the company of the good comes non-attachment; from non-attachment comes freedom from delusion; from freedom from delusion comes the unwavering Reality; and in the unwavering Reality is liberation while living.
When youth has passed, where is the passion of desire? When the water has dried up, where is the lake? When wealth has dwindled, where is the retinue? When the truth is known, where is this world?
Take no pride in wealth, in companions, or in youth — for time seizes all in an instant. Renounce this whole world, made of illusion, and having known it, enter the state of Brahman.
Day and night, dusk and dawn, winter and spring come again and again. Time plays on, life passes away — yet the gust of desire does not let go.
Verse 13 — kā te kāntā dhanagatacintā vātula kiṃ tava…
kā te kāntā dhanagatacintā vātula kiṃ tava nāsti niyantā | trijagati sajjanasaṅgatirekā bhavati bhavārṇavataraṇe naukā ||
Who is your wife? Why this anxiety over wealth? O frenzied one, is there not a ruler for you? In the three worlds, the company of the good alone becomes the boat for crossing the ocean of existence.
caturdaśamañjarikā
caturdaśamañjarikā
Fourteen verses composed by the disciples of Śaṅkara — the 'bouquet of fourteen'.
jaṭilo muṇḍī luñchitakeśaḥ kāṣāyāmbarabahukṛtaveṣaḥ | paśyannapi ca na paśyati mūḍho hyudaranimittaṃ bahukṛtaveṣaḥ ||
Matted locks, a shaven head, plucked-out hair, ochre robes, manifold disguises — yet though he sees, the fool does not see; all these disguises are assumed but for the sake of his belly.
The body is withered, the head is gray, the mouth has become toothless. The old man goes about holding a staff — yet even then desire does not leave its hold on him.
A fire before him, the sun at his back, at night his knees clasped to his chin, alms in the palm of his hand, dwelling at the foot of a tree — yet even then the noose of desire does not release him.
One may journey to the confluence of the Ganga and the sea, keep vows, or give charity — yet, devoid of knowledge, one does not attain liberation even in a hundred births.
Dwelling in a temple or at the foot of a tree, the earth his bed, a deerskin his garment, renouncing all possessions and enjoyments — to whom does such dispassion not bring happiness?
By whom the Bhagavad Gītā has been studied even a little, by whom a single drop of Ganga water has been sipped, by whom Murāri has been worshipped even once — with him Yama has no dispute.
Clad in a cloak patched from rags picked up in the street, treading a path free of merit and demerit, the yogi whose mind is absorbed in yoga delights like a child, like one intoxicated.
Verse 23 — kastvaṃ ko'haṃ kuta āyātaḥ kā me jananī ko me…
kastvaṃ ko'haṃ kuta āyātaḥ kā me jananī ko me tātaḥ | iti paribhāvaya sarvamasāram viśvaṃ tyaktvā svapnavicāram ||
Who are you? Who am I? From where have I come? Who is my mother, who my father? Reflecting thus, cast off the whole world as a mere dream.
In you, in me, and everywhere else dwells the one Viṣṇu — your anger and impatience toward me are in vain. Be of equal mind everywhere if you wish to attain the state of Viṣṇu before long.
Verse 25 — śatrau mitre putre bandhau mā kuru yatnaṃ…
Let the Gītā be sung as a thousand songs; let the form of Śrīpati be meditated upon without pause; let the mind be given to the company of the good, and wealth to the needy.
upasaṃhāraḥ
upasaṃhāraḥ
The closing verses of Śaṅkara on renunciation, and the grace of the Guru.
Enjoyment is sought for happiness, but afterward comes disease of the body. Though death is the refuge of the world, man does not give up the path of sin.
Ponder always that wealth is a calamity — truly from it comes not a trace of happiness. Even sons bring fear to the wealthy; such indeed is the way ordained everywhere.
gurucaraṇāmbujanirbharabhaktaḥ saṃsārādacirādbhava muktaḥ | sendriyamānasaniyamādevaṃ drakṣyasi nijahṛdayasthaṃ devam ||
He who is wholly devoted to the lotus feet of the Guru is freed from this world in a moment. By thus disciplining the senses and the mind, you will see the God seated within your own heart.
About Bhaja Govindam
Bhaja Govindam is a Sanskrit stotra, composed by Ādi Śaṅkarācārya, addressed to Krishna — a Stotra. It is presented here in Devanagari, Roman (IAST), Kannada, each verse with its English meaning. Source text: sanskritdocuments.org.
The preeminent Advaita Vedānta ācārya and a prolific composer of devotional stotras revered across the Hindu traditions.
Bhaja Govindam is a Sanskrit stotra (devotional hymn), composed by Ādi Śaṅkarācārya, addressed to Krishna, of 30 verses. On Avabodhak every verse is shown with its English meaning, so you can understand the text line by line as you read.
How do I pronounce Bhaja Govindam correctly?
Avabodhak presents Bhaja Govindam in Devanagari, Roman (IAST), Kannada alongside IAST Roman transliteration that marks every long vowel (ā, ī, ū) and conjunct consonant. Reading the Devanagari text with the IAST line lets you follow the exact pronunciation syllable by syllable, and the guided practice mode replays it line by line.
What is the word-by-word meaning of Bhaja Govindam?
Avabodhak pairs each verse of Bhaja Govindam with its English meaning, and the practice view breaks lines into individual words — so you learn what each word means, not just the overall sense.
Who composed Bhaja Govindam?
Bhaja Govindam is attributed to Ādi Śaṅkarācārya.
In which scripts can I read Bhaja Govindam?
Bhaja Govindam is available in Devanagari, Roman (IAST), Kannada on Avabodhak, each with English meaning and IAST transliteration.
Can I chant or practice Bhaja Govindam online?
Yes — Avabodhak offers a free reading view plus guided practice and word-puzzle modes to help you chant and memorise Bhaja Govindam.